Embracing
Another section done! 5 days; 98 miles/156,8 km White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass.
Hello Washington! You definitely gives us challenges! Heat, steep climbs and lots of downhills; kneekills.. Mosquitoes! Shit.. But so beautiful, and the best trailmagic!! Pizza, salad and sodas! I have really loved every day this section.
We're now in Snoqualmie Pass actually having a zero! Wow! First one since Shelter Cove 5 weeks ago. Enjoying just sitting, sleeping, laughing and eating.
British Columbia and Oregon are on fire so the sky and horizon has been completely hazy and smokey and deprived us some views. We just feel so lucky that we got to hike through all of Oregon before all the amazing sections got closed because of fire.
Our familymember So Good have been struggling with an infected back and unfortunately had to leave the trail and us this section. He got urgent care in the hospital, but he will unfortunately not be able to finish his hike. It is so sad!! Right now he is with us here in Snoqualmie Pass and we will throw him a well deserved goodbyeparty tonight. We will miss him tremendously. A forever friend!
I am embracing every day of this hike. Time passes way to fast. I love this life. All the small routines. The simplicity of carrying everything I need on my back. Just thinking about miles and what to eat at the next snackbreak or where the next water is.
We are routinejunkies. Every morning I wake up between 05:30 and 06 hearing Mama bear's voice; Happycamel awake?! I feel soo tired and stiff, can barely open my eyes and grunt a good morning reply. She usually gets our foodbags (we hang them at night, so no bears and rodents can't get them). I put my shorts, t-shirt and socks into my sleeping bag hoping they will dry a little.. (they are usually still damp and salty from yesterday's sweat..). Then, clothes on, puffy on, stuff sleeping bag, deflate sleeping mat and pack it. If too many bugs, I eat breakfast in the tent, if ok I pack the tent and eat; I boil water and mix coffee, instant breakfast (nutritional powder), chocolatepowder and granola; I eat the granola and then drink the remaining coffee; voila! All in one! Done! We pack up and hike out.
Usually we hike between 6 to 10 miles/ 9,6 to 16 km then we have a little snackbreak, hike some more miles, maybe 5 more miles and then lunch. My lunch usually consist of a tortilla with tuna, mayo, cheese and fritos (sometimes I carry avocados out from town) jerky and Nutella or a chocolate bar, we hike on, usually we hike between 18 and 22 miles/ 28,8 to 32 km per day, 10 hours hike a day.
Find a campsite, ideally next to a watersource, tents up, filter water, out of shoes, soak and clean our feet, getting out of sweaty clothes and into woolshirt and longjohns, we make a fire and cook. I eat pasta/ ramen or mashed potatoes and instant pudding / chocolate for dessert and maybe a cup of hot chocolate. Clean the pots. Drink water. Brush teeth. Patchy hangs the food. And into the tent. Crawling into my sleeping bag. Stuffsack as pillow. One more day is over. Saying from my sleeping bag; "Goodnight family!" and hear; "Goodnight Happycamel!" from the other tents. That is love. I fall asleep with a smile on my face. Knowing that the next day will be exactly the same, but also completely different. Happiness.
Today I got the message that my beloved grandmother passed away yesterday. I feel so sad, but so grateful that I got to know her. She left us on a full, orange, amazing mooneclipse. A portal into another world. She was a beautiful soul. She has had such an important impact on my life. My love for her is infinite and she lives in my heart always. I am thankful that I can have the next days of sorrow and remembrance out here in nature amongst the free spirits of trees and mountains. I will forever remember ❤
