The night at Ridge Lake improved as the wind died. I was actually super cozy in my quilt. When I went to bed, I filled my small 400ml Nalgene with hot water and cuddled up with it. The extreme ultralighters would condone this as the Nalgene is heavier than a soda bottle but I find it invaluable for morning coffee (can’t put hot water in a thin plastic bottle), electrolyte drinks during the day (just shake) and for these cold nights – and I wouldn’t trust a soda bottle in my quilt. One of my favourite gear items (all my other bottles are Smartwater bottles and a soda bottle – lasting a full thru hike and longer!).
We have accumulated more tent neighbours and some are not being very considerate, like the dad “next door” who talked so loudly to his kids after they arrived late, I actually for the first time on this trip put my headphones on at night and watched a downloaded show (I usually read every evening on my Kindle – another luxury item).
We were happy to wake to blue skies and no wind but the tent and Tyvek were wet and we stopped midday to dry everything in the sun.
Throughout the day we had amazing views, looking back at Mt Rainier and down onto beautiful lakes.
For much of the day the hiking was relatively slow and technical, with lots of sharp rocks to navigate. We had 3 good uphills to get the sweat going again, as well as steep downhills with rocks and roots. Definitely not an area for fast miles!
A little bit of snow is still left in some areas but definitely no snow traverses.
We came by a nice waterfall and met a few people during the day … but luckily the masses of Snoqualmie Pass are over and done with. It’s still a well used trail but much more quiet away from the day and overnight hikers.
Dropping down steeply into the valley, we are camped at only 3200ft. It should be a warm night. We have a nice campspot by the creek with a view of the mountains north.
Dinner is done … always something to look forward to, even though I always feel like eating more. But we are carrying food for 6 days so I have to leave enough calories for the next days. Here is a score from the store at Snoqualmie: 420 calories for a tiny bar 👍🏻
