I needed some new ideas for blogs and I wanted to get my daughter some of the "pokey-dot crackers" that she likes, so I took a trip today to the Asian Market.

 I always have so much fun going here. The whole place has an unusual smell and I am often one of the few caucasians in the store.

First stop was the produce department where I picked up some fresh limes, pea vine, baby bok choy, pears and fresh mushrooms (shiitakes, oysters and enokis). For some reason the prices on produce here are often better than anywhere else. There was a whole cooler full of tofu and fresh noodles too, so I got a big brick of tofu. Great prices on that!

Then I wandered through the fish department. I usually buy their bright green seaweed salad, but not today. I really wanted to take photos of the HUGE red fish in the serve-yourself seafood department, but it was just to crowded to get a good picture. I had fun looking though!

I walked up and down every aisle, checking out what was available. I found matcha (green tea powder) but I was unsure if I should get the kind with milk/creamer or not. In hindsight, I should have. There was a whole aisle of tea and hot beverages, some of them really unusual! I was surprised to find so many different types of instant coffee, but even more surpising was the HUGE can of Nido I saw. Next time I need powdered milk, I'll come here. It was a better deal.

There was another aisle filled with strange dried things. Mostly fish and fish products... Shrimp, anchovies, bonito... Some I was able to identify, some I was not. There was also lots of different types of dried mushrooms.

I picked up some mung beans to try and sprout and some potato-starch crackers (pokey dot) for my daughter and continued to wander. I didn't find he grape-jelly candies I like, but maybe they are a seasonal thing.

One of my favorite aisles is the noodle aisle. One side is entirely filled with different types of ramen and the other every kind of pasta you can think of. Somen noodles, rice noodles, soba noodles and plain old semolina noodles. You name it, they have it - and in every flavor you can think of!

I picked up some green tea soba noodles to pair with some shrimp for dinner tonight. On the trail, you could match those up with a packet of shrimp and some powdered spices (ginger and True Lime?). I also got some cup-of-soup type glass noodle bowls for my lunches this week. They would easily work on the trail if you repackaged them. I've had them before, they are quite good (review later).

There as also at least THREE different kinds of coconut creme powder in the spice aisle.

Another aisle, and more interesting finds. Half of this row was filled with all sorts of potted/canned meats. Spam isn't the only thing out there, apparently! There were at least eight different kinds of Spam and spam-like products, variously seasoned canned fish, oysters, and clams.

I don't know if I'm brave enough to venture beyond Spam... LOL!!

Free Cookies!!

When I found the offer of a free cookie from Kashi, I had to sign up. I love their products! The cookie got her in about a week, very well packaged in a little box and foil bag.

These cookies are made in the USA with 7 whole grains and lots of big hunks of chocolate. You can see the whole oats in the cookie. The are low fat, however they are not low calorie. Each one ounce cookie has 130 calories. 45 of those calories are from fat. There are 5 grams of total fat and only 1.5g of saturated fat. NO trans fats. 21 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber 2 grams of protein and 8 grams of sugar. 70mg of sodium. Pretty healthy for a cookie!

Ingredients: kashi seven whole grains & sesmae blend, dark chocolate chips, whole rolled oats, expeller pressed canola oil, honey, evaporated cane juice crystals, brown rice syrup, chicory root fiber, oat fiber, vegetable glycerin, natural flavors, sodium bicarbonate, soy lecithin, salt, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) for freshness, monocalcium phosphate, walnuts, peanut flour, nonfat dry milk, eggs.

They are nice and dense, not flakey or crumbly at all. Other reviews I have read on these cookies call them dry. I did not find this to be the case. They are not overly chewy or sweet and do have a sort of "healthy" taste to them, but they are not dry. They are very fresh tasting, like recently cooled home-baked cookies.

These are very good. I'll buy them! I think they would pack well for the trail too.

What started out as a 12 mile pleasant day hike on a section of the PCT we had not yet seen somehow turned into a long 18 mile day hike. Well, first it was 14, then my buddies lied and said it was 16. Turns out it was somewhere between 18 and 20. The maps and topo programs (and the signs along the trail) vary greatly!

We dropped my car off and Stampede pass. There were lots of people milling around, heading off to pick berries and mushrooms. Then we headed back down to Snoqualmie Pass where we were to head south. A quick change of shoes and downing of some water and we were on our way. My trekking poles apparently need to be returned, but luckily Sarbar had an extra pair in the car to loan me. Thanks Ford!



We quickly passed Beaver and Lodge Lakes, reminicing about trips we had done here in the past. We took a short potty/snack break and admired the old Cascade Crest Trail markers.

As the trail climbed passed the lakes and to the meadows we had some very nice views of I-90 and the Iron Horse Trail.

Fall colors are just starting to peak and the day was just clear enough for beautiful views of the surrounding peaks.

Not too hot. Not too cold. Perfect day for hiking!! 

A few miles in we passed an OLD sign. Notice the old name? We had gone about 2 miles at this point. The maps, signs and topo don't agree on mileage. Partially because the trail has changed over the years, I'm sure. We saw another sign later mentioning highway 10, which no longer exists. This is one of the many reasons I hike; seeing the history of the area first hand is fascinating.

  

The berries at Olallie were awesome!! Our fingers, teeth and lips were purple and we slowed to a snails pace. Having been denied berries earler in the season, we were pretty excited to see ripe juicy huckleberries and blueberries ripe for the taking.  

When I was here last, it was summer, and the wildflowers were in full bloom. It was really cool to see the meadows in all their Autumn glory. Beautiful!!

We met up with thru hiker, WrongWay shortly after passing Olallie Meadows. Nice guy! He just seemed so happy to be out there. Sounds like he was enjoying a shorter day. He had plans to stay at Snoqualmie that night.


  

We had views of Silver Peak, among others. Mount Catherine perhaps? And views of Keechelus Lake, Lost Lake and Mirror Lake, where we would eventually be hiking to.

  

It really is Fall. Mushrooms were popping up everywhere. I had fun trying to identify them all (I'm not that good.) We saw Russulas, Amanitas, and LOTS of Boletes. Some were the size of dinner plates. We also met up with several mushroom hunters.

The rain last week must have made these little beautie pop. No time to pick or way to carry them, I had to settle for just admiring them. I'll remember where they are though. Next time I'll bring an expert with me! 


Most of the trail is nice and wide and relatively flat. While there are a few steep sections, they are spread out. Most of the elevation gain is in small intervals. It makes hiking the PCT so nice!

One of my favorite parts of the trail (on this trip) was the section near Mirror Lake. It just rolled along through the trees. There were some really interesting trees here.


I was enjoying the cooler weather and fall colors. On my last few hikes and backpacks I had been having some heel problems, but for this trip I switched to my old (blown out!) boots and taped up my feet pretty well. I had a twinge here and there, but I wasn't in *pain*.  I think my feet might have "grown" during my pregnancy... New boots. Ug.



We saw more people at Mirror Lake than anywhere else on the trail. There is another trailhead that leads into this one. Much shorter than the route we took. HoosierDaddy met up with some PCT hikers that were doing a yo-yo hike. Argues with Tractors and ???  This is really a beautiful lake with lots of prime camping sites. We might be back in the near future.

 

Lunch was at Twilight Lake, just south of Yakima Pass, on what would be an island in the rainy season. There was a bit of cotton grass in bloom and I was looking for sundew, but didn't see any. So quiet here. Sarbar and I were joking about how it is so quiet there was probably no cell reception (there wasn't - we checked!).

South of Twilight Lake, we entered the Cedar River Watershed - Seattle's source for drinking water. There were a lot of (mostly semi-destroyed) do not enter signs. The berries and mushrooms kept us plenty distracted. We also saw the cutest neon-green frog. He was about as big as the tip of my thumb.

Sometime after lunch I started to get the giggles. A sure sign I've hiked too many miles in one day. EVERYTHING was funny.  I convinced HoosierDaddy to sing with me and he even taught me some of his own cadences from his military days. They were terrible! Especially the one about the little bird. lol.  Poor little bird.

The trail crosses current and old logging roads in several places, but it is well marked.

Most of the flowers were done for the season, but we did manage to find a few. In bloom: goldenrod, arnica, penstemon, cinquefoil, columbine, pearly everlasting, sidebells, cow parsnip, foxglove, subalpine spirea, fireweed, thistle, paintbrush, cottongrass and tansy.

Plus we had fall color from vine maple, mountain ash, elderberry and huckleberry. And berries!! Huckleberries, blueberries, mountain ash, red elderberry, salmonberry and currants.


 

We were pleasantly surprised to get one good look at "The Mountain." Right as the sun started to set. BEAUTIFUL!!! Then it started to get dark rather quickly.



The sunset was lovely. Hike on!  I hiked as long as I could without light, but when I could no longer see the trail at all in front of me (I was leading) I knew it was time for light. We spent the last 30-45 minutes or so hiking out by headlamp. Thankfully there is very little routefinding and the trail is well graded. Arrival at the car came faster than we had expected, then it was off to beer and pizzas and talking about the next adventure!!

Sarbar and I have about 28 1/2 miles left to do in this "section" of the PCT (WA section 9). We're almost done!!!

Day 1 - Friday


Lake Wenatchee

After a fairly quick and uneventful trek over the mountains to Wenatchee, I made it to YMCA camp on Lake Wenatchee. I was greeted by none other than, Mad Monty. After a short chat about my car, he sent me off to park and told me where to check in.


Yogi at the sign in table. Jonathan Ley with the camera.

Cabins were self assigned and everyone was just milling around, fondling gear and greeting others as they showed up. Ron Moak, from Six Moon Designs was busy setting up his tent display. Jonathan Ley was snapping photos of everyone. I can't wait to see those! Mine turned out not-so-great.


Ron Moak with his tents

Around 5:30 or 6pm we were greeted by the current ALDHA-West board members, then it was off to dinner.


Greg "Strider" Hummel on the balcony

After dinner, Nimblewill Nomad (author and recent Triple Crowner) spoke on the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of long distance hiking. Listening to this man speak is a special treat. He is one of the most zen-like people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He gathered us close and stood in the middle of the room, quoting poetry and sermonizing about the long trails he (and most others in the room) has done. One amazing thing to note about Nomad is that he has pared his base pack weight down to "just what he needs..." a mere SIX pounds!!



We digested our thoughts during a short break, and then we were treated to a seriously epic, years long journey presented by Erin Mckittrick and Brentwood Higman (Hig)."From the Puget Sound to the Bering Sea."  They used a pack raft, skis and their own feet to travel 4000 miles "from the streets of urban Seattle, through the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Alaska, along the glacier-strewn Gulf of Alaska, to the salmon-rich rivers of Bristol Bay, down the windswept Alaska Peninsula, to the storm-tossed Aleutian Islands."


Hig and Erin (photo is not from their presentation)

What struck me most about the couple was their never-ending positive attitude. Despite blizzard conditions, snow storms and grizzly bear flattened gear, they seemed to continue on, unphased. Even more impressive? Erin is expecting their first child in February. So she was pregnant for the last leg of their adventure! On Saturday, Hig and I talked about wild edible plants and on Sunday I had fun talking nerdy geology stuff with him, about the rocks and such found around Lake Wenatchee.

Free food!!!

Recently I was given a dozen over ripe Golden Delicious apples. Perfect timing too, as I had just ran out of dried apples. This time I decided to do dices instead of slices since I always seem to cut up the slices anyway. I started by giving all of the apples a good rinse.



Then I removed all the stickers and the core. A neat trick I learned from  Rachael Ray is to cut the apples in quarters, then lay each piece on one side and slice out the core at an angle. Safer than a paring knife!



Next was peeling. Here's where the paring knife skills come in. It takes a long time to peel 12 apples!! No, I didn't put them in a lemon juice bath - and they didn't turn brown.



Next is back to the butcher knife. Chop chop chop... Into 1/4 inch (or so) dices they go, and then spread on lined dehydrator trays. I set the dehydrator at 135* and let it run. I had SIX trays of diced apples (and two more of canned chicken).



About five hours or so later, I had nice chewy dehydrated apple dices. These got packaged into a zip locking plastic bag. I'll be using them soon!

Note: that isn't Olympus in the 2nd video. Bailey Range?? Olympus is the white stuff in the background to the left of our group at the end of the video.

Note 2: We DID scramble to the top of the right peak - Elk Mountain. We were on peak 6751' (I was on a saddle)

Hoosierdaddy invited me along on one of his Mountaineer trips. Destination Deer Park/Obstruction Point in Olympic National Park.

I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn to catch the ferry and meet him. The stars were still out when I left. TwoFortyJeff was supposed to be joining me, but apparently we had just missed each other. I met up with Hoosierdaddy around 7am, and after refueling with coffee and picking up the rest of the hikers, we were off to the Olympics. The plan was to divide the group in half and swap key in the middle, at lunch time. This is a great way to do this trail!



In chatting with one of the hikers in our group, I discovered that his wife was best friends with someone I had gone to college with and had lost touch with. Well COOL! After that it was chatter chatter chatter. LOL!! I also got to play ecologist, identifying plants and geology. Hoosierdaddy and I had fun naming the peaks, ridges and river valleys. And we saw a lot of them!

In bloom: lupine, pearly everlasting, campanulla, paintbrush, alpine asters, cow parsnip, bistort, yarrow, arnica, gentian, eriogonum, Chimaphila, bladder campion, mountain owl clover, twinflower, thistle, penstemon.

Hippy on a Stick (Western anemone) had gone to seed. The heathers seemed to be done and the lupine is going to seed now. The false hellebore is done as well. There were lots of clumps of juniper with berrries still hanging on.

This one is Maiden Peak.

Climbing to Roaring Winds Camp, where we were stopping for lunch.

I had brought my book along, at Hoosierdaddy's request, but (being paranoid) I didn't want to leave it in the car when we weren't coming back to that vehicle, so it got brought along on the hike. Lunch was at the only campsite on the trail, Roaring Winds - It is named that for a very good reason.

At lunch, it got passed around and I ended up doing an impromptu cooking demonstration!   One of the guys even video taped me - I'm hoping he'll send it my way. I'll post it!  Lunch was a experiment, based on Packit Gourmet ingredients - Orange Teriyaki Chicken and Rice. It was good! Stupid me though... while I was cleaning out my pack to get ready for the hike, I neglected to replace my spoon. Oops!! Some cook I am, huh? lmao. Hoosierdaddy was nice enough to loan me his when he was done with his lunch. Dessert was homemade chocolate chip cookies.

We saw a friendly fat marmot just after we hit the trail again.

  

Our fearless leader on what we thought was Elk Mountain. We were one bump over - Peak 6750'? I think the views were better at this one anyway!



We bagged a peak! This is the top of Elk Mountain with Mount Olympus in the background, just over my left shoulder. This is a super easy scramble.

I've got proof! Hiker cred, doncha know. 

The "other" route into Badger and Grand Valleys. This is the more rugged route. Just as steep as the main route though.



Yeah. Hiking here is rough. Nothing but alpine views on a sunny day.



And more views...

Mount Olympus.

Grand Valley. If you look really close, you can see Grand Lake - almost dead center in the photo.



Almost back. Great view of the Badger Valley Trail. Steep and exposed!




We made it! 7.5 miles of up and down through alpine meadows.

We met up with the other half of our group at Gordy's Pizza in Port Angeles for some really good food and a beer. Yum!!

A lot has been going on with One Pan Wonders in the last few weeks.

First, and probably most importantly, the book is available!! I couldn't be more excited. It is all a bit surreal at the momment, but it seems to be leading on to really good things.

Second, I have been busy adding and updating pages on the site. The backpacking menus page is finally up to date, with links to the appropriate meal pages. I'm working on adding a second menu page that will contain menus from my actual trips.

The Native and Edible Plants page has been moved, and it seems this has been a good idea. People are actually finding that page now! I will be adding more to it in the near future - links to edible plant resources and lots of photos.

I have added a Backpacker's Library page. This includes (links to) books about the outdoors, trail journal books and other books that I think hikers like myself will enjoy. TwoFortyJeff had a great suggestion that I link to my book reviews on the blog, so that will be added soon as well. I also need to add a backcountry cookbook section.

The Music page is new too. This will be a great resource for putting together cds for traveling to and from the trailhead. Or for those of you that hike with ipods (I don't). Eventually it will have links where you can go to hear the songs. If you have a song that isn't on my list, let me know and I'll add it!

One Pan Wonders has a new Calendar  page too. This is for upcoming hiker events. This is a great way to find trails events. The next one is in three weeks. The ALDHA-West Gathering in Wenatchee, WA. I will be giving a presentation at that one. It should be a lot f fun. I love gatherings and seminars, so if you know of one (doesn't matter what area!) please let me know and I will add it to the calendar.

Last, but not least, I've added a PCT page. It seems as though I have caught the thru hiking bug. While I will probably never be a thru hiker, I am quickly becoming a section hiker. It is an obsession, I swear!   I'm not 100% sure what I want this page to be yet, but stay tuned. It will be updated soon.

25 degrees at night?? La la la la. I don't hear you... As I pack another fleece layer.

Jeff met me at my house and and we headed off to meet Sarbar and Synchro to drop my car off at Crystal. Poor little car. All alone in the overnight lot. Here's to hoping it will be okay!

I have to admit, Sarbar's shortcut was a cool one. Next time I'll take it and hike north! Cool way to do section hiking.  Now I've done the PCT from Chinook Pass to Gov't meadows! Yay!



 We passed a couple of thru hikers within the first half hour or so. As the trail meandered its way around, we got a few views. The metallic smell of snow was in the air though, and it really felt like Fall.


TwoFortyJeff at the first real view.



The wind was blowing pretty good and we were getting little flurries of snow/hail.





I need to figure out what peak this is. More cool views.







The spring just before Arch rock was a neat one. Just hold out your water bottle! There are two conduit tubes funneling out the water.



We stopped at arch rock and chatted with a couple of thrus - Sarong and (can't remember his name - a weird one). We talked a bit about trail food. Sarong is doing freezer bag type cooking, but with no stove.

Not quite time for lunch yet, but it was getting close. The wind was blowing pretty good at this point and we were cold. Then it started to snow. Really snow. It's the end of August, we are standing in fully blooming lupine and it is snowing! Totally bizarre.

I love the thru-hiker's idea of the 11th essential - a Sharpe marker. We saw a lot of trail directions this weekend.



Due to the recent rains, there were bright spots of Amanitas all over the freaking place in this section!! We also saw inky caps and puff balls popping up through the duff.

Then it was time for lunch. We stopped in the trees near the next trail junction. I was too busy scarfing down my food to see what Sarbar and Jeff had for lunch, but here's mine.



The recently discovered Pickle Paks have been a huge hit. They are great for trail lunches, and my daughter loves them too!



Then it was time to keep heading South. Each time we'd hit a gap/saddle/notch we'd get some good views. The clouds were rolling at a pretty good clip and the sun was coming through - in sucker holes. "Maybe it will just blow over..." lol. Yeah right. Clouds, sucker holes and views. And map geeks.  We were having fun finding all of the other trails - you could see them all over the place from this viewpoint.






After passing Little Crow Basin and not liking the drop (and hike up the next morning) into the campsites, we finally dropped down into Big Crow and made camp - in the dark, in a copse of trees. It was a good, but LONG ass day! My toesies were tired. The wind was howling pretty much all night long, and it was cold. I slept in fits. We woke up to snow.



There was no place dry or out of the wind to sit, so we made breakfast in our vestibules. Cozy! ("cooking" breakfast means boiling water). Instant coffee never tasted so good!

Sarbar making breakfast.


Morning view from my tent - at this point it was about 32 degrees out and I had on two layers of fleece, long johns, wool socks and hiking pants. It was COLD. I don't think I'd be very good at "winter backpacking".



After more map consulting... Where are we anyway? There's a spider web of trails in this area and it can be very confusing! We got it though. No worries.



There was a (rude!!) woman with 5 dogs who was camped at the shelter the night before. I heard her at 6 in the morning. I assume her and her dogs were getting water and she was trying to keep them out of our camp. Somehow Sarbar and TwoFortyJeff slept through this.



Nothing like starting the morning with an up up uphill climb to get warmed up. It was so cold that I didn't mind a bit! Once we got out of the basin, the wind was blowing pretty good, and it was snowing again.

Scout Pass receives the award for the getto-ist trail junction sign ever! Ripped in half, paper and plastic, lying on the ground. Lovely. After reaching the pass, we turned west into more severe weather and more wind and snow. We were going at a pretty good pace - mostly to keep warm and just get back to the car before the weather got any worse.



On the ridgeline above Bullion Basin, we saw this cool spidersweb that had gotten caught in the snow.



Then it was down down down into the basin via a way trail. I had been here about 5 or 6 years ago, but I hiked up this trail. The weather was certainly different too. It was 90 degrees and dry last time. As I dropped into the basin, I remembered the trail and the campsites.

We took a little break under the shelter of a huge fir tree before heading down. It was snowing like mad - pretty, but cold. A group of horse packers offered to share their fire to warm us up, but we were on our way out and declined.

 As we headed downhill, the snow stopped for awhile and we found ripe berries! Huckleberries AND more strawberries. YUM.

Ooohhh! Look!! Berries!


Nom nom nom...


Then we headed the rest of the way down to Crystal and the car. The lower we dropped the more it rained. Ug. Oh well, my car has a good heater and Wapati Woolies and their nummy mochas weren't far away!

Ahhh... well I finally did it. I made it out for a backpacking trip. There has been lots of day hikes and a little car camping in my life in the last four years, but no backpacking. Hubby said I could go, and the weather was cooperating. Yay!!! 

Destination: Lake Valhalla on the PCT, just north of Steven's Pass.

This isn't a hard hike. It is about 6 miles or so to the lake, the first couple of miles being almost completely flat. Nice, but you also get the noise from highway 2 as you are trekking along. The trail is sort of forest-meadowy, lined with LOTS of wildflowers right now. The berries aren't quite ready yet, but they will be soon. 



In bloom: fireweed (below), pearly everlasting, mountain asters, arnica, columbine, bleeding heart, bluebells, campanulla, paintbrush, sitka valerian, sticky false asphodel, white and pink heathers, orange agoseris, goatsbeard, tansy, cow parsnip, partridge foot, lupine, lousewort, white rhododendron.



After a few miles, the trail starts to climb and switchback. Even on a warm day it isn't too bad. The trail is in the trees and the switchbacks are far from painful. As you near the lake, you start to get rewarded with views of the surrounding peaks.



The trail climbs breifly out of the trees and onto a rocky slope. I heard a loud "MEEP" so I stopped and looked around for the source. Cute little pika cussing me out, about 3 feet away. He was too quick for photos though.



It was neat to see the PCT markers. There aren't many! I saw a total of 2 in six miles. They aren't really needed though. The trail is very clear. Some of the lower sections could stand some serious brushing though. Some of the weeds were taller than me!! I would NOT have liked to have walked through that in the rain. Ug.



Views looking south from the trail.


The trail climbs back into the trees and meanders a bit until you are above the lake. The PCT doesn't technically go TO the lake, but stays on the ridge above it. The easiest way to get to the lake is from the north end.



I had lunch at the north end of the lake. Took of my boots, soaked my feet and assembled a new recipe. The water was cold, but it felt really good. The mosquitoes weren't that bad (yet.) Then it was off to find my campsite. There were quite a few people at the lake!



Lunch was crackers and a shrimp salad.


I had to fend of the camp robbers and chipmunks. And a very rude dog who tried to eat my lunch!! After I ate, I did a little wading and treated some water. The wading would prove to be much nicer (sandier) on the north end of the lake than the (full of woody debris) south end.

More views from the north end of the lake. Camp was right at the right hand edge of the photo. It was the outlet of the creek and I was lulled to sleep that night with the sounds of gurgling water, peeping pikas and whistling marmots. NICE.


There are established camp sites (marked on the map in the day use area) on the north end of the lake, but it was quite the challenge getting to them! I followed the "trail" but it seemed more like bushwacking and meadow stomping than hiking. But there was no where else. All of the sites at the south end of the lake had been taken.

View from camp.


I really wanted to sit on this huge rock and read. I tried to get there, but it was just a little too deep. I wanted to wade, not swim! I tried instead to sit at the edge of the lake, but it was entirely too buggy!! I had to retreat to the tent. The mosquitoes were BAD.

More views from camp.


Tent sweet tent.


As the sun went down below the ridge, I crept out of my tent to make dinner. The bugs had NOT gotten any better. I scarfed down dinner and retreated back to the tent. At least I had a good book to read. The reflections of the surrounding peaks on the lake were beautiful.





Mosquito eaten me.


What the heck ARE these?? They were in the lake in about a foot of water. They are about 2 inches in diameter and roll with the currents.


Getting back on the trail in the morning was an experience I don't think I'd like to repeat again any time soon. Thinking there had to be a more direct route to the PCT, I did a bit of exploring around the north end of the lake and found a way trail. It went in the right direction, so I followed it. Up. Up. UP. And more UP! Oy!!! I got to the crest of the hill and I could see the lake below me, and the little way trail (heading in the right direction - towards where the PCT should be) going down the other side of the hill. Onward I went, and eventually got back to the trail. Not an easy or fun route by any means.

On the way in, I had the whole trail all to myself. Very peaceful, if not a little strange. On the way out, it was thru-hiker central! What fun! I saw and spoke with: Mapman & Robin (fresh from the Dinsmores!), San Gabriel, Chris (Detour??) & ??? (forgot the name), and one other NOBO (also forget the name, sorry!). Also a group of 3 going from Snoqualmie to Rainy Pass.

I just missed Adventurer, Lumbar, Lucky, Milky and Forest. Adventurer was supposedly camped at Valhalla, but as far as I know, I didn't see him. The others blew passed me early this morning as I was sleeping in. :)

Looks like the pack is well on their way to Canada, eh? Saturday night was bad for bugs, but last night was nothing but rain. I just missed it. The sky broke open about 1/2 an hour after I was off the trail.

Therm-a-Rest has never failed to impress me. In addition to quality customer service, they are constantly testing and upgrading their products. The new pads for 2009 seem to be no exception.

The new Prolite series pads promise to be both lighter and warmer. But the really cool thing that is coming in February is the new NeoAir air mattress. Like the Big Agnes air pads, this mattress has tubes, but the difference is that they run horizontally, not vertically. I can already see how this would make them more stable.

Inside the NeoAir is also a reflective barrier layer, in addition to the baffling. Brilliant! I want one!! I doubt they are going to be cheap though.

Check out the link to see the inside! There is more information in the article as well.