The Final Countdown!

Note: no photos in this posting, but I will add them later.

We left The Dinsmores by 7:30am and got out to Hwy 2 in front of the Baring store to hitch hike for the last time. The ladies at the store gave us a sign to hold up that said "PCT Hikers To Trail." This seems to help so people driving by sort of know why you need a ride and that you are not just a bum. Sure enough within about 20 minutes an old Land Rover pulled up to get us. They were headed out for a backpack trip themselves and didn't have much room for us, but me managed to squeeze our packs and our selves in amongst their gear.

The 105 mile stretch to Stehekin felt like one of the toughest for me. The miles were not coming easy but the scenery and weather were spectacular! Aside from the 100+ switchbacks we did in one day (I counted 36 alone in a 2 mile stretch), we went up and over many passes and around Glacier Peak. There were tons of down trees across the trail to negotiate. Some we could go around or over, but a few we had to crawl on our hands and knees to get by. This can be a little awkward with large backpacks on, so we made sure to take photos of each other :0)

The last night before town we were again caught in a nasty thunderstorm that echoed loudly and seemed to hover over us for an hour. Thankfully we were dry and in the tent when it came through. Sure enough that marked the end of our 8 day stretch of continuous sunshine. What mother nature has in store for us over the next several days we will soon find out.

This morning we hiked to High Bridge to take the first shuttle bus to Stehekin, our last town and resupply stop before Canada. Probably the most talked about topic on the trail has been the Stehekin Bakery. People talk very highly of this place and it did not dissapoint in the least! By the time we left the bakery I had a sticky bun, a pesto, cheese and veggie-filled croisant and took a made-from-scratch pizza pocket to go. We walked from the bakery to the commmunity of Stehekin which is set right along Lake Chelan with mountains surrounding it. It is a magical place; one that I hope to return to someday. We picked up our final resupply package and also I received a care package complete with a "whiskey slap" kit and a much-needed pair of smartwool socks!

We are seeing hikers heading out from here and it is exciting to know that they too will soon be to Canada. Tomorrow will be our turn as we head back out on the trail one last time to complete this wonderful little hike called the Pacific Crest Trail...