11 Aug Day 112 – Icecream
Hiked to mile 2552.6 at Cloudy Pass trail junction. PCT closed from mile 2552 to 2572 due to Bannock Lake Fire. Hiked 12 PCT miles today. Also hiked approximately 11 miles on Cloudy Pass and Hart and Lyman Lake trails. Hiked another approximate 2 miles around Lyman Lake area when lost. Trail junctions weren’t marked for the PCT closure detour route. Total miles hiked were approximately 25 miles.
Today is day 112, but having taken a zero-day, it is my 111th day of actual hiking and today is August 11th. It is also my birthday.
The Ice-Cream Story
The highlight of the day happened when I reached Holden Village 35 minutes after ice-cream hour had ended. I had planned on arriving well before ice-cream hour, but I had gotten lost. Cache 22 having heard I was lost, had bought me a double scoop of huckleberry and sorbet and stashed it in the freezer for me. To have this ice-cream after such an early start and a long 24 miles was a birthday surprise I will never forget.
The Hike
With plans for meals in Holden Village and a boat ride to Stehekin the next day, I was on the trail at 4:40 am with headlamp lighting the way.
It was cloudy, but the sun appeared with most smoke cleared. This gave me my clearest view of Glacier Peak.
It was finally cooler and the trail led through slightly misty forests.
Time seemed to pass quickly and I had hiked the 11 miles ascending 3000 foot before 9:30 am. I reached this fire closure at the Cloudy Pass trail junction.
Here is Cloudy Pass on the Cloudy Pass trail. With plenty of clouds, today it lived up to its name.
I came across this lazy Marmot that would rather lay on a boulder than run away.
I reached the Hart and Lyman Lake trail. Here is Lyman Lake.
Here is another view of Lyman Lake from the boulder field above it. At this point, I was well off-trail and trying to figure out which way to go.
Back on the Hart and Lyman Lake trail, I could see waterfalls cascading into a large gorge.
Here I am at the end of the day’s hike eating birthday ice-cream.
