Start: 1315 - High Bridge Ranger Station (from Stehekin)
End: 1900 - Hide-A-Way trail camp
Miles (today): 13
Miles (cumulative): 2611.5 (2361.5 PCT, 175 alternate, 75 off)
Since the post office didn't open until 1000, we both slept in a little, which was a nice change of pace. Nick got up and made himself some coffee before I was willing to give up on getting more sleep... But after a while of just lying there I decided to get the day started, too.
the view from the tent as I tried to get more sleep
After we packed up we went back to the lodge for breakfast, which was decent. Since we still had time to kill before the post office opened, we went to the ranger station to get a camping permit (Special permits are required to camp within a certain area of trail north of the High Bridge ranger station and we didn't think we'd have enough time to hike outside the boundary). We hung around the ranger station, looking at art, studying maps, and talking to the ranger until 1000, which is when we made our way to the post office to collect our resupply packages. I decided to go with Nick because I knew there were two packages and because these are our last resupply packages for the trip. Our last resupply packages! It seems crazy to me that we are this close to finishing!
Nick and I enjoyed ourselves at the ranger station in Stehekin
The post office was small and packages were everywhere, but the postmaster seemed to have it all under control. Besides, he had some great music playing on the radio (Johnny Cash, Grateful Dead, Dylan), which I enjoyed. We gave him our names and told him we had two packages. He looked in his computer and said we had four. Four? What? Maybe he didn't have things as under control as I thought.
The thought that he might not have it all in control grew because the very first package he tried to find didn't seem to be there - he had numbers on all the packages but when I found our number it wasn't our package. While Nick and I continued to look for the misplaced package, the postmaster looked for the other packages. The first one he put in front of me was from Marlene Baker! I was astonished and almost couldn't believe it - I mean, I had just been thinking of her the other day (when her spirit helped me walk up the side of the mountain)! As I stared at the package I got a little teary eyed - it was so wholly unexpected and wonderful to get a surprise package from Marlene. I wanted to open it right away but managed to restrain myself. Besides, we still had that missing package to find.
The postmaster brings out one of our expected resupply packages from Mary and then hands me a card. A card from my soul sister, Candee. I guess we DID have 4 items there! I stopped looking for the misplaced package and just stood there, staring at the letter in amazement. I could not restrain myself this time - I opened it up and started to read it right there in the post office.
A few sentences later my chin was quivering and I was fighting back tears, but I continued to read it, unable to stop myself. When I finished I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I was glad to have the missing box to distract me.
Just as we were going to give up, the postmaster looks under his desk and finds the misplaced resupply package (he forgot to check there earlier). Nick grabbed the two resupply packages and I carried the package from Marlene and the card from Candee. As we walked out of the post office I looked at what I was carrying and suddenly burst into tears - how incredibly, wonderfully thoughtful.
Nick couldn't quite figure out why I was crying- I tried to explain how I felt happy and touched and overwhelmed with emotion but he just shook his head and said I don't make sense. I know, I rarely make sense. LOL
Marlene's box could have been empty and it wouldn't have mattered - the simple fact that she thought of us was enough for me. When I finally opened it I was blown away! She made flower leis for us and she included some awesome snack mix! Tears started to fall again because I have been saying how getting to Canada might feel like a letdown without something to commemorate the accomplishment (like getting a cool medal after running a race). And now we have leis to celebrate with!
When we opened up our resupply packages we found a card from Mary, too. So much thoughtfulness! I started to cry again but pulled myself together so we could sort the food and reorganize our packs. Our last resupply. Wow.
We finished with about 30 minutes to spare until the next bus was due to take us back to the trail, so Nick made a quick stop at the store for some batteries (for the steri-pen) and for some ice cream, which we shared as I periodically burst into tears (every time I thought about the surprise package and letter and about how this is our last resupply I'd lose my composure.)
Thank you Marlene. Thank you Candee. Thank you Mary. Wow. Just... wow. :)
I was so emotional this morning that I completely forgot about how the bus stops at this supposedly amazing bakery on the way back to the trail. I was skeptical about the bakery being as amazing as everyone says, but it actually WAS amazing. Nick and I bought some pizza, some strawberry rhubarb pie, a huge scone, and some cheesecake thing the employees raved about. Outro, Six, Meerkat, and Bud and Fret were already there (they took the 0800 bus so had been there for 3 hours).
We all got back on the bus and I endured the long, bumpy ride back to the trail while staring at our bakery goods, really wanting to eat them.
The sunlight messed up the pic, but that's Six, Bud, Meerkat, Outro, and Fret
Once the bus finally pulled up to the trail, there were about 10 other thru hikers waiting to go to Stehekin. I looked for Dirt Squirrel or Sprout or Chili but didn't see them. In fact, I only recognized one of the hikers waiting for the bus.
Nick and I sat at the same picnic table we sat at yesterday with Bob and Bonnie and started to eat our bakery goods. And then, suddenly, we see Sprout and then Woodsmoke coming down the trail. They had decided NOT to go to Stehekin, but when they saw our bakery goods they wavered a bit. They remained strong, though, and Nick and I shared what we bought with them. Yucca and Dirt Squirrel eventually joined us, too, and we all shared the delightful treats from the bakery. I realized things truly are so much better when shared - one bite of the scone was more then enough for me because everyone was so happy. :)
the amazing food from the bakery
Chili arrived a little too late to get any food, but when he told us about how his new tent already had a broken zipper, Nick gave him the replacement zipper pull we had for our tent and showed him how to fix his problem. Nick is pretty great. :)
The weather was so nice and I was having such a splendid time with everyone that it was difficult to start hiking... But we did, albeit over an hour later than we planned. Knowing we wouldn't make it to the campsite we got a permit for, we readjusted our meeting point and then set off.
It was mostly uphill and it was a little warm (which I love but Nick doesn't)... And since I know the weather forecast isn't pretty these next few days, I tried to soak up as much of the good weather as I could. I stopped to talk to several day hikers, two who were grim about the upcoming weather (snow?!) and one guy who was a little more positive (although he, like me, seemed to have a difficult time believing bad weather was on the way with how perfect it was today ).
I walked with Chili for a while, which was fun, but for the most part I was lost in my own thoughts. By the end of the day my feet were ready for me to be done and I was glad to see I had finally gotten to the planned campsite. Sprout, Woodsmoke, and Dirt Squirrel caught up with me and I asked about Nick's whereabouts...
And they told me he said we were camping at the site I passed 2.5 miles ago.
Uh oh!
It was late - 1900 - and the light was fading fast. I had paused at that other campsite, thinking maybe I should wait for Nick there just in case he didn't like the uphill or the heat, but decided against stopping because I was afraid to lose my momentum.
Damn. I should have stopped.
Even worse, the campsite I was at was completely full and all the spots were taken. Sprout helped me clear a spot, though, and then I made my way back to the trail to find Nick - it was dark, I felt horrible for walking too far, and I wanted to lead him to the site.
Nick wasn't too happy about walking an additional 2.5 miles and he wasn't happy about worrying about me (he figured I had gone too far but couldn't be certain that something terrible hadn't happened), but once he ate some of his mom's spaghetti all was well. Besides, Outro started a campfire and everyone was sitting around it in good spirits, which was contagious.
The end of the night was great. Outro, Six, Meerkat, Bud, Fret, Dirt Squirrel, Woodsmoke, Yucca, Sprout, Nick, and I all sat around the fire and talked and laughed (and ate).
It's been a wonderfully emotional day for me. So much to process!!!
Along the trail:
i stopped for water at a stream and as I tilted my head back to drink this is what I saw... Just wanted to capture the moment
