July 21.
The Snoqualmie Inn was actually not that bad. There were some Guthooks comments complaining about service there and how the owners didn’t like hikers. They were totally fine with me. One clerk did weirdly start talking to me about climbing Everest and gave me a condensed but still too long history about India and then kinda started talking to me about using coke to hike faster. So that was weird. But other than that it was nice. Nobos complain too much.
I did read a comment that really stood out to me in one of the reviews. Hurt people hurt people. I’ll have to keep that in mind.
Did laundry in the morning. Video called Mup and downloaded some stuff. Picked up and sorted my next resupply. It’s kept in a large cargo container next to the gas station where anyone can just grab stuff. But my resupply boxes were there including my bounce box and hip/shoulder pockets. Was finally able to switch into shorts! V happy about that. The hip belt pocket not so much. It immediately fell off on the walk from the hotel to the gas station. But I found it and was able to rig it up to stay on my hip belt. We’ll see if it stays on.
I was able to get a shipping label from usps and print it at the hotel. I waited anxiously for the mail and the post woman showed up. She took my box and hopefully it’ll end up in Portland. Hopefully.
Ran into Twig at the gas station who was just getting in and getting her resupply. It was great running into her but sad that I was leaving so soon after she had shown up. She was planning on staying at the hotel with some other hikers she had passed on the way in. Taylor got sucked into a baby shower and won’t be on trail until Monday. Unless he picks up the pace I probably won’t see him again for a while. No word from Spatz or Skybird.
Hung around at the coffee shop for a while downloading more podcasts and audiobooks for this next long stretch. Ended up downloading Wild which I’ve already read but feels appropriate to listen to while hiking.
Apparently while I was at the coffee shop a car caught fire in the gas station parking lot and the fire department had to show up to put it out. Snoqualmie is a literal hot mess. Don’t know how I missed it.
Finally got back on trail around 2pm, around 2 hours later than I wanted to. The climb up wasn’t too bad. Decided to hike easy since any miles today would just be bonus miles knocked off the other days. The climbs weren’t too bad and the descents were quick. Managed to get some good miles in even with the short day.
Ran into Peach again, a sobo who had passed me around the 200 mile mark a few days ago. We leapfrogged again the 13 miles into camp. We stopped at a creek where we met salty and Potter, a couple who had started on the same day as Peach.
Not a lot of space so had to improvise on a small patch next to the creek but it worked out. V spacious since I had to use the shrubs and tress around me for the guylines.
Forgot to dry my stuff off a few days ago so I’m a little damp and might get more condensation tonight being right next to the creek but it should be okay. Just need to remember to take time to dry stuff off as soon as possible.
Emotionally kind of a rough day. I miss Mup. Taking to her and seeing her face via video was amazing but also sad. It’s been 3 weeks since I’ve seen her and she can’t come up to Portland. She might make it up to Ashland if the timing works out but i miss her a lot. I kinda miss my old life too. Not having others to hike with is hard and makes this all feel so much more lonely. Dat solo sobo life. This is also such a long stretch and I’m already feeling anxious about hiking it alone. I have 88 miles until the next town and might try to knock them all out in 3 and half days. I need to up my miles anyway and this seems like a good stretch to try to up them. 4+ days between passes by myself is too much. Gonna try to hike more just so I don’t have to do that anymore. At least this is the last one for a while. Oregon has one 4 day stretch but hopefully I’ll be hitting 30 mile days by then.
At least I met up with Peach now and kinda camping with him. He’s on the other side of the log I’m next to and he seems to be doing similar mileage. He’s faster on uphill but I’m faster on downhills so maybe I’ll hike with him some more these next few days. Either way, I need to find people to hike with.
Oh, I did start listening to Wild. For as much shit as thru hikers give that book it is very well written and it is a great story. The sections about her mother were tearing me up. And the sections about her husband were making me miss Mup even more. It also puts this whole PCT thing in a new light.
Plants Outside 