Day 138: Stevens Pass

Date: Sun 9/2

PCT Start Mile: 2438.5

PCT End Mile: 2464.2

PCT Mileage for Day: 25.7

Total PCT Mileage: 2464.2

The Highlights: blue skies, blueberries, and chocolate cake

This morning we got an early start. Like, wearing headlamps early. We had just under 26 miles to go to Stevens Pass and wanted to get there before 5pm in order to pick up our resupply boxes at the lodge before it closed for the day. I have not been an incredibly fast hiker through the steep rocky terrain of Washington, so we set out early.

Other than a cold wind from time to time, the morning actually wasn’t too cold. We made our way slowly down the rocky trail, the rocks and roots illuminated by the glow of our headlamps. We were actually surprised by how many people we saw getting up by 6am, as we typically feel like we pass only silent tents with slumbering occupants each morning, some as late as 9am.

Our morning involved several river crossings – rock hopping, log balancing, and jumping. For the biggest of the crossings along sloped downhill rapids, Shawn and I walked downstream a bit, finding a narrower section where we could step out on a rock and then jump the rest of the way across onto another large rock, it was a big jump though and I am not much of a jumper. Shawn had crossed first and waited on the rock for me. When I jumped, I didn’t get quite enough “umph”, and let out a “help!” Shawn grabbed my arm and pulled me up before I could slip off the rock. Whew. Crisis averted.

Dirty Money, a hiker from Switzerland, had crossed a bit further upstream, making some big rock hops of her own which had left her feet a little wet. We had first met her in Northern California at the Drakesbad Ranch and run into her a couple times since then. I can only guess, but I believe her trail name came from her gaiters, which had a cash print on them… and the gaiters being dirty all the time. We leapfrogged with her a couple times throughout the morning.

After a three mile downhill and some fun river crossings, including the one above, we had a seven mile climb. I think my pace was not up to par here, as by the top of the climb, Shawn was worried that we weren’t going to make it to Stevens Pass on time to get our boxes. With another 15 miles to go, we decided that he would go ahead and I would just meet him at the Pass.

And then it was just me. We split up off and on when we hike, often on climbs, where Shawn will go ahead and wait for me at the top. Fifteen miles was probably our longest stretch though. It was fine, he could hike fast and I could just keep going at my own pace. My legs had been especially tired since yesterday afternoon, so this was better.

*You can’t see the trail on this picture, but this rock wash was full of switchbacks.*

The descent began with a long series of switchbacks through a rock wash. I’m so slow through the rocks, it was definitely better that Shawn went ahead. Very quickly he was a small dot far below, finished with the switchbacks while I continued plodding along, stuffing a Snickers bar into my face. Need sugar. Nom nom nom.

The next climb was a steep 1.5 miles. Super steep. I thought the switchbacks were never going to end. Each time I rounded a corner, I thought, surely this is the last one. Surely I have gone 1.5 miles. But it wasn’t. There was always another one. I powered through though, actually keeping a pretty good pace. Finally reaching the top.

A weekend hiker at the top chatted me up. “Where’d ya camp last night?” Ummm…. I couldn’t think of any defining landmark. Weekend hikers always want you to name some lake they know, some pass they can identify. We had just camped at a random tiny flat tent site right next to the trail. There was no landmark. “About 13 miles back,” I said, hoping this would be good enough to satisfy his curiosity. “Oh,” he continued, “that must have been further than Deception Pass”… waits for me to respond. Blank stare. I’ve got nothing. I didn’t see this pass name anywhere, on a sign or a map. It’s possible I walked right over it. We walk up and down mountains and passes all day. I try to do a decent job remembering a lot of the landmarks, but I definitely don’t remember them all. “I’m not sure.” He continued to ask me where I was heading. Yeah, you can probably make it to Stevens Pass, he says. Yes, I know I can, I thought. I will be there before dinner! Off I went.

The descent from this climb began with the view of the stunningly beautiful bright blue Trap Lake. After a downhill portion, the descent leveled, tracing its way along the mountainside. The trailsides were lined with deliciously ripe, tart blueberries. Walking toward a thru hiker couple collecting some, I overheard this snippet of conversation: guy says to woman, “So, I was thinking for tonight, I’m not really in the mood for burgers.” What? What thru hiker ever says this? No thru hiker. I grabbed a couple berries, exchanged obligatory hellos with them, and kept walking. Aliens.

Toward the bottom of the descent, I found… Shawn. He had taken an early lunch, figuring this would allow us to overlap before he started hiking again. So smart. So, I sat down for lunch. “There are blueberries all over the place,” I told him, “All down the trail!” As I’m saying this, I look to the right of where I’m sitting. Blueberries! “There are some right here!” Soon we are eating more blueberries. They are so perfectly ripe, tart, and juicy. Damn, you cannot get blueberries in the store that taste this good.

As he finished up his break and was getting ready to start hiking again, who should walk up but our old pal, Conflicted. Conflicted is a talker. Definitely an acquired taste. There was a short period where we actually tried pretty hard to avoid him. But then, out of nowhere, he kind of grew on us. We hadn’t seen him in awhile, so it was nice to catch up. He hiked out with Shawn for a couple miles while I stayed behind, finishing my lunch.

After lunch, I had about 10 miles to go to get to Stevens Pass. I was feeling very sluggish, my legs tired on even the short climbs, and the next 1-mile climb was, again, super steep. I slowed to a crawl. As always, the silver lining on Washington’s steep climbs is the beautiful scenery.

Somewhere on the descent to this climb, Dirty Money hiked up from behind me. We started chatting while we hiked and ended up talking all the way to Stevens Pass. We didn’t move particularly quickly, each of us expressing how tired we’d been the last few days through this section, but the miles went quickly having someone to chat with at the end of the day, and soon we were hiking across the ski slope just above Stevens Pass. The company was just what I needed to get through the end of the day.

Shawn waited at a picnic table near the trailhead. He had already picked up our resupply boxes and checked us in at the Mountaineers Stevens Lodge, a bunkhouse at the pass. Once I arrived, we grabbed paninis from the grill in the lodge and said goodbye to Dirty Money, who was hitching to the town of Leavenworth, about 30 minutes down the road. After eating our sandwiches, we headed up the the bunkhouse, Conflicted in tow.

The bunkhouse was pretty awesome. I wasn’t too stoked that I had to walk my ass up to about the 4th floor for our room, but otherwise things were great. The “bunks” were actually just raised platforms with thick sleeping pads to lay our own sleeping bags down on, but there were plenty of outlets for charging, really excellent hot showers, and the price included both dinner and breakfast. Dinner was a smorgasbord of burgers, fries chicken, burritos, cornbread, and salad fixings, and ended with amazing warm homemade chocolate cake. Greatness.

After dinner, I caught up with some online stuffs and finished organizing my resupply before tucking in. Nice and clean, full belly, warm lodging. Happy camper.

Featured