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.