White Pass & More Fire Closures! – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [47]

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Part 46 ‘Amazing Goat Rocks Wilderness & Resting in Packwood’ 

Day 147 (29/08) – Norse Fire Closure at White Pass

I had coffee with Snakebite, Rise, Shine, Mr Blisters, Mammal, Queso, Viking and Strider at the local coffee shop in Packwood. Most of us were heading out after breakfast to get back on the trail.

I got a hitch around midday, along with another hiker. We arrived half an hour later at White Pass, where I had left the trail the morning before. As we pulled up, a crowd of PCT hikers were gathered around a lady in a yellow vest. ‘Oh hell no!‘ I said… knowing exactly what it was. Another damn fire closure! This was now a record snow AND fire year – truly a hike of ice and fire!

There were no real alternatives for hiking again (that made sense). Again, it was to be a painful and long hitch around if we had to get past. It was a 40-mile stretch from White Pass that was closed. A lady who lived in Packwood offered the group there to stay at her place, and 15 of us accepted. Somehow we all fit into two cars and headed there after no real plans could be made.

Katie was very forthcoming, and we all ended up camping in her yard. She served us a delicious dinner, with some help preparing and cleaning from us. It was great!

Day 148 (30/08) – A Brief Visit to Seattle

We all had coffee and made pancakes for breakfast, before a group of us headed into town. Snakebite, Rise, Shine, Mammal, Mr Blisters, myself, (and of course, Copper, Shine’s dog) all decided to just go to Snoqualmie Pass, the next major place on the trail 100 miles ahead of White Pass. Unfortunately, it meant a 2-hour bus ride, then a train ride and finally a 45-minute hitch to Snoqualamie. The fires were never in an area where you could just hike an alternate route around, it was always a painful, long detour via roads!

The bus ride was long, windy and bumpy – we all felt a little travel sick, but luckily all pulled through to Centralia. The next step was the train to Seattle, which was much more pleasant. Dogs were not allowed on the trail, but Shine made it out as if she required him for ‘comfort’ with bad anxiety, and they allowed him on.

Getting off the train in Seattle was a bit weird. We were all clearly dressed for hiking, and a city is the last place we wanted to be. We made a ridiculous photo of ourselves pretending to be lost at the station.

Finally, we got a ride organised by the girl’s mum’s college friends’ friend? We really couldn’t keep up with that link! They hadn’t even met, but she generously offered a ride to another place the girls had a friend not far from Snoqualmie. We had a little dinner party with some beers and conversed until it was way too late for us – 11pm! Mammal, Snakebite and I slept outside on the porch, and the others slept in the garage loft. This is why it’s cool to make trail friends – everyone knows someone!

Day 149 (31/08) – Snoqualmie Pass

I woke up in the early dark morning hours to see a fine mist above, taking the trees over. ‘Shit‘ I think, but went back to sleep. Snakebite startled me by saying the mist was getting thick. It was basically starting to fall as light rain. We quickly threw our gear inside and slept on the lounge room floor.

I made pressed coffee for everyone in the morning, as I knew we’d all be tired after a late night. Rob, one of the guys living there, gave us a lift to Snoqualmie Pass where we would get back on the trail.

Mammal and I needed to bump our resupply boxes ahead, as we didn’t plan on the recent fire closure and expected by now to have been on trail for five days. We had some breakfast at the inn and then received rumours that yet another fire closure was meant to be nearing, closing the trail. I was not happy to hear it, and we went to the forestry service office and checked with them. The trail was in the fire closure, but they kept the PCT open.

Finally, the six of us headed off back on the PCT. The views were great along the way, especially when we saw Mt Rainier – this time from the north side. The smoke plumes of both the Norse Peak and Jolly Peak fires were also visible.

It was so beautiful to hike along the mountains again up high. We passed many lakes during the day, including the small but easily accessible Ridge Lake, where we stopped for lunch.

We set up camp near a lake further down the trail. There was a hilarious moment with Copper (the dog). He was briefly tied to Shine’s pack, and he had started barking at some oncoming hikers. He tried to take off to get closer to the hikers, not knowing he was tied to the pack. As he ran, he was confused by the pack following him, likely assuming it was another animal. He went into full panic mode, and was doing loops around the campsite with the pack flailing behind in tow, before giving up and crashing into Shine’s tent! It was one of the funniest things I’ve seen, haha! We all had a good laugh (except Copper…).

Distance hiked: 15 miles

Total PCT hiked: 2405 (after skipping 98 miles due to the fire closure)

Next Post:

Part 48 ‘The Beautiful Deception Lake & Loving the New Trail Family!’ 

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