July 18th The Dinsmores to Lake Susan Jane

You can only sleep for so long despite the warmth and comfort of your bed. Besides, before hitting the hay last night, Jerry had set our breakfast time at the Baring store for 9 a.m. Even though I had had the late night feed by 8 in the morning I was feeling hungry again. John and I threw in a load of wash and then Andrea ferried us across the railroad tracks to meet the locals. After ordering we sign the hiker register and as such a fuss is being made over us, begin to feel a certain small town sense of celebrity creep in. Well, there were no pancakes, eggs and sausage links in Glacier Peak Wilderness and about as fast as you can blink there were none on my plate either. Almost like a human vacuum. Ha. Back at Hiker Haven a decision had to be made. John was reluctant to continue due to the lingering snow and the few harrowing experiences he had had. With equipment replacement, at best he'd be back on the trail in a couple of days. However, he was seriously thinking about taking longer. I knew I couldn't wait and though I had some feelings of betrayal in leaving him there to work things out, told him I was returning to the trail that evening. There were two other couples out there, Yannick and Shirley a day ahead, and Steve and Kristen two days out. If there was going to be snow as I anticipated, I wanted footprints to follow and if I hiked long and hard, I was sure I could catch one of them and join up for safety. So, twelve days and two sections of the PCT and the partnership with John was over. We enjoyed a late lunch together, then it was time for some final packing and the sad goodbyes. Two hours of hitching in front of the Baring store finally got me a ride. Laura, Eddie and Tony were just pulling in for coffee at the store, but I suppose they saw my disappointment and agreed to take me back up to Stevens Pass. There were only a couple of hours of daylight left, so I set off quickly with the chairs of the ski lifts dangling above my head as I worked higher on the trail. Leaving the ski area and with darkness falling fast, I was lucky enough to reach a nice little campsite on the shores of Lake Susan Jane. I'm back on the trail Solo Sobo hoping I can get through the snow.

A View in Washington

4 Miles