Hiked the 5.9 miles from my campsite last night to Snoqualmie Pass (photo #1) to meet Shirley. We drove across the rode to the Summit Lodge for a sit-down, "big" breakfast. Then we camped out in front of the small grocery next to the Lodge to charge my camera and load the topo maps onto my Garmin eTrex (somehow they disappeared back in Bend, OR). My 'baby' took care of everything while I talked with a couple of section hikers, ate lunch prepared by Jill Yang (the wonderful lady Shirley is staying with in Seattle), drank a half-gallon of cold milk, finished a quart of ice cream and snacked on grapes and bananas.
After I got on the trail from the pass (on a rather full stomach), I saw a sign describing the section ahead of me. It read “LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: MOST DIFFICULT.” I’ve seen lots of signs describing the “level of difficulty” of hiking trails – most say “moderate” or “difficult”. This is the first time I’ve seen one that read “most difficult.” And difficult it has been. The trail is a series of climbs, twists and turns around Commonwealth basin that traverses Pyramid Peak (photo #2) any steep slopes and great views. Elevation 5,050 ft. Coordinates for the evening are: 47 deg. 27’198” N, 121 deg. 17’905” W. Didn't get a photo of the sign, but snaped some photos of the not-so-easy trail.
Keep hiking,
Greybeard
1 comment:
We had the chance to walk by you on Friday - your 118th - above Joe Lake, north of Snoqualimie pass about 11 miles. There were five of us (3 men, a woman and a dog). We talked a minute - we both had places to go - ours south, yours north, so the conversation was short. However, your inspiration was felt by all of us. Good luck in your future journeys.
Kenn Fidler - Puyallup, WA
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