Week 12: Soggy Washington

This week takes place after I took some time off at home to avoid wildfire smoke.

I find myself back on trail. I began hiking at stevens pass which is roughly 150 miles south of the canadian border. I intend to finish that northern section after all the remaining parts, it feels like the most complete way to puzzle this journey together. Right from the beginning I started to doubt what I was doing, my legs while still quite strong didnt feel as strong as they did when I started my pause just a month earlier. it was also difficult to adjust as the weather was dramatically different then anything i experienced in california. I didnt have hot sun or pleasant weather. I was immediately launched into rain, hail, sleet, snow, and general cold wet weather. Frequenting fog and drizzle. I think parts of this section were perhaps some of the most beautiful sections of the entire trail. Besides the general misery of being damp and having all of my gear and clothes be damp, it was nice to be back out on trail. It wasn’t always soggy, as you can see in the pictures, there were plenty of moments of sun. It was a little lonely because I didnt have people walking in the same direction but that was kind of nice too. I could pick my own speed and make all my own decisions. During this section i think i got a lot of time to think and process. I was able to reflect on where i am in life and where i am going. Not that I got any grand answers, but I did get some clarity on parts. As I walk I am unsure if I will continue into oregon or call it when i finish Washington, yet to be decided. Overall, very glad to be back on trail and dealing with the weather is actually kinda nice in retrospect.