Trout Lake to White Pass

28 hours after leaving the Provincetown dock, by boat, subway, bus, airplane and car, we stood at the Trout Lake trail head, amazed that we were back. When we landed the night before, at the Portland Airport, our friends, Jim and Heather picked us up and took us to their log cabin in Oregon City. It's over 100 years old and is listed on the Historical Registry, and it's where we had the pleasure of spending the night.

In the morning, after playing with their dogs, Cassie and Dutch, Jim's parents, Sue and John, arrived to shuttle us to the trail head. Incredible that they were willing to do this, because it was a 2 1/2 hour road trip one way! We are so grateful to them. During a quick stop in the town of Trout Lake, we mailed our street clothes to Kentucky, and bought coffee at the country store. While paying, I asked the clerk how the weather had been this past week. She said, "It poured...absolutely poured."

Although now prepared for the worst, our 65 mile hike between Trout Lake and White Pass was nothing but beautiful. Abundant sunshine, blue skies, and in the 70's. While walking through Mt. Adams Wilderness, we were blessed with numerous vistas of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and eventually, Mt Rainier, the highest peak in Washington at 14,411 feet. Along with seeing more ferns, mosses and mushrooms, we also saw our first pika, mountain goat, possibly the rear end of an elk, and an unknown weaselly creature in a tree. The last 25 miles of this section was through Goat Rocks Wilderness, an amazingly beautiful area. complete with rocky trail, glacier traverse and even a knife's edge trail that offered 360 degree views. It was very reminiscent of Mt. Katahdin in Maine.

As I write, we are seated inside a small gas station cafe, drinking coffee and eating cereal while tending to our "town" errands here at White Pass on Hwy 12. Our resupply box arrived so we're all set to tackle the next 99 miles to Snoqualmie Pass, We're crossing our fingers on the weather.

-Sunfish