I’d like to say I started the morning in a better frame of mind than how I ended yesterday, but the minute we got back on trail we were faced with more of those damn overgrown brushes. And then we had to cross a river, and since it was impossible to cross at the trail unless you wanted to get wet, we had to fight our way through more of the hateful bushes to get to a place narrow enough for us to cross.
I wasn’t happy about those f’ing bushes.
But as I hiked, I realized it was silly to let those bushes get the better of me -getting frustrated doesn’t change the situation and it makes me a terrible person to be around - so I started to think of them as simply a challenge to overcome, which helped a little. The views helped, too, as they always do. Have I mentioned how much I love the mountains?
There was a bit more snow on the trail today (yesterday there was barely any), but it was all very manageable and no micro spikes were needed. In fact, the abundance of mud and water on the trail slowed me down more than the snow.
The only hikers we saw today were all going in the opposite direction. One was Nurse, another was a local trail runner, and the third was Shadow Hawk, who told us that if we were still at Stony Pass when he was done with his day hike he’d give us a ride to Silverton.
It was a huge relief not to have to worry about hitching.
When we got to the pass, we saw two SUVs stopped on the road, just behind a snowbank. The occupants were on the snowbank, attempting to shovel enough snow off the road so they could continue their journey. (Keep in mind that they have a cliff to one side and a steep drop off on the other.)
Stony Pass is just ahead, you can see the road in the distance and even the SUVs if you zoom in
Nick and I wanted to help, but before we could they decided they had cleared enough snow to get by. Nick still walked over to watch (and perhaps offer guidance?) as they attempted to drive the vehicles over the snowdrift. It was terrifying to watch, especially the first SUV that drove over the drift - it very nearly didn’t make it, sliding off the snow and then backsliding towards the edge. From my vantage point, I thought for sure it was going to topple off the cliff. I was full of anxiety until the driver gunned it, regained control, and made it safely across.
We chatted with one of the occupants, Lauren, for a bit while her husband, Russ, drove the second SUV over the snowbank (he didn’t have any issue). She was really friendly, so we asked if it would be possible for us to get a ride with them to Silverton; happily, Lauren and Russ said yes.
Riding down Stony Pass to Silverton was beautiful. It was also a little terrifying at first, considering the rough road and the steep drop off to one side (again, my friend Betty would have hated every second). But Russ seemed to be an excellent driver, so after a while I relaxed enough to enjoy the ride and the conversation. Even though I hate hitching, the silver lining is getting to meet new and interesting people.
On the ride down, we saw Google, Lush, and Peck walking up. Russ stopped so we could briefly chat with Google- it was good to see him again. I can’t believe they walked all the way up to the pass, though! I’m so glad we didn’t have to walk down and cannot imagine having to walk up, so I hope we somehow manage to get a ride back up there on Monday.
Lauren and Russ dropped us off at our hotel, which was awesome of them. I hope they enjoy the rest of their trip!
Juniper the dog, Lauren, and Russ
We are staying at The Avon and I love what the owner has done with it. The building was condemned at one point but he saved it and fixed it up. It has a great vibe and is decorated in a fun, comfortable, funky way. It’s like a hostel in that there are shared common areas (including the bathrooms), but it’s not packed with people so it’s quite pleasant.
The only thing The Avon doesn’t have is a place to do laundry, which wouldn’t be a problem except it’s the weekend and the owner told us the laundromat in town is closed on weekends (which makes zero sense to me). Since we really needed to wash our hiking clothes, we ended up taking them with us to our respective bathrooms (men and women) and did our best to wash them in the shower. (The shower was amazing, by the way, with an abundance of hot water and incredible pressure - I was in there for a long time.)
After showers and ‘laundry’, we walked around town a bit and got dinner at Handelbars, followed by a trip to Smedleys so Nick could get a chocolate malt made the old fashioned way.
And now I finally get to sleep on a legit bed. I’m sleeping on the bed in the loft because it feels super cozy up here (and because Nick’s snoring won’t be so loud).
Along the trail:
