Another milestone done: We arrived in Stehekin! The first cinnamon roll has been devoured but there will be more …
We actually had some minor light rain this morning when we woke up in camp but the tents were pretty much dry by the time we started hiking. A few more drops from above during our last 5 miles to the trailhead, and lots of drops from the bushes that lined our path! Wet pants!
It still felt strange to walk on familiar trails after so many miles exploring new landscapes! We arrived at the bridge under which I have taken multiple “hiker showers”…
… and at High Bridge camp where I stayed with Keyla and met Tom & Louisa as well as Patty.
We walked down to the ranger station and had just sat down our packs when Patty drove up! Couldn’t have timed it better (I had emailed her our ETA the night before via GPS). It is so nice to see her again!
We headed to the bakery for that first cinnamon roll and coffee – so good! During the rest of the day we “got things done”: Finding out details for Loura’s departure tomorrow via the ferry, getting candy at the store, visiting the veggie garden, doing laundry, taking a shower! We are so grateful for the amenities Patty is providing us … thanks 💕
We had a lovely dinner and are catching up on all the Stehekin news. It’s been a year since I’ve seen Patty! The deer were roaming the yard and the view of Rainbow Falls is amazing! I saw my friend Mark briefly today as well and hope to connect again before I leave.
I’m happy I have until Sunday to enjoy the company and Stehekin, then I will tackle the last 80 miles to the border! I have a feeling they will go by too quickly and then it’s time to leave trail life behind … I will be happy to see familiar faces (and dog faces) and am grateful for this adventure I was able to experience. But it is also sad to give up the freedom of striding out each day into the unknown, making adjusting plans, meeting new people, going with the flow!
As always, I would love it if you could leave a comment on this blog!!!