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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