from 9/5/2008

Another post from the Spiff...

9/5/08 Crossed OR/WA border TODAY

If today is any indication of WA, I think the last of this trip will be incredible- clear and warm. I expect it won't be that way all the time, but we only have under 500 miles to go!

Alex and I have been reunited just in time for WA. I did indeed find my parents in Breitenbush, but only after a storm fiasco, where I was forced (and encouraged by Nick) to turn around near Mt Jefferson and backtrack (unheard of) several miles to go down a six mile trail to a road. We had hit a very windy and rainy ridge followed by a snowfield and couldn't find our way down. good thing Nick was with me and helped me let go of stubborness and turn back. When I got back on the trail, the snowfield was indeed mild in clear weather, but it was terrifying at the time. All in all, Oregon, we found out is often wet and mosquito-y. And, I still never got a good view of Mt Jefferson, the mountain I didn't know existed until a few weeks ago.

In our separated states, Alex and I made quite opposite plans- me to see Seamus in Portland , her to hike with our friend Kelsy from Timberline to Cascade Locks. So we did both, but i didn't catch the two of them until the morning before Cascade Locks-still in bed at 730 am!! Our daylight hours here dwindled to 630 am - 8 pm. And 8pm is pushing it. But, from what I hear Kelsey was an amazing hiker and only slipped into granpa grunts of sore feet a few dozen times a day! I'm just kicking myselft that I missed most of the whiskey and 3 tasty bite meals. Yesterday, we had five visitors, including my brother and his girlfriend, and it was great to see so many familiar faces. I expect WA will be a bit like that. And a bit rushed by trying to say hi and get our miles in before snow. Just hold it back until October.

from 9/8/2008

The blueberries are incredibly distracting. Glo-worm rolled into lunch with a purple mouth. Found our first chanterelle just after crossing into WA. Delicious charred on my alcohol stove...