Sherpa put together this video of our travels. Enjoy!
Wolf Bird & Sherpa’s Pacific Crest Trail Hike 2017
9/15/2017: Hopkins Lake Tentsite Mile 2643.7 to Canada! Mile 2650.1
All good things must come to an end and today we end our journey. It seems that it went by so quickly and the end crept up on us and appeared so suddenly. Washington has been beautiful and brief. Besides the usual Christmas day like excitement of completing something so epic as walking 2,600 miles, we are thrilled to be finishing a little earlier than expected because it is getting COLD! There is snow in the forecast and we aren’t sticking around to see if it shows up.
We gave ourselves an extra hour to sleep this morning to let the sun start to warm things up just a little bit before we set out for the border. Last night was cold but comfortable in our tents and it was hard to get going in the morning but we were packed up and hiking before long. We had a pretty quick descent ahead of us to the border and the three of us set out by 8.
We were all in high spirits and we listened to music as we walked. Sherpa had made a Final Countdown play list and it was great. Songs included: The Final Countdown, Closing Time, You’re Still The One, and Chariots of Fire. We were joking that Chariots of Fire would be playing in the background as we ran to the monument in slow motion pushing all the other hikers out of the way and leaping off their backs to tag the monument in mid air. Too bad flying through the air in slow motion is only possible in movies. Also knocking down other hikers to finish the trail is not really what we came here to do.
Along the way we passed a few hikers who chose not to go into Canada for whatever reason though we really wanted to ask them what crime they committed to prevent them from going. We like to joke about that because apparently if you have a DUI, you are not allowed to visit Canada. I think that is pretty funny and I hope I never am unfortunate enough to be in that situation. That being said, there are plenty of people who I am sure just chose that route for whatever reason, but that is less entertaining to think about.
Before long we approached the border where there was a clear line of trees removed to reveal a straight line highlighting an invisible border. Really pretty silly when you see the two countries divided by the imagination in person. Also interesting to contemplate the attitude we have towards our southern neighbors versus our more wealthy and more white neighbors to the north. The Mexican boarder was an 20 foot wall and really unfortunate to witness. Especially walking through depressed areas in the west and thinking about how we are all, on some fundamental level, struggling for the same basic things in life. It seems ridiculous and unfruitful to me, on an intuitive level, our divisive inclinations as a society.
We walked right up to the boarder and then followed a switchback away for a couple of hundred yards before we turned back to face our final stretch of the PCT. We noticed a bag of weed on the ground that was abandoned to avoid bringing it into Canada.
On our final approach we were greeted with generous applause and cheers from fellow hikers. We all ran up together and tagged the monument and then high five’d our monument friends. We recognized several of them such as DK and Dosu and some were new faces. We were elated!
We cracked open our wine, beer, and champagne and all celebrated together and took many rounds of pictures. It was such an odd feeling to finally be at the monument. I am so proud of Sherpa and my fellow hikers. There were so many obstacles along the way injuries, snow, river crossings, smoke, fire, trail crossings, and mental challenges; yet so many endured the long journey and passed through the fire so to speak to make it here.
Sherpa and I had an added challenge and benefit of having true partnership on the trail. We both struggled early and it took some time to find a system that worked well for both of us. Somewhere along the way we found our stride and started a real hiking partnership. We figured out how to work together even when exhausted. Luckily she didn’t mind the tasks I didn’t enjoy and I didn’t mind the tasks she didn’t look forward to. We stopped arguing about trivial every day things and became more supportive. We still have our disagreements to be sure, but I really feel like this trail helped us be better cooperators and a stronger team. That alone makes the trail a worthwhile endeavor for me. I am really glad that I feel stronger as a couple than weaker. It is a difficult trail and long; it would be unsurprising if it was taxing on our relationship. I am happy to report that I felt that it was a benefit to us as a couple and I will never forget our time together on the PCT.
After the celebration we began the 8 mile trek to Manning Park, where we would try to get a room, shower, and FOOD! At first this was difficult, the trail was relatively poorly maintained and we were going uphill when we wanted to be done, but soon we started going downhill and time went by quickly.
We arrived at manning park around 2 p.m. and went straight for food. The staff was very kind to us and we were really excited to be in civilization again though our excitement was soon tempered by the news that they were completely booked and there was no room for us. We decided that we would take the 2 a.m. bus to Vancouver a day early. Bummed but still riding the high of finishing we started to take advantage of some of the wonderful amenities the lodge provided the hikers.
Hikers could shower and use the pool, hot tub, and spa for free. They also had cheap laundry and a place to hang out, to wait for the bus. We started out joining some other hikers in the hot tub and grabbing a quick shower, then we headed over to the Bear’s Den for some drinks and appetizers. I bought Sherpa, Tofu, and me a round of celebratory shots and we ate one of the largest plate of nachos I have ever seen.
We started getting sleepy so we headed back to the lodge to grab some shut eye in the empty conference room reserved for the hikers to hang out in. Luckily the three of us were the only ones there so we shut off all the lights and attempted to pass out.
This was our last slumber on the trail and it was tough to get settled enough to sleep in such an odd space. I set my alarm for 1 a.m. and with difficulty we drifted off like little hiker babies.
9/13/2017: Mile 2587.1 Trailhead to Mile 2617.3 Trailhead
We woke up this morning excited because there was a promise of coffee in the morning from the trail angels camped only a few feet away. We packed up our gear and Tofu said she was heading out. In my mind Tofu knew that they offered to give us coffee in the morning so I didn’t mention it again. I can sometimes get annoyed when people say something to the effect of “aren’t you going to stick around for the trail magic?” Sometimes you just don’t want to deal with non-hikers or strangers so I didn’t remind her. Apparently this was the wrong move because we found out later that she had no idea and definitely wanted some java!
Anyway, she took off and moments later they offered us coffee and it was delicious. We chatted with them for about 40 minutes about the trail and about pack horses then we said our goodbyes and hit the trail. It was a chilly but beautiful morning and we were walking by some incredible views all morning. The Cascades are really stunning and I was starting to think how unfortunate it was that they felt so brief. We did have some smoke and clouds early in the Cascades but now for the most part the skies were clear and the views remarkable.
There was one ridge that looked like a fossilized jaw bone protruding out of the mountain side. It was easy to imagine some gigantic ancient beast thousands of feet tall coming to rest millions of years ago and eventually decaying into mountains of debris, leaving only his fossilized teeth and jaw line visible after many millions of years of erosion. I can see how sensational myths materialize from marvelous natural features.
We soon met up with Tofu for lunch and learned that she didn’t know about the coffee trail magic. Sorry Tofu! Lunch felt all too brief and we were soon on our way again. The stunning views continued as we ascended a very steep climb. It was pretty neat, though difficult, because we could see a bunch of hikers ahead of us as we went up the mountain because there were no trees blocking our view. We saw Tofu, DK, and Dosu hiking very quickly ahead and we were lumbering along.
There was plenty of exposure and views when we reached the summit and walked a pretty long ridge line to approach our campsite. Just before we reached our destination we stopped at a spring for water. At the spring we were shocked to see a group of campers sitting around a fire. This was the second time we have seen hikers or campers making fires during one of the most severe fire seasons in recent history. It is really sad to see people who should know better than most being so careless and thoughtless.
We reached our destination and Tofu was already set up. We set up our tent and all ate dinner together before turning in. It was very cold by the time we got into our tents and we were glad we are finishing soon because the temperatures have dropped rapidly and we knew snow was on its way.
Right before we settled into our bags to go to sleep a ranger pulled up and told us that the road was closing but the PCT was still open. We thanked her and got into our bags and quickly fell asleep like little hiker babies.
9/9/2017: Reflection Pond Tentsite Mile 2497.7 to Milk Creek Mile 2522.1
Nearly ever since we got far enough north to see amazing sites, they have been shrouded in fog, clouds, or smoke. We have been looking forward to a clear view for some time and today was the first time we started to get that, though we were back in the clouds soon enough.
The morning started as it had ended the night before, chilly and wet. We woke up at our usual time and Tofu, Sherpa, and I walked relatively close together as we climbed the rest of the ridge. There was so much water on all the leaves and brush surrounding the trail and we were getting pretty wet.
Along the way we saw lots of birds of birds of prey and a few female grouse. Unfortunately I don’t know enough about birds to be able to identify the majority of what we see, but it was still neat to be surrounded by these unique birds.
We climbed over the ridge and a beautiful grassy valley was revealed below and we began our descent into it. It was really striking. On the way down I must have said something that annoyed Sherpa because I noticed she was mad at me. She stopped and I went ahead of her thinking that it was no big deal. We descended for a time into a forest and I stopped at a small stream crossing because I know Sherpa likes that. When she caught up to me it was obvious that I had hurt her feelings and it took us a little while to sort out but we were soon friends again.
We started walking through a lush forest and at some point caught up with Tofu and settled on having lunch at Pumice Creek. We crossed some pretty log bridges and one, on Kennedy Creek, that had collapsed into the water but was still crossable. After passing Kennedy Creek we again began to climb. After a couple of miles we arrived at Pumice Creek to have lunch. There were a few hikers that were drying their gear and hanging out on an outcropping just trail-west. We decided to be anti-social and found a spot that we hopped would be out of the growing wind a little north on the trail.
It turned out that we were very much in the wind and so lunch was a little cold. Sherpa bundled up in her classic Gi-Joe fashion. We were excited because we were going to make today a relatively short day, especially since it was getting wetter and wetter. After lunch we spent most of our time in a damp cloud before descending to our destination of Milk Creek.
When we arrived at Milk Creek we were ready to end our day. We were wet and tired. To our amazement we found that several thru-hikers had started a fire in-spite of the many fires threatening north and south of the trail. We were shocked that anyone could be so thoughtless. We did our best to glare at them as we walked around looking for a place to plop our tent. I threw my bag down to hold a spot for Tofu then went for water and Sherpa set up the tent.
When I returned, she had everything set up and soon Tofu arrived. After Tofu had set up her tent and Sherpa and I had eaten dinner, we invited Tofu to join us in our tiny tent. This became a new, short-lived tradition and we had a fun evening just chatting and hanging out together. We also did our best to talk loudly about the idiots that started the fire anytime we thought they might be passing by. Sherpa played her Final Countdown playlist, which she had made for the last day on the trail and when it was over Tofu said she needed to go to bed.
She left and Sherpa and I brushed our teeth and slipped into our bags. Soon we were fast asleep like little hiker babies.
9/7/2017: Glacier Lake Tentsite Mile 2447.7 to Mile 2467.3 Tentsite
Today was exciting because we were going to stop by Skykomish right on the trail and there was a chance for food and a shower! Additionally, Sherpa has been enduring leg pain for a few days now and there are new shoes waiting for her.
When we woke there was still a significant amount of smoke all around us and the smoke-filled air created a grey haze that you could only see about 200 yards in front of you. It is an odd feeling being so close to fire and not really feeling concerned. We are just glad that the trail is open and we don’t have to skip miles. We only have about 10 miles to hike this morning so the hiking should go quickly.
It was a pretty hike though in some respects it was difficult, Sherpa is really feeling the pain in her legs and she is using pure grit to get through the miles. Hopefully the new shoes will have a positive impact and get her to the border without added difficulty.
We had a few ups and downs to tackle before descending to the parking lot. Sometimes these short climbs and descents are the most difficult, especially if you have an injury. We were excited when we poked our heads out of the woods to see power lines followed shortly by ski lifts. The area surrounding the ski resort was beautiful and open and the smoke had lessened so that we could get a more clear view of the valley.
After the climb to the top of the ski slopes we descended to the resort through a circuitous route that took us way east of the resort so that we had to backtrack through the parking lot to the main lodge. We found out later that we could have cut down earlier, but it was not official PCT. Not that we care that much. We are not purists by a long shot.
Skykomish was a neat little resort and we were glad to find that their cafe slash gift shop was open so that we could get sandwiches, ice cream, coffee, and sodas. We sat in some seats in the hallway and ate our lunch and charged our phones and relaxed. It was nice to see what a great attitude they had towards hikers. There was a great place to sit on the patio and there were hikers running around all over the place. We had lost Tofu at Snoqualmie Pass but I got a text saying that she had hitched into Leavenworth where she had a package and would be back before too long. We were glad that she was still within range since we had to take an extra night in Snoqualmie to let Sherpa’s leg rest.
We grabbed our packages from the front desk and did our resupply chores. Luckily Sherpa’s shoes had made it in spite of her knowing that the REI customer service person had recorded the wrong address. We are huge fans of the shipping services in the US. This one was UPS. Sherpa now has new shoes and she looks like a rockstar!
We also had been hovering around a few other familiar hikers along the way to Skykomish and they all showed up to our delight. Bear Can Can, Storm, and Yetti showed up before too long and then Tofu. She was star struck because she had just run into Optimistic Turtle who was hitching with a group to Stehekin to try to tag the border before they closed it due to fire. There is so much fire around it really is uncertain if we will make it to the monument before the area is on fire. We chatted and hung out together for a while, then Sherpa and I decided to go check out the new Ski Club open to hikers and get showers and do laundry.
When we arrived we found out that the laundry wasn’t operating but we could do it in the sink. The lodge was really neat and it resembled the Alpine Club in Snoqualmie except they had a volunteer that was helping people get oriented. We washed up and washed our clothes then headed back to the ski resort.
To our chagrin the cafe had just shut its doors. We had not even begun to spend the kind of money we were hoping to drop at that little store so we were pretty disappointed. We were soon pacified because the group was still hanging out and Storm had brought out a package that Payless had left and we all rifled the amazing contents. He had a great collection of Mountain House meals which we all divided up and we made a quick meal before heading back to the trail.
Yetti was leaving the trail for a few days to go to Seattle and meet his girlfriend who was going to hike with him for the last section of the trail. We are sad that we won’t see him again. Bear Can Can and Storm are hanging back as well so it is likely that we wont see them either though you never know on this trail. If not, we wish them luck on the rest of their adventure!
Tofu, Sherpa, and I headed out and we were in high spirits. We only had one more town. The trail leaving the resort was also very friendly and flat at first so we really enjoyed ourselves for a few miles. Soon we were setting up camp and we fell asleep like little hiker babies.
9/5/2017: Snoqualmie Pass 2390.8 to Mile 2417.3 Tent Site
It was hard to leave the Alpine Club, not just because Sherpa’s leg was bothering her, but because it was such a neat resting spot. We both wish we had more time to lounge in the common room and read books about amazing real people going on amazing adventures. But alas, we must depart and close out our adventure.
We took our time leaving this morning though we woke up pretty early. Both Sherpa and I had difficulty sleeping. I had a severe allergic reaction to sleeping in the bunk houses so I slept in the common room. I wouldn’t have normally felt comfortable doing this since it was obvious that they didn’t intend people to sleep in there, but the huge lodge was empty so I doubted that it would offend. Unbeknownst to me, Sherpa had joined me on the opposite couch during the night. I had seen a body there but I though it was another hiker and so when I had to pee at 3 in the morning, I tip-toed out of the room and tried to make myself as invisible as possible.
I only discovered that she was there with me when I tried to go up to the bunk room to wake her up and she was nowhere to be found. I was thoroughly confused and she was even more confused when I found her at last downstairs and I asked her where she was sleeping.
Anyway, I made some coffee and we ate some left over pizza and browsed our phones for a few more minutes before hitting the trail. We were hoping to leave early today because we both really wanted to get a full day in. We were feeling like we had so much extra time to make it to the monument before our flight, but we had taken our time the last couple of days and now it is feeling a little more tight. We really didn’t feel like moving too fast in the morning so it looked like we might have our work cut out for us.
After we had packed all of our things and finished lally-gagging, we hit the road. The initial climb wasn’t too bad and it went by quickly. Before long we found ourselves in at Ridge Lake where we hoped to get water.
The water’s edge was peppered with day hikers and thru-hikers. On the shore we came across a couple that looked like they were out for a few days with their dog. They were playing fetch with their dog in the water. We skirted the edge of the lake a few yards and collected water. Sherpa noticed that her water was filled with little swimming red bugs. I tried several times to collect water without bugs but to our dismay we were forced to settle on buggy water. We hoped that the AquaMira would be strong enough to kill the bugs so we wouldn’t have little parasites floating around in our bellies. Luckily after we waited 15 minutes we discovered that they were indeed dead and we pinched our noses as we drank bug juice!
It was a hot day and full of smoke. We continued to nurse our bug juice as long as we could till we started to descend to where we hoped to have lunch. We ate lunch at a smokey waterfall on Delate Creek, next to a bridge, with a few other hikers. One of the hikers we recognized from our hitch in Chester. He had caught up to us after we had caught and passed him during our flip. I think we were all a little surprised to see each other and exchanged a quick head nod hello.
After lunch we set out to finish the last the last 9 or so miles of the day. Our goal was to go to a site next to an alpine pond. The rest of the day was shrouded in thick grey smoke. Above the cloud of smoke it must have been a sunny day because the sun was perfectly round and hanging clearly in the sky, though the intensity was reduced such that we could stare directly at it without it hurting our eyes. It had an eerie effect and we were able to take pictures of the sun.
We had a final ascent to reach the pond and we passed through a burned out forest followed occasionally mixed in with lush areas. We reached our tent site tired and ready for bed. I went to get water, while Sherpa set up the tent. At the pond I saw a little snake next to where i was hoping to fill up. The pond was clear but gray from the reflection of the smoke. There were many little picas chirping at me and I was grateful that the water wasn’t full of little red bugs.
When I returned sherpa was already cooking dinner and we hurried to eat and get into bed. We finished dinner, brushed our teeth and then got into our sleeping bags and watched an episode of Master of None. After watching Netflix we settled ourselves and fell asleep like little hiker babies.
9/1/2017: White Pass 2292.4 to Dewey Lake Tentsite Mile 2318.1
Today we were not in a rush to get moving and leave White’s Pass. Tofu and her dad, Mike, were kind enough to let us crash in their lodge room and we all didn’t need to be out of the room until 11. Mike left around 8 or 9 and the three of us were determined to milk every minute of civilization before heading back into the woods.
11 am came sooner than we hoped and it was time to walk again. We knew that we only had a short section that was open before we would have to skip a section of trail due to the Norse Peak fire, but we were eager to get the section from Whites Pass to Chinook completed before they close it again.
The trail was beautiful all day and we had great weather. Along the route to our destination of Dewey Lake we passed several beautiful lakes, ponds, and bridges. Early in the day we were dodging lots of fresh horse droppings to the point where we were really starting to get annoyed. I saw one pile and commented that we must be right behind the offending horses and sure enough we came to a clearing and a lake where a group of beautiful ponies were tied to trees next to their owners that were lounging on the edge of the lake.
After we passed that group the horse poop was less frequent and much less fresh. Soon we were climbing a mountain and at the top of the ridge we entered Mt Rainier National Park. The three of us separated as we hiked on and I noticed that there were great plumes of smoke off to the east of the trail signaling a large fire. Luckily the wind was such that the trail was completely smoke free, even though we were less than a few miles away.
I descended to Dewey Lake and when I arrived I quickly stripped down and jumped in the water. The water was a perfect temperature for an evening dip and I tried to wash up as quickly as I could before someone showed up. Sherpa popped out of nowhere before I got my clothes back on and surprised me. I helped get her water. We had a quick argument about where the tent should go but we were able to resolve it and headed off to make camp on a nice flat spot.
Soon Tofu joined us and we hung out for a little while before turning in. Tofu also went down to the water for a dip while Sherpa and I ate dinner and got ready for bed. She came back shivering saying that the water was cold.
After getting in our tents we fell asleep quickly but Tofu and I were both woken up several times during the night to hear lots of rustling and the eerie sound of an Elk bellowing across the lake.In addition to the bazar sounds smoke started to surround us and it was stifling. It was scary because we knew that the fire was only a few miles away hours ago and we had no idea how intense it was getting. Tofu whispered to our tent that she was glad that we were here.
We eventually all settled and ignored the smoke and wrestles creatures all around and slept like little hiker babies.
8/30/2017: Mile 2270.6 Tentsite to White Pass 2292.4
We started the morning as we ended the previous evening, immersed in breathtaking views. We could see Mt. Rainier in the distance and we spent the morning hiking in beautiful meadows and around unusual rock features. We encountered a bit of snow as we approached a famous feature of the PCT called the Knife’s Edge.
Before we reached the Knife’s Edge we had to cross several icy traverses that, to me, felt like some of the most dangerous sections of trail we experienced on the PCT. Sherpa disagrees. I usually feel pretty confident on wintry conditions but we were on a very steep slope without our microspikes and without an ice axe and I had no tread on my shoes.
We made it across alive and onto the Knife’s Edge. Sherpa started to feel some really bad pain behind her knees and so we had to stop for a few minutes to give the ibuprofen time to sink in. After a short while her condition improved immensely and we continued our walk along the narrow path. We were very lucky to hit this section on such a clear day. We found out later that many hikers had walked this section the day before completely in smoke and today, the views were astounding.
I was very eager to get to town and eat but the views kept us at a slow pace. When we reached the last major ridge of the day I saw Steven, or Alpaca, running towards us. We all hugged and then sat down a few yards away for some beer trail magic that he brought us.
It was so good to see him. The last time we all were together he was visiting Sherpa and I with his sister Chicory in Maine. They were about to do their thru-hike of the PCT.
We talked for a while considering town was so close by. We only had a relatively quick descent to get to White Pass. I had chanted the Chicken Tender mantra in my head all day, but now that we had a beer and were all relaxing, it didn’t seem as urgent.
After a while Jackpot and Storm showed up and we chatted with them then all took off to White Pass. The entire descent Sherpa, Alpaca and I chatted and we were at the trail head in no time. At the trailhead there was more trail magic. Sparkling lemonade and beer! The woman told us to take a few because she was packing up so I threw a couple into my bag then we headed for the road.
At the road, the 3 of us piled into Alpaca’s car and stopped at White Pass. Once there we bought some snacks at the general store and I ran up to get a room while Alpaca generously waited on us. Once there we saw that there were lots of our friends wandering around and Tofu was there with her dad Mike. I invited Tofu and Mike to have dinner with us and after much running around and back and forth we settled on driving to Naches for food. That way Steven could join us before hitting the road and wouldn’t have to drive out of his way.
The drive to Naches felt longer than expected but it was totally worth it. We stopped at a brewery that had really delicious appetizers, pizza, and beer. After dinner we said goodbye to Steven and returned to White Pass with Tofu and Mike in Mike’s rental car. Which, by the way, was amazing. It had radar cruise control so that you didn’t have to adjust your settings when cars in front of you slowed down.
When we got back to the lodge Sherpa an I went to our room where we watched TV, our favorite hotel activity, for a little before settling in to bed. Our room was pleasant and we fell asleep easily and slept like little hiker babies.
8/28/2017: Mile 2212.2 Trailhead Tentsite to Lewis River Tentsite Mile 2239.2
Today was a great adventure because we got to see some amazing mountains and we ate delicious town food. The morning started out a little rough because we argued the night before and hadn’t really resolved it but soon we figured it out and were starting to think about the possibility of town food. The hiking was very wooded and downhill in the morning and we were going to pass Forest Service Road 23 that supposedly you could get a hitch to Trout Lake. It was a little hard to believe that we could get a ride on a remote Forest Road. Originally Sherpa and I planned on skipping Trout Lake and had plenty of supplies. I was for going in to Trout Lake but Sherpa had talked me out of it.
Now that we were approaching the Forest Service Road however, Sherpa was getting a serious case of hiker hunger and now it was clear that we needed some good luck so that we could get in to Trout Lake and back out so that we could get a full day of hiking in. This was one of the worst case of hiker hunger I witnessed on the trail. I tried to play it cool but I knew mama needed burgers and fast. We arrived at the road just before noon and there was a trash can where a local monastery leaves trail magic. The trash can was empty and we were slightly dejected. Comments in Gut Hook said that people had waited hours for a ride and so we tried our best not to get to excited about our prospects.
We went across the street and started eating our lunch half heartedly while we kept our eyes on the road for a hitching opportunity. Luckily we could hear when cars were coming and a few cars passed by, but in the wrong direction. A few minutes passed and Jackpot and Storm showed up and we asked them if they were planning on going in. They said they were going to wait on Yeti to see if he wanted to go in.
After a few minutes of snacking, putting off the main course of lunch. We saw a truck roll up with a couch in the back, loaded with hikers. Our luck held once again and we greeted Gary, a trail angel that does laps and takes people to and from Trout Lake. Sherpa and I piled in the back of the truck and Gary gave me a Gatorade and Sherpa took a lemonade.
It was so much fun going down the road, on a couch, in the back of a pickup, drinking ice-cold beverages, and seeing amazing views of Mt. Adams in the distance. It was about 15 minutes before we reached Trout Lake and we were pleasantly surprised by what we found there. Gary dropped us at the General Store and we walked about a block over to the restaurant slash, coffee shop slash, ice cream parlor.
They had great outdoor seating and even though it was terribly hot in the sun, the shade was very pleasant. We grabbed a large table and sat at the end and ordered drinks. Sherpa got huckleberry lemonade and I ordered a Pepsi, which I refilled many times till I started feeling shaky.
  
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While we were having lunch another hiker joined us named Pretzel. We chatted with her for a while and then we went to try to get some ice cream. They didn’t have any chocolate ice cream so Sherpa decided not to get any. I ordered an iced mocha and then we decided it was probably time to start thinking about heading back to the trail. Reluctantly we decided to go to the General Store and then begin hitching. On our way back we learned that Gary was making another trip soon and sure enough we found him waiting at the General Store.
We asked him if we could join his trip up and he agreed, so Sherpa and I grabbed the couch seats again. Pretzel was still not there and apparently was getting some food. Gary started getting impatient and I offered to go round everyone up but he said they would come soon. It was very hot and he started to look annoyed and he jumped in the front of the truck and we drove to the restaurant .
Pretzel was there along with a hiker Adam. They got in the truck but said we needed to wait for Turk, who was waiting on food he had ordered. Sherpa and I exchanged glances. We felt bad for Gary who was starting to get annoyed by the hikers and we felt that he was being taken advantage of a little. Though I am sure that no one meant any harm. It was just absent-minded behavior that is common among long distance hikers. It is easy to take people’s generosity for granted when it is so abundant.
Eventually all were accounted for and we made our way up the steep, winding forest road. Along the way, Gary stopped so we could take pictures of Mount Adams. It was one of my favorite hitches thus far. We gave Gary a few dollars to help with his troubles and then piled out of the truck. I grabbed a Mountain Dew out of his cooler and a bunch of other, previously dejected, hikers piled in the truck for the ride down.
After we saddled up and began walking we soon approached the Mount Adams Wilderness and began a hot ascent to the base of Mount Adams. On the way we went through an exposed burned out section that was recovering. I believe that Gary indicated that it had burned several years ago.
When we were nearly at the top of our ascent, we passed a pair of weekend hikers. One of them was suffering from heat exhaustion and was sitting on the trail. We offered help and water and the two said they were fine and just needed to cool down. It was a hot spot to cool down but there was not much we could do to make the situation better so we continued on.
We continued on and reached the top of our climb and  walked over many volcanic rocks and pumice. Soon we arrived at Lewis River where we planned to camp and there we met Nimbles, Jackpot, and Storm. They were surprised to see us and a little sad that they didn’t try to go to Trout Lake. We tried our best not to brag and we felt bad because Sherpa had told them that we would bring them something and we had forgotten.
I needed to use the bathroom urgently and Sherpa offered to set up the tent while I was gone. I was so glad that I did because I stumbled across an amazing view of the surrounding area. The smoke created some amazing layers of color and light.
I returned to camp to find that Sherpa had set up the tent. I ate with her and we turned in. I vaguely remember the moon being really bright and being self-conscious about all the noise I was making when turning on my pad in the night. We were all camped so close together and poor Nimbles was cowboy camping right next to us. I hope I didn’t keep him up. Other than tossing and turning a few times during the night, we slept like little hiker babies.