2400 stony miles 😀

25/08/15 33.5 miles in the bag, leaving only 92 miles to Steven's pass. Little news on the trail about the fires apart from 3000 volunteers have stepped forward and the military have stepped in. I did hear that highway 20 opens then closes then reopens (this is great news). However its all jumbled messages that appear to be out of date as soon as they are said. I will pit stop in Snoqualimie Pass to see if there are any updates. I have to say, I maybe a little disappointed to have already reached mile 2380 (soon to be 2400 miles), feeling strong and currently injury free to have to make a detour around the last bit of the trail. Nonetheless, the fires are massive and I have several clear views of them.

 

24/08/15 

23/08/15 stopped in White Pass for a quick feed and resupply (4 hour stop). Although there weren't any showers, I did manage to wash my clothes, send some of my not very often items to Manning Park (to lighten my backpack) and successfully demolished 2 egg and ham muffins, mountain dew, 3 snicker bars, a small burrito and a bag of apple rings (a fab breakfast). By noon I was back on the trail and looking to clear x2 hills.

After a spectacular fall that ripped my trainer and bruised my finger and ego things started to change.   Very quickly the Mount Adams (I think) smoke was all around and getting thicker by the moment- it should have not been in this area. It certainly wasn't bad enough for me to turn back and assured that if the fire was close, helicopters would be buzzing overhead but having yet another day (its been 5 days) without signal or wifi at White Pass - getting updates on the fire situation is difficult especially as it changes minute by wind changing minute. Smoke fills the valleys (and lungs) and the big (its closed 100 miles of the trail further up) seems to be moving and the detour route that I was hoping to take (via highway 20) has been also closed and evacuated- without phone connection I cant look for another plan or route. At this stage, my thoughts turn to those who have been evacuated and the fire fighters. 

22/08/15 woohoo! Back to the mountains again with stunning smoke screen views. It was so great to be back in the open but jeeez it was hard stony work!! I may have even got my first beginning of a blister for the whole of the now 2300 miles completed 😀 The smoke is definitely in the air and does make it hard to breathe at times.

21/8/15 another 33 miles in the bag! So good to be back there again. I really thought that the flat Oregon days of bagging the 30+ were over! I got very close to the start of the 10 mile mountain climb but I can smell smoke. Funny seeing the public order that closes the trails leading off the PCT. 

20/08/15 

19/8/15uggg 10 miles of up and by'eck it hurt. Perhaps it was the beer mid morning given by two angels ( and burger and chips!! - so fantastic and totally perfect in every way) .... but more it probably was because of the relentless up up and more up .. without views!! 

18/08/15 of course I had to stay for breakfast! Hmmm breakfast burrito and coffee - it set me up a treat. I walked across the Bridge of the Gods which was an amazing experience in itself! It is a bridge high up but it's holey! This means you walk on a metal grate!! Sudden flash backs of getting stuck half way up a shop stairs (because they had no backs and therefore were holey) .... but gripping my phone in one hand and walking poles in the other  ... with my eyes firmly on the 'bridge of the gods sign' ....I wasn't struck down with lightning and the bridge didnt crumble so I made it to the other side with the biggest grin ever!