Twig Adventures

July 18th, 2018 Stevens Pass mm 2464 to mm 2452 Distance: 12 miles For once, no one in my room snored but a guy next door was sawing logs all night and the walls were very thin. Everyone could hear him but I was closest to the source. Nothing earplugs couldn’t solve, luckily. I slept in a bit, had granola for breakfast, and worked on my blog all morning. Surprisingly, the valley was socked in with clouds and it was considerably cooler. The first clouds I have seen in a week! Plants headed back to the trail pretty early but I was waiting for the PO to open at 11:30 am…I also needed the extra time to catch up on[…]

July 17th, 2018 Lake Janus mm 2474 to Stevens Pass mm 2464 Distance: 10 miles The bug situation seemed to be even worse in the morning. Plus, I was feeling groggy from the benadryl and slept until 6 am. I just did not want to get up and deal with the bugs. As a result, it took me forever to pack up. At 0720 I practically ran away from my campsite and did not stop for quite awhile. I even wore my head net for a few miles. If I never see that place again, I will not be sad. I later met two day hikers from a nearby town. They said it was the worst year for bugs that[…]

July 16th, 2018 Reflection Pond mm 2500 to Lake Janus mm 2474 Distance: 26 miles The trail did a lot of short ups and downs today but was pretty cruise-y. I took my time breaking camp and was on trail at 7 am, just in time to meet Lucas, who had already hiked 3 miles. He wakes up really early. We shortly caught up to the couple that was camped at the pond with me. Emily and Ryan are also hiking the whole trail. Emily hiked the AT previously and works as an outdoor guide in Finland. Then we caught another couple, Sherpa and Mr. Miagi. We all took a break at a Lake Sally Ann but no one was[…]

July 15th, 2018 Mica Lake mm 2521 to Reflection Pond mm 2500 Distance: 21 miles It was another big day with over 6000 feet of elevation gain and loss. We had agreed to sleep in a bit to let the snow soften but I was a awake at 5 am as usual, so I caught up on my blog. The sun began hitting my tent at 6 am, being that we were so high and exposed. I had a leisurely breakfast and enjoyed my views of the lake. It was already so warm, I didn’t mind taking my layers off as I packed. I left camp around 0745, my latest start yet. This was just the kind of place that[…]

July 14th, 2018 Mm 2543 to Mica Lake mm 2521 Distance: 22 miles It was another stunning day in the Cascades. This area has such raw, rugged beauty, it rivals all other places I have hiked. Today I did a whopping 8437 feet of ascent and 5794 of descent! It was huge day but the scenary gave me the energy to keep going. We were rewarded with an overnight at the frozen beauty Mica lake. It was the best day yet! I woke up at 5 am and was on trail by 0615 am so that I could catch up with the 5 ahead of me. Sure enough, two were still at the campsite and another two I met taking[…]

July 13th, 2018 Swamp Creek mm 2564 to mm 2543 Distance: 21 miles There were lots of interesting wildlife encounters today, plus a few really exciting events that involved things flying overhead. First, I nearly stumbled into a deer when I got out of my tent. I had to go to the bathroom and she followed me. As soon as I was done, she went to the spot and started licking. Gross. I guess they like the salt in our pee. I was on the trail by 7 am and it was a steady climb for 12 miles. I was listening to some music and suddenly heard a roar coming from behind. I looked up just in time to see[…]

July 12th, 2018 High Bridge Mm 2572 to Swamp Creek mm 2564 Distance: 8 miles The town vortex exerted its pull but I was able to escape it in the end. I woke plenty early because I still had lots of chores to do. First I wanted to hand wash some clothes and give them time to dry. I camped right near the bathroom, which had a nice sink. The campsites require a permit but are free for up to a week (I think). This is surprising, given such nice facilities and in a resort town, to boot. The scenery around the lake reminded me of the lakes in NZ. I would say it’s definitely worth a visit and if[…]

July 11th, 2018 Mm 2595 to High Bridge mm 2572 Distance: 23 miles It was almost all downhill on this day, which wreaked havoc on my feet. I’d say it was probably one of the worst hiking days ever, in terms pain and suffering. But the reward was the first official town stop. We wanted to catch the 6 pm bus to town so we were off pretty early and kept a steady pace all day. We took advantage of the nice toilets at Rainy Pass. Then the trail paralleled the highway for about 1 mile before diving back into the woods. There were some cool log bridges to cross. We stopped at a big stream for lunch and I[…]

July 10th, 2018 Harts Pass mm 2622 to mm 2595 Distance: 27 miles Today was a good day for a marathon. I had taken it easy the day before, I got an early start, and it was cold and cloudy all day, prompting me to keep moving just to stay warm. It was drizzling when I began packing at 5 am and didn’t let up until about 8 am. It was also foggy. I was on the trail by 6 am, despite the rain. With the umbrella, I don’t mind as much having to set out in the rain. A gradual climb warmed me up, but still I left my rain jacket and skirt on well into the afternoon. Actually,[…]

July 9th, 2018 Jim Pass mm 2630 to Harts Pass mm 2622 Distance: 8 m I slept in, by my standards. I had woken just as it was getting light then fell back asleep until 6 am. I was on the trail by 7:15, just in time to hike with Arrow. Taylor caught up to us shortly after. The rest of the trail was a scenic traverse back to Hart’s Pass. We got there around 10:30 am and settled into the vortex that is Broken Toe’s trail magic encampment. He immediately started offering tea and crepes and eggs…all so tempting but I also needed to hitch a ride into Mazama to buy a new water filter. I settled on some[…]