Getting them Miles in

It was an icy cold night. I resorted to wearing pretty much all the clothes that I carry with me, and still it was barely enough to keep me comfortable. As I finally gathered the mental fortitude to drag myself out of my tent into the freezing morning, I discovered both the inside as the outside of my tent were covered in a layer of frost. No time to deal with that now. I would have to dry it out sometime during the day, and just accept that I’d add what felt like an extra pound of ice to my pack-weight.

The temperature increase within the next 30 minutes as the sun rose, was remarkable. I had been hiking in all my layers, which very soon became way too hot. Time for a quick change of outfit and to keep moving again. Because yesterday I’d done so few miles, today I really had step on it, wanting to make up for lost time. There were 52 miles left to the mountaineers lodge near Stevens Pass, where they serve dinner dinner at 1930. If I wanted to make it there tomorrow evening, I’d have to crush it the next 2 days. I caught up with the others, as they were filling up their water-bottles. At the nice waterfall, I snacked some and headed out.

Today would be a day of several long continuous climbs and descents. After a 2 hour haul up, I made it to the plateau, which was nice and sunny and exposed. The perfect location to pitch my tent and have it dry out. I was bummed that the spot I chose could not be my campsite for the night and that I had to hike on again; it was lovely. Laying down on my foam-pad, I shut my eyes and enjoyed a long lunch-break, knowing I wouldn’t get to chill out a whole lot after.
During the downhill I was pleasantly surprised to be running into Bane, who I hadn’t seen since Kennedy Meadows South! He had flipped ahead out of Oregon, and told me that he was now hiking with Die Hard who I hadn’t seen since day 4 of the hike. She would be just ahead. We caught up and I learned that there are other familiar faces not to far in front of us. I thought some hikers had been way out of reach! There might be still a couple of surprises waiting in the following days…!
I indeed passed Die Hard on the downhill, and it was a good time catching up; it filled me with joy.

In the valley along the riverside I filtered water for the last stretch which consisted of another long climb. I was joined by Bane and Die Hard, and I envied the fact that they were not pushing for the lodge, and thus would take it easy. It was 1800 now and I still had 12 miles left. Pffff….. There would be night-hiking.

I put on my headphones, blasted some tunes on and started to crush up hill. It cooled down quickly which was good for my pace and around 2100 I came across a campsite where a group of hikers were huddled up next to a campfire. “Who’s there?” I asked through the dark. “Flat Earth!!” They called out, recognizing my voice. It was Arms, Gourmet, Double-D, together with a few other hikers I’ve only once met briefly along the trail. They asked me to join them, but I really wanted to push on. Since I repeatedly have tried getting up early, but kept failing miserably with this cold weather, I knew it would be wise to get the extra miles out of the way today. This allows me that extra hour of sleep tomorrow.
And so I did.
A little after 2200 I’d finished the climb, and a small ways downhill I found a nice one-person flat tent-site. I had a gigantic dinner and was ready for bed.
Tomorrow the connecting big day, to hopefully make it in time for a nice warm meal!