[Day 95] Grunge & Gloom

Where’s the wildlife? I somehow manage to walk all day through one of the most remote parts of the contiguous United States with negligible large animal encounters. Only agile squirrels and chipmunks keep me company and taunt me with chirps and maneuvers across the trail.

I was excited for the day ahead, but not enough to have me going at a reasonable hour. I warmed some instant oatmeal and ate. It seems my early dinners a few miles before camp (proper diligence in this heavy black bear, light grizzly bear country) are leaving me hungry in the morning.

A six mile, 3,000-foot climb initialized the day. I reminisced on Washington-like terrain. Coupled with that Pacific Northwest gloom, I thought much of the PCT section from Steven’s Pass to Snoqualmie Pass through the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness. Wetter mossier forests, dark-stained scree fields, and arrowhead peaks negotiated the route of trail — saddle to saddle by way of thousand foot descents and ascents wrapping around mountain fingers and bowls. The path followed well off of the divide, mostly on the Montana-side. The divide (Montana-Idaho border still) looked like a 9,000 to 10,000 foot off-trail scramble peak to peak. Many lakes filled the basins. Based on my maps, the Idaho-side of the divide looked much drier and forested, unlike the semi-alpine terrain west of the split in Montana.

I did not see a sole today. Maybe, I have passed the masses of the southbound hikers. The day ended with a long descent from above 8,000 feet to below 6,000 feet. With the weather and mountains, I couldn’t help but throw on some Soundgarden to walk to camp. I was a slower walker today, and there wasn’t a chance at a intended 35-mile day, especially with rain rolling in. As I lowered, the foliage increased, until it was almost rainforest-like. Wet from the drizzle, the waist-to-head high foliage provided an end-of-the-day car wash.

I did not quite bottom out the valley. Instead, I pitched camp on a drier ridge, ate a rapid dinner, hung my food, and covered in my tent minutes before light rain ensued. Tomorrow, I’ll finish my descent and follow the rolling divide to Highway 43.

Signing off,

Zeppelin / fReaK (ON a leash)