A rainbow welcomes us to Snoqualmie Pass.

Greetings from Snoqualmie Pass, WA, where, notably, it’s raining. Hopefully this is good news for the communities threatened by fires up north. At the very least, it’s a refreshing reminder of what this place is usually like in the fall: wet, shimmering, and lush. Last night and today saw some particularly heavy precipitation, collapsing tents and drenching gear for many hikers. More than a few folks woke up in standing water. We managed to stay somewhat dry, thanks to a lucky choice of camping spot, a solid performance from our tent, and our (now) beloved umbrellas. The dry ground seemed unacquainted with so much water, causing large puddles and streams to form on the trail. Interestingly, the day-hikers we met in this stretch seemed wholly unbothered by the weather, donning sweatshirts and baseball caps in contrast to our rain pants and jackets. Guess it’s that Northwest blood, but we still found ourselves thinking, “who are these people!?”

Anywho. Washington continues to offer spectacular hiking. A tiny cut-through of Mt. Rainier National Park (our sixth this trip!) brought us closer to that behemoth than we’ve ever been. And while our views were fogged out at Chinook Pass, we loved watching the clouds weave in and out as we climbed through clear-cuts and around lakes.


 Side note: we happened to overlap with an ultramarathon yesterday, the Cascade Crest 100, part of which was run alon the PCT. We were passed by dozens of runners during the day, about 30 miles into their century trek. It was inspiring to see so many people sharing the trail cordially, and in such athletic fashion, though late in the day, with rains coming in, the race sounded miserable. Around 4:00 PM we asked a runner how he was feeling, and he said, “Great! But ask me in twelve hours.” Some humans are incredible.

We’re spending a day here at the pass to let a bit of the storm system blow by and savor some time with friends. The scenery is supposed to change drastically as we move into the North Cascades, and people who know the area have darn-near drooled when talking about its beauty. Still no solid decisions on our fire-related plans, but we’ll keep you posted.

Dusk at Dewey Lake.

Finally, a special shout-out to our buddy Chimp for the care-package. You sure know how to treat a hiker right.

Love,

Square