Stehekin was a wonderful stop. I wish I had more time to spend there but Canada beckoned. We set to leave on the early bus in the morning, and Kick, Annie (little jerry), and Buck all strategized to squeeze the maximum amount of sleep from the night, deciding to wake at the last possible moment. They had become accustomed to operating in the final seconds of deadline and schedule. It made things exciting, but difficult at times. It was no longer a problem however, because Canada seemed inevitable. There were no longer any intimidating barriers or problem spots or major concerns. That which had been so far was now closer than ever.
I woke earlier than the others. I wanted to enjoy a bit of the morning on the lake so I headed over to the lodge around six. I took a booth in the restaurant with a view of the lake and ordered some breakfast. It was mind boggling to think that it would end soon. I turned my mind to new projects and adventures that I could plan when I got home. I worried about being able to find a job and readjusting to a mainstream existence. Sleeping in a bed and eating whatever I wanted should not be a tough adjustment, yet I worried anyways.
The bus ride back to the trailhead was filled with excitement. All of the other riders congratulated us on our having come so far and for being in a position to finish. We stopped at the bakery again on the way out and we loaded up on muffins and cinnamon rolls. Our final breakfasts would be the most delicious of the trail. Having caught the bus in a rush of activity, getting their boxes from the PO and then heading straight to the departing bus, the guys had to sort their food at the ranger station where the bus route ended. Once everything was in order we were on our way.
I took off a little faster than the others. I wanted to get to Highway 20 as soon as possible because Mom and Dad were meeting me there with my final resupply. The trail meandered up a river canyon for almost the entire way and I took a short break at a cascading stream to eat my lunch. It was warm and dry, a condition fairly unique to this section. I noticed that the trail was at such a point on the Cascade divide that traveling on the eastern side of one mountain yielded dryer thorny shrub and long-needled pines. Traveling on the western side of the very next mountain would reveal dug firs and mushrooms, moss and greener vegetation.
So excited I was to see my family, I had arrived over an hour early to Rainy Pass in record time. I had average just over three miles per hour including my breaks along the way. I eagerly awaited the arrival of my family and snacked on what I had left of the wonderful bakery stop earlier that morning. As I went to walk around the parking lot of the trailhead and check for my folks Denise, Pamela and Brianna arrived. It was wonderful to see them but I think I tainted the new-car-smell of Denise’s new ride by throwing my rucksack in the back. Mom and Dad, Grandma and Uncle Tony followed a bit later and we all had a wonderful dinner in the Rainy Pass picnic area. Kickstep, Little Jerry, and Buck followed a bit later. They still couldn’t believe, even after all the other family filled Washington stops, that my family kept coming out to the trail with wonderful goodies for us all. Buck felt like he was on a fully supported thru-hike now. Then it started to get dark and family and friends departed so we retired to the other side of the highway to camp. Some rangers warned us about an aggressive bear that frequented the picnic area. So we pitched our tents close to one another for safety. Rangers were always good for some unwarranted worry or concern. No bear ever bothered us.
In the morning we all set out together. It was a pretty uneventful day of hiking. Of course, the scenery was amazing. We passed quite a few weekend warriors out for a good time. There were a couple stops to explain our curious commitment to high mileage. The mountains here were steep and gravelly. There were these wonderful trees that I forget the name of now, but Kick and Annie were excited about them because they also grew in Montana. They are the only conifer to loose their needles and before doing so they turn a bright yellowy golden color. We eventually made it to a lovely spring high in a bowl of one of the peaks. The water was ice cold and delicious. We were to camp fairly early for this bunch so we took the opportunity to make a campfire. It was a lot of fun. We rarely had time to relax in the evening so this was a treat. We all made dinner together then bedded down for the night. A deer persisted to eat up all the grass I had peed on before going to bed. It kept me up for a while but I eventually found rest.
Next was the last full day of hiking. We wanted to put in a thirty so we would be in close position to hit the border the next day early. There were some wonderful views that day. We passed some long mule trains bringing supplies in for the coming deer-hunting season. They looked very pretty and rugged from a distant but very smelly up close. We also ran into Burney and Stacy. It was good to see them again. They were headed back to Harts Pass to get picked up by family. They had just hit the boarder then turned around to hike back. I was excited for Stacy to be getting some much-needed rest soon. They are both super nice and it was wonderful to share in the success of a common victory.
Soon after our little reunion there was the final climb of the whole tail. It took us up to an unnamed mountaintop over 7000 ft. From there it would be all down hill to the border. We were stopping however, at a small lake to camp for the night. It was a wonderfully small lake and there was one other camper there. We said hi and then set camp a little ways away. He was an older gentleman and was content to sit on a rock and gaze upon the lake for the entire time we made camp and dinner. It was weird to think this was the last time I would use my tent for some time, and I’m glad I put it up because we received a light sprinkle from some passing clouds during the night. Buck had to put his shelter up quickly in the dark when it started to fall.
Kick and Annie never caught up to us that night. We assumed they stopped on the ridge and camped there. We rose a bit later in the morning than we had previously planned knowing they would take a bit to catch us. We all wanted to make it to Canada together. Shortly after packing up we heard a voice up the trail yelling, “Canada! Canada!” It was Kick and Annie. Annie was so excited to being finished. She was also excited because Kickstep had used their last evening on the trail to propose. It was a happy day. They had had such a trying hike. I was definitely challenged on my journey but not like they were. Sickness, injuries, and deadlines had made the trail very difficult on them both. But they had made it just the same, and now they had even happier things to look forward to.
We closed the final seven miles quickly. The anticipation building and building until we ultimately laid eyes on the monument. It was rather meager, I thought, for such a grand trip, but it would certainly do. We took pictures and then signed the register. Then who would show up but Fred Laun? He had hiked the eight or so miles in from Manning Park to see us finish. Not only that but he brought some chocolate and pretzels and a six-pack of beer. I’d imagine that no one else had ever had such a celebration at the border as we were having. There we were, nine in the morning, toasting our success with a cold one.
Eventually we had to reconcile ourselves to another 8 miles and a thousand foot climb just to top things off before reaching civilization. When we arrived at the trailhead Grandpa and Uncle Tony were waiting for us and shuttled us to the park for lunch. Grandma and Mom were there in the store getting some food for everyone and missed our triumphant entry but it was just exciting to be done. I got a shower at the lodge and then we had another toast in the parking lot with the family. It was sad to leave my friends but we had to get going back to the states.
And just like that the Pct was over. It was almost startling how the end or even a goal can sneak up on you. Of course it was wonderful to be home and have a bed, good food, time to relax a bit, but the trail had provided a different kind of comfort. There was almost a sense of security in its simplicity, in its community, in the lifestyle. To some extent I found identity in what I was doing. I found likeminded people and minds unlike I have ever encountered before. There was relief in daily progress. There was purpose in the challenges that the trail presents and shared experience endeared the other hikers to me. The trail was special to me because of the people I met.
Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the blog. Thanks for taking an interest in my little trek. Sorry for taking so long to wrap things up. I think maybe I didn’t quite want it to end so I left the last page open as long as I could. All good things come to and end they say, but there will surely be other trips, other adventures and new people to meet. In the meantime I’m fortunate to have wonderful people around me now. I’d encourage everyone to go adventure for their self, either for just the day or for the duration. Let no reservation anchor a restless spirit.
God bless.
