Sun. July 24      Miles today: 17.2      Total so far: 1,319.8           Begin Washington Section K

I got up early and tiptoed off to the kitchen, leaving everyone else still sleeping on the floor, and carefully stepped over Sam the dog, who was asleep in the kitchen doorway. Then I started to EAT–a banana, apple, grapes, potato chips, cupcakes and coffee–while working on my journal. Eventually Andrea got up, too.  She told me it was Jerry who brought the first PCT hikers home (he saw them at the post ofice and felt sorry for them) and now she and Jerry both LOVE hosting hikers!  She and Jerry are both retired truck drivers.  Andrea showed me pictures of them with their “rigs.”

Eventually, everyone else started getting up; Bill and I had one of our granola breakfasts with banana on top.  Then it was time to pack up, since we were all heading out, some Sobo, some Nobo.  I had to say goodbye to sweet Sam the dog, who is just as loving and hospitable as the Dinsmores.  And of course, it was “picture time” for everybody, out in front of the Dinsmore’s cozy home.  Jerry and Andrea really do make you feel like family.  “Be careful!” Andrea called as we drove off. 

Jerry dropped off the Sobos first, then us Nobos.  I hesitated at the trailhead, knowing that if we were going to do the roadwalk, it would have to start here, but Bill charged off down the trail, so I thought, “Well, I guess he wants to do the PCT alternate…OK, this will be interesting,”  and took off after him.  What I didn’t know at the time was that Bill had no idea he was supposed to choose the route at that point.  He thought he could choose up ahead, and had planned to choose the roadwalk.  Very soon the trail headed into a lot of very tall green grass–as tall as me–and as soon as I began pushing through it, I was in puffs and eddies of grass pollen.  Yikes!  I’m really allergic to that stuff!  And sure enough, within half an hour I was sneezing, my eyes were watering and itching, and I had to stop and get out the allergy medicine I’d carried all the way from Campo and never needed till now.  Fortunately, the medicine worked, and in a couple of hours I was feeling a lot better.

Meanwhile,  both Bill and I were very excited about finally entering the famous/fearsome North Cascades.  A tall gray bluff seemed like it was welcoming us, and the trail led us right toward it.  Just then, whom should we meet coming down the trail, but Mountain Tripper!  We last saw him in the Tehachapis when we were headed for Tylerhorse Canyon.  His friend Delite was no longer hiking with him–she had to go home because her husband had become very ill–so Tripper had another buddy now to hike with him.  On we went, past pretty lakes with dayhikers.  We stopped at Lake Valhalla to cook lunch, and later on to get water from a rushing cascade.  By the way, Washington water is fantastic!  It tastes really good. 

The PCT wound up through some very pretty meadows, and finally we got our first view of Glacier Peak, glistening and white.  It is THE KING of the whole area . Circling Grizzly Peak (which is lower, green and grassy) we got another stunning view of Glacier Peak.  Soon afterwards we stopped for a Fritos-and-cheese supper with a gorgeous view of the rugged mountains ahead.  I was beginning to feel a little less worried about being on the TRAIL detour route, since it was so stunningly beautiful.   What I didn’t know was that at this point, Bill was thinking,  “Now WHERE is the place you can choose between trail detour and roadwalk?”

By sundown we’d reached Wenachee Pass and camped at 4,500 feet, near a trail junction.  It was a pleasant evening with big puffy clouds in the sky, and clouds of mosquitoes by the ground, so out came the net tent.  Bill and I agreed that we were very grateful for such nice weather–it can be very nasty here anytime of year, with storms and rain and even snow.  Not tonight, though–it was beautiful!