For the last several years I've been working to stitch together hikes to complete a line from Snoqualmie Pass to home. My initial idea of hiking it all at once was thwarted first by the pandemic and then by my hip. Instead, I've been doing it piecemeal.
In 2019 I hiked the easternmost section. In 2020 we tackled part of the middle. Over the last few months I knocked off two more sections leaving only a single stretch of generally abandoned trail to go. This is that.
As usual, we started stupid early and it was just me and Tinkham. A quick climb to the lake and then west to Mt. Defiance. This was all familiar ground, but after tagging the summit (because of course we did) we started dropping into a new valley.
I wish I could say it was immediately wonderful, but the first section wasn't that great. Steep and rutted. I'm really glad we hadn't gone up that way. When the grade slackened we followed a narrow, winding trail among the trees, under cliffs, and through meadows. This was the wonderful part.
Along the way we saw a couple of lakes we'd never seen before, lost the trail crossing a boulder field, and found the biggest pile of bear poop I've ever seen. How big was it? I took a picture of it. Of course, Tink got to swim in Thompson Lake where I'd only been once before years ago with Tokul. The weather was a lot nicer this time around.
The last few miles, like the last few miles of any long-anticipated adventure, were anti-climactic. From the ridge down it was first an old road and then a trail being turned into a road. Lots of people (after having seen no one up until Thompson) and a need to get to the parking lot to meet my ride (Thanks, Lilly!) meant this section wasn't my favorite.
This project is now complete. My Strava heatmap looks cool. Some parts I'll do again. Some I won't. Now I need a new project. Or maybe go back to an old, incomplete one. I don't know. Maybe I'll just hike because it's fun.
