Month: September 2025

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PNT Section 15 – The Coast

PNT Day 73 – Darkness Abounds

Mile 1209.1 to mile 1218.5

We wake at 4am to begin the hike around Diamond Beach, which can only be safely completed at low tide. Walking with Starman and Skookum in the darkness the ocean is a roaring beast beside me, sounding all the more fearsome because I cannot see it. Mist and sea spray coat the air, reducing my world to a ten foot diameter ball from the light from my headlamp. To look anywhere besides the rocks at my feet is akin to shining one’s car brights into a snow storm. I find myself subconsciously drifting into the cliff face and away from the water, something in my mammalian brain knowing that the roaring of the sea brings only destruction.

But the darkness holds wonders as well. Starfish of every color dot the tide pools in which little fish and crustaceans dart and scurry about. Under my fingers the rough grit of barnacles lend purchase in this otherwise slippy, multi-dimentional world over which I am climbing. We wake an unenthusiastic seal pup who balks in our headlamp beams.

By the time we extricate ourselves onto Jackson Beach it is nearly 6:30am, the sky is beginning to lighten and our day is just beginning.

PNT Day 74 – Surfaces

Mile 1218.5 to mile 1232.2

We wake in the darkness. Again.The days are getting noticeably shorter and the onset of fall more apparent. Especially down here on the coast where the high, wet clouds keep the sun perpetually at bay and the temperatures cool. Unlike on the PCT the onset of fall is not a hike-ending deadline. Now that we are out of the Olympics there is no real danger of snow and the only timetable we are obliged to follow is the one that dictates the tides.

Today is all about walking, crawling, scampering across myriad surfaces. We hop across basketball sized rocks and then pick our way through boulders the size of cars covered and stinking with slick sea weed. When the beach becomes impassable we haul ourselves into the trees, using ropes and ladders to ease our way. It’s a short day, all told, and as we roll into camp a light mist is just beginning to fall. Only two days left on the trail.

PNT Day 75 – Dog Brain

Mile 1232.2 to 1245

The beach is alive today and we see so many things! Most of which I don’t know the names of, the beach being far from my home ecosystem. But there are seals bobbing in the gentle waves close to shore while pelicans soar out over the water. Close beneath our feet are innumerable crabs and baby sculpin fish darting around the tide pools. The abundance of wildlife has kept the beach interesting through what might otherwise become difficult hiking.

The key, I’m learning, about the beach is that it’s far better to be methodical than fast. There are just so many things to crawl over and around and through. To that add a slippy factor that cannot always be anticipated. Then, even when the rocks abate and we are left on sand, oftentimes it is soft and or made of pebbles, giving the feeling of walking through heavy snow. Instead I fall into a sort of meditative trance hopping from rock to rock. It’s halfway between intense focus and mind-numbing monotony. Skookum dubs this state “dog brain,” and I can tell from the lull in our conversation that we have all fallen into some version of it.

In the last few miles of the hike we are rewarded with firm, speedy sand and make the time camp quickly. Skookum is discontented with our first choice of campgrounds and so we set off to find a better one, scouting up and down the beach until at last Skookum finds the best beach campground we have had so far. It is perfect for our last night on trail and we spend the evening in companionable chatter, passing our extra snacks to the group, knowing we won’t need them after tomorrow.

PNT Day 76 – The End

Mile 1245 to mile 1249, Cape Alava/the Western Terminus of the PNT

There are four miles to Cape Alava. Four miles to the western most point of the contiguous US and the western terminus of the PNT. Four miles and we’re done with this big, ridiculous, challenging adventure that I’ve been on for the last two and a half months. An adventure that has seen me in tears and bleeding as well as joyous and powerful in some of the most beautiful places I have ever been. In talks with other hikers and trail angels it has become apparent that I am not the only thru hiker who has found the PNT difficult and at times downright taxing. So I am not surprised that the final miles of our hike are somewhat subdued.

Along an indistinguishable section of beach Starman glances at the maps on his phone and declares “I guess we’re here.” And I guess we are. I can see the buoy marker that points to the trail that will take us to the parking lot and eventually back to civilization. There is so little fanfare that I’m honestly delighted. To me, thru hiking has always been a deeply personal act because it is so pointless. It’s an act I don’t owe to anyone else and I cherish it for that. To complete a months-long goal with only two other people to even witness it is somehow profound and beautiful to me.

Our little group of three takes a moment to look at each other before eventually moving down the beach a little so we can climb up on a rock and take some pictures. This will be our terminus statue, this random beach rock. And these men, Skookum and Starman will be the people I finish this wild journey with. But really, we all finish alone, just as we all had to walk the miles to get here. I guess beyond anything I am grateful to this trail and proud to have finished.

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PNT Section 14 – The Olympics part 2

PNT Day 68 – Kindabird and SOS

Zero day at Kindabird and SOS’s house, Port Angeles, WA

Kindabird and SOS have welcomed us onto their gorgeous property for two nights, providing all the amenities a hiker could need: laundry, a place to charge our devices, and crucially, a network of other trail angels who swoop in and save us from the uphill hike to their home out of town.

She is a funny, candid, working nurse who has a self-deprecating charm and a generosity that goes unmatched. She seems genuinely invested in our hike, providing maps and detailed beta on the tides along our coastal route. He is smart and provocative, and attentive to their rambunctious five year old, Base Weight.

On the evening of our second night Kindabird makes us homemade deep-dish pizza, complete with a sauce made from tomatoes from her own garden. It’s perfection as is the rest of our stay with the family.

PNT Day 69 – Olympic Hot Springs

Mile 1125.1 to mile 1133.6

I am expecting chaos. Picture crowds. No, picture spring break but with fewer pools and housed in the wilderness. In my mind there is no way that Olympic Hot Springs is going to be anything but madness on the last day of Labor Day weekend. I don’t even anticipate getting into the springs because of the crowds. But it’s camp here or add an extra 2,000′ of climbing to the end of the day, and I’m less enthusiastic about that than I am with camping in a crowd.

So imagine my surprise when the campground at the springs is barely occupied. And better yet, the same goes for the pools. Before dinner Starman and I spend a leisurely hour relaxing in the warm waters, letting the heat melt the strain from our muscles. Afterwards we meet another PNT thru hiker: Skookum! After chatting for a while he camps a few sites over from us.

PNT Day 70 – A Different Sort of Day

Mile 1133.6 to mile 1144.4 via the unofficial Cat Basin Primitive track Alt

Despite getting on trail at 9am I am still tired as we begin a 3,400′ climb out and away from the Olympic Hot Springs. The beauty of today is that there is no need to rush with only 10 miles on the docket—though with 5,000′ of gain. The plan for today is to take the Cat Basin Primitive track from the top of Appleton Pass instead of sticking to the much less interesting official route. The Cat Basin Primitive track is about the same elevation gain and mileage as the official route but does so through a series of tightrope-thin use trails, scrambles through trees, and one notorious class 2 downclimb. In short, a more challenging, more fun route with epic views of Mt Olympus that toes the line between a good time and sketchy.

PNT Day 71 – Up and Way Down

Mile 1144.4 mile 1185 via the unofficial Hoh River Alt (minus 15 miles)

My alarm rings at 5:30am and I am not ready to be awake yet. Still, I dutifully deflate my sleeping pad and roll to Starman to break the bad news: it’s time to get up. Today we have 18 miles and a whopping 6,000′ of loss from our spot at Heart Lake to the output of the Hoh River.

But what would the PNT be were it not for some extraneous climbing. So first we climb 1,000′ before beginning the knee-jarring descent.

We can hear the mighty Hoh deep in the valley long before we can even see it. The roar of the powerful river cutting it’s way through the dense jungle as it makes it’s way towards the ocean. Around us the forest becomes ever more lush and vibrant with great garlands of moss clinging to the trees and carpeting the earth.  After hours of descending we reach the bottom of the valley where the river continues leading us on. I think about how only a week ago we entered the Olympic Peninsula and now we’re already on the far side of it. Next stop: the beach and then we’re done.

PNT Day 72 – Skookum

Forks, WA to mile 1209.1

A wiry frame shadows our table outside the grocery store in Forks, WA and I look up to spot Skookum! I figured we were going roughly the same pace through the Olympics but it’s good to see him again after meeting him at Olympic Hot Springs a few days ago. Skookum is half salty sea dog working as an engineer on an Alaskan boat and half total nerd. As we walk down Oil City road with the occasional double hauling trucks screaming past he and Starman chat animatedly about everything from cameras to 3D printing while I can take up my preferred introverted spot and hang out in the background.

We walk for ten miles, sharing the sorts of things that come up when you meet someone new. We spend time reflecting on the trail and Skookum says what Starman said on the Cat Basin track, that the PNT has redefined what an acceptable or good trail is to include any number of obstacles.

At night we camp together on the beach with the sound of waves crashing as our backdrop. Tomorrow is all about beating the tides so we’re in bed early with a 4am wake-up set.

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PNT Section 13 – The Olympics part 1

PNT Day 62 – Not Everyone’s a Winner

Mile 1035.7 to mile 10.4 on the Grey Wolf Alt

Never underestimate the PNT to throw something random at you. I thought I knew this and yet today I am still surprised by the bushwhack through stinging nettles that leaves my legs burning and bleeding in several spots. Though short, the bushwhack also has the effect of putting Starman in a grumpy mood. I think both of us have grown accustomed to the more relaxed mileage and gain afforded by the rural walking we’ve been doing since Lyman and today Starman is feeling the heavy packs and elevation gain that this section of the Olympics necessitates. However, since we are planning on doing this section in six days we have the ability to stop early and stop early we do. We pull up and camp at a front country campground. Spending leisurely hours enjoying the sound of the rushing Grey Wolf River and the cool shade of the old second growth trees.

Ultimately, I view thru hiking as a vacation from the real world and so I have no qualms about cutting a day short if my hiking partner isn’t feeling well.

PNT Day 63 – Working for it

Mile 10.4 on the Grey Wolf Alt to mile 1074.5


Is it bad to say that I’m tired of walking through the trees? And down forest roads with people speeding by too fast?  Perhaps I should limit myself to only extolling the beauty of the natural world around me, perhaps that would make for a more palatable blog. Perhaps. But today I am surrounded by trees on this well-trafficked forest road as we climb steadily onto the Olympic Peninsula.


Luckily, with lunch comes the return of the trail and the climbing, though continuous, is good. At about 400′ per mile it’s just enough to know you’re working but not so steep that you’re forced to take constant breaks. I marvel at my fitness and know that the body I had at the beginning of this trail was not as capable as the one I am riding in now. After 2,000′ of climbing we pop out of the trees and miracle of miracles there are mountains and ridges and vistas to look at! My spirits soar like the craggy mountains around me and I gratefully stop for a pop tart break at the top of Buckhorn Pass. The rest of the day is all downhill, back into the trees. But now I know those mountains and hill top vistas are out there in the Olympics, I’ll just have to keep working for them.

PNT Day 64 – It Doesn’t Really Matter

Mile 1074.5 to mile 1079.9

Starman is making the case for a five mile day. I know we packed six days of food for a section that should really only take us five days just so we could slow down in this special place and take an on-trail nero or even zero, but still, I’m hesitant and I don’t totally know why. Logistically, there’s nothing wrong with only hiking five miles today. I know that it’s not going to leave us without enough food or with too many miles on the rest of our days. Yet something about it feels wrong, like I’m not trying enough or not putting in enough daily mileage to be considered a real thru hiker. And I realize that’s it, I’m worried about what other people think about my goals and efforts and it’s changing how I act.

Immediately I agree to only hike five miles today.

The moniker you hear on the trail all the time is: hike your own hike. But if you’ve ever been a part of the thru hiking community you know that we can be as petty and judgemental as any group. Which is a tragedy because this ridiculous, made-up activity means nothing to literally anyone aside from the individuals participating in it. And I am not immune to falling into the pack where more milage is king and suffering is the tribute we pay. I am only doing this for myself and for the people I share it with. If I’m not having a good time then there is no point at all. And if hiking five miles today is more fun then that’s what I’m going to do.

PNT Day 65 – When I Grow Up

Mile 1079.9 to mile 1093.2

This morning I’m reminded of Wildflower telling us how the PNT was all about steep descents followed by one step on level ground before climbing again. The memory especially salient as we plummet a knee-jarring 3,400′ in three miles towards the Dosewallips River only to immediately begin climbing again.

As we climb along the river I see a group of six hikers parked in the trail. Both our reactions being: “oh! People!” I’ve gotten so used to being alone on the PNT that I’m as surprised as they are to find another person out here on this remote trail. After chatting we learn that the group of six are friends, most of whom are retired, and are on a multi-day backpacking trip to spend a couple days at a remote alpine meadow. Their trip sounds lovely and in exchange they are fascinated by us; how many days we’ve been on trail, how far we’ve come and the miles traveled. They are delightedly impressed when we tell them about the PNT, but it is I who is enamored with them. To be out in the mountains with friends and healthy bodies in your late sixties sounds like the dream. A dream that I hope I’ll be able to emulate one day.

PNT Day 66 – Low Gear

Mile 1093.2 to mile 1.8 on the Grant Pass Connection Alt

My legs are pistons and I am a bellowing beast working my way up this climb. 1,100′ in less than a mile is a hell of a way to chase my morning cup of coffee. The climb is strenuous, but I am strong in the way that only a thousand miles makes you and I put my body in low mode and churn my way to the top. Legs working, breathing hard but controlled, steps slow but consistent. Soon we are 400′ above the valley floor, then 800′ then we are at the pass and all the work is behind us.

We are rewarded with a new hiker: J-Pod! He’s a self-proclaimed old school triple crowner who hiked all the long trails before cell phones were invented. Retired now, he lives in Port Angeles and gets deep into the Olympics through a combination of stashed bikes and hiking til he drops. It’s good to meet another hiker, especially one who knows what the PNT even is and that chat is a nice reward for the climb.

PNT Day 67 – 5,000′

Mile 1.8 on the Grant Pass Connection Alt to mile 0 on the Deer Ridge Alt, Obstruction Point

In a move that surprises everyone we actually manage to wake in the dark and get on trail shortly before the sun rises. We have a big day today and a hitch into town from a trailhead. Starman is worried that with the long weekend people might be arriving at the trailhead and not necessarily leaving to go back into town. Meanwhile I’m looking to get into town for another reason: the reappearance of Bookworm! They just finished the trail on this very day and will be in Port Angeles staying at the same trail angel’s house as us. I’m so excited to see them one last time before we go back to living a thousand miles apart. Bookworm and I met on the first day of our 2018 PCT thru hike. We hiked together pretty minimally on the trail but then happened to move within a mile of each other when we both independently moved to Seattle after the trail. After that we became best friends almost immediately and have stayed close ever since.

I started this post planning to talk about climbing 5,000′ in ten miles on the trail today and how it felt hard but not impossible. But instead I told you about the wonderful Bookworm.

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PNT Section 12 – Along the Waterfront

PNT Day 56 – 1200 like Nothing

Bellingham to mile 955.9

The bus drops us off in Algers, WA and the climb to the top of Oyster Dome begins. However, unlike the first day after our double zero in Winthrop, I feel like I am cruising and before long I have climbed 1200 feet like it’s nothing, I’m barely sweating. It may have taken nearly 1000 miles but I finally feel strong. The forest here is vibrant and healthy with a moderate understory and tall, vital cedars scaling into the sky. From the top of Oyster Dome we can see out towards the islands and the Olympic Peninsula; a preview of sorts of what is to come.

After Oyster Dome we leave the forest and drop down onto a paved road. The rest of the day passes with easy miles both monotonous and terrifying as we walk narrow shoulders with occasional oncoming traffic.

PNT Day 57 – Industrial

Mile 955.9 to mile 970.2, Anacortes, WA

There’s no need to rise early today with only 13 miles on the docket. Almost entirely on roads, the walking will be fast and easy. We leave our campsite at Bay View State Park by 10am and meander through the exurbs of coastal communities until we reach highway 20 where we are faced with the choice between a supremely sketchy road walk along the highway, or, an illegal one down a use path next to the railroad tracks. We choose the latter, keeping our footsteps light and our ears out. In the afternoon we take a shortcut alongside a refinery and end the day with views of Mt Baker looming over an industrial sprawl.

PNT Day 58 – Fall

Mile 970.2, Anacortes, WA to mile 999.9

Starman bounces from foot to foot, gleefully crunching any errant dried leaf that crosses his path. Meanwhile the wind has just the slightest tinge of cold beneath it’s summer warmth, signaling the oncoming of fall. We have less than three weeks left on the PNT, flights booked home, and plans made for after the trail. In some ways I am sad to be leaving this wild, intangible trail so soon. But on the other hand I am looking forward to newness, to waking up each day without the obligation to hike.

The PNT has been challenging for me in ways that I don’t recall the PCT being. From brutal trail conditions, blow-downs, and bushwhacks, cruiser miles have been few and far between. Add to that the challenge of hiking in a seven year older body with less fitness when I started the trail and the adjustment curve has been steep and consistent. Yet despite the difficulty this trail has brought me a lot of joy. Being out here every day is a choice that I am making, one that I owe nobody but myself. And I am proud of elf for making the choice on each difficult day to keep on hiking, to see this trail to the end, and to hopefully grow as a person in the meantime.

PNT Day 59 – Beach Walk

Mile 999.9 to mile 1008

I wake to the crashing of waves and a view of islands. We’re up and out early this morning, having miles to make before the tide rushes in and makes the beach impassable. The walking today is either across a muck of slippery sea weed and stones rolled smooth in the tide, of else flat hard-packed sand which makes the miles fly by. There are only eight miles on the docket for today and we easily accomplish them by noon. The rest of the day is spent relaxing in the cool shade of a bluff-side campground.

PNT Day 60 – I’m on a Boat

Mile 1008 to mile 1021.1, Port Townsend, WA

The smooth, resonant rumble of the ferry reverberates up through my feet and we are on our way. Perhaps the most novel part of the PNT is the ferry ride from Keystone Harbor to Port Townsend, the several waterborne miles officially constituting miles of the trail. Today was another easy day logistically mandated by the tides and the miles we could safely walk on the beach. Tonight we are officially off the islands and onto the Olympic Peninsula.

PNT Day 61 – On Vacation

Mile 1021.8 to mile 1029.5

I’m sipping a non-alcoholic IPA in the shade at the brewery in Port Townsend. It’s hot, sunny day and unfortunate neo punk is playing in the background. Our miles have been completed for the day (8) as has our resupply shopping for our upcoming foray into the Olympic Range. It feels like the last day of summer vacation and I realize that the entire section since coming down into Lyman after Mt Baker has felt like a vacation from the trail. To say nothing of our unheard of triple zero at PCT Trail Days.

And in a way how I feel now is reminiscent of my feelings as a child on the last day of summer vacation. I’m both a little apprehensive of the work that I know is coming tomorrow, but also excited for the change of pace, for the challenge of something new. Daily goals. Bigger mileage. We’ve heard from Bookworm, who is a few days ahead of us, that that the Olympics are the crux of this trail when it comes to steepness and sheer elevation gain. I’m pumped, I’m hesitant, but either way I’m heading in tomorrow.

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Section 11 – Suburbs and Side Quests

PNT Day 51 – The Association

Lyman, WA to Sedro-Wooley, WA

The Pacific Northwest Trail Association sits in a cute red brick building in downtown Sedro-Wooley. Once inside we are greeted by Jeff Kish, Executive Director of the PNTA who takes more than an hour out of his day to talk to us. Though our conversation covers a range of topics I am most struck by how the current political instability is affecting even obscure trails like the PNT. The blow-downs on the trail, the limited trail work we’ve seen is all a symptom of a larger disease at work. Jeff tells us that they’re facing a $400,000 budget deficit which is severely impacting their ability to get trail crews out and working. Beyond that, he says that so many people in the Department of Agriculture have been fired that even finding the person to talk to about various wilderness zones and their access has become impossible in some cases. I am left wondering about the future of this fledgling trail.

PNT Day 52 – The Shorts Project

Sedro-Wooley to Bellingham

My beloved shorts, patched and torn, have finally hiked their last step and now I am faced with the Herculean task of replacing them. How, in the span of minutes spent in a dressing room can I determine if a pair of shorts is going to ride up while hiking uphill or, worse yet, result in thigh chafe? When you’re only carrying one outfit every choice matters greatly and can ruin your day, or your entire section, quickly. To make matters worse, despite being the height of summer all retailers have decided that it’s in fact fall and their shelves reflect this.

REI will be my one and only chance to procure new shorts for myself. Being so, Starman and I skip some trail miles in order to take the bus into Bellingham and do one of my least favorite things, shop.

PNT Day 53-55 – Trail Days

Zero days, no hiking while attending the annual PCT Days in Cascade Locks, OR

It’s time for a side quest!

Bookworm has convinced Starman and I to take three days off trail and go to the annual PCT Trail Days in Cascade Locks, OR. Since I love a side quest and meeting new hikers it’s an easy yes. Starman and I rent a car in Bellingham and head south, picking up Bookworm in Seattle and turning our tires south towards Oregon. This will be all of our third time attending Trail Days, though none of us have been since 2019.

Upon arrival one thing is immediately clear, Trail Days has grown, a lot. The vendor area is easily three times larger than when I had attended previously and there are hundreds of tents occupying Thunder Island. From what it sounds like this is just an outgrowth of the popularity of the PCT and I hear a number of hikers talk about how crowded the trail is becoming. After two days of all things hiking I am glad to be returning to my obscure little patch of trail in the woods.