Only 2.5 miles left to cover on the PCT in Washington State

Basin Lake

With a four day hike John and I did at the beginning of August and another he did last week, we each have only 2.5 miles left to cover to complete the Pacific Crest Trail across Washington State. But it might not happen this year as the area we have to cover is where the biggest fires in the state's history are burning right now.

What's happening now in the Methow Valley and Okanogan County is tragic. Homes and forests lost to fires that overwhelm our efforts to contain them.

Fortunately, we were in the woods south of where the fires are, hiking from Chinook Pass to Stampede Pass. That took us on the east side of Mount Rainier through the Norse Peak Wilderness area. It was not as crowded as my hike the week before in the Goat Rocks Wildreness but we did pass 12 day hikers and seven backpackers the first day out (Monday, Aug. 3).

Most of them, like us, were asking about water. We asked and they asked as we passed each other on the trail, "How far to water? Does the seasonal stream up ahead have any water in it?" That's what a drought will do to a hiking season.

In my experience, water has never been hard to find when hiking in the Pacific Northwest; you usually end up walking through streams of it or in it as it falls from the sky. But this year you actually have to pay attention and look for it. We found water at Big Crow Basin in a spring off the trail but missed the camping spot indicated on our map at Little Crow Baisn. So we pushed on to Martinson Gap where we set up a dry camp and hoped to find water early the next day.

Just before we set up for the night, we came across a fellow obviously suffering from TLOTS -- Too Long on Trail Syndrome. He was sitting in a clump of trees, bearded head a mushroom puff on a thick stalk, JetBoil between his legs in front of him, tent and bedroll right behind him. Did he know where the campsite was? No, but did we want him to look on his map? Not necessary, we said. Good, he said, then I won't reach the two feet to my right where the map is, and he went back to cooking.

All the signs of TLOTS: Social interactivity diminished; post-hiking exertion severely restricted; attention absorbed in food preparation and then sleep.

Careful it doesn't happen to you.