Day 2 546ftgain/3736ftloss, 26,000 steps.
Rain. All night. Six o’clock and all is not well…I couldn’t sleep/lay in bed anymore, so I donned rain gear and ventured out into the gray. A nice puddle has formed under the foot of my tent. I had expected this as there aren’t a lot of spots here that don’t have depressions in them. The wind has relented some but it’s still raining and a little socked in.
I don’t even bother with coffee this morning, the dreary wet just makes us want to pack up soggy gear and head for the trail head…
We’re packed and on the trail by 7:40am, and it’s the first time I can ever remember that I’ve put on rain gear top to bottom, usually a jacket is enough. At least the wind has died down and we’re no longer in the fog, but the rain is still going strong.
Through the rock field without incident we’re now to the steep sections of the ridge line trail that we were a little concerned about and…Our worst fears are realized. The rain soaked clay is now slick mud, making every downward step slick. Hanging onto trees and trekking poles, we pick our way very carefully through this section. With a sigh of relief we reach the PCT, and then it’s just a mindless slog through miles of wet trail.
“…Not the “I want my Mommy!” kind of pain…”
Once we reach Hope Lake, we start thinking about those little black hornets. I feel like I’m getting ready to run a gauntlet. We’re hoping that they don’t care for the rain any more than we do, and choose to stay holed up. We get to the place where we think they struck last time and I feel like tippy-toeing past…Phew, no repeat, but my leg and ankle still hurt with every step from their stings. Not the “I want my Mommy!” kind of pain, but still irritating with every step…
Lots of slipping and sliding over this section from Hope Lake down, especially over the steeper sections. Now all the exposed tree roots are slick and we slow down to pick our way through the more tangled parts. All’s good until about a mile from the truck, and I take a step and do the splits as one foot splays out in front of the other on the mud. A ballerina I am not, and as I try to recover, it only ends in disaster, as it pitches me off the trail, down the hill and I do a 360 before being dumped unceremoniously on my face…Of course every one asked if I was ok, and assuring them I was, pulled my carcass back up to the trail. Definitely the worst crash of the trip, but no injuries.
At last, the long slog through drenching rain and slick trail is over, and we reach the truck were we can shed wet clothes and gear, plop down in a nice warm truck and drive back to Skykomish for a burger at Cascadia Inn. Good food, too, I might add. The whole time we were there, we saw several PCT’ers wander in, all as wet and bedraggled as we were. Good to get in out of the downpour and get some hot food!
All in all, a good hike, and an excellent way for Tyler to find out if this is something he would want to pursue, for he had it all, views, wind, rain, and some challenging terrain to negotiate.
A lot of effort is expended on this hike, but especially once you get up above the ridge, the open views and the lake make it worth it. I would suggest doing it under fairer conditions to be sure. That hike down over super slick conditions is worth avoiding the stress of if at all possible…