September 10, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Summit Lodge, Snoqualmie Pass
Miles: 9

Adrian: The 9 miles into Snoqualmie Pass went fast with more clear cuts of various ages and occasional views of Rainier. We are now viewing the north/northeast face of the mountain and it's beginning to get snowier with more glaciers. I think the classic climb Liberty Ridge; will be visible soon - maybe tomorrow.

So our plan is to stay a night at the Summit Lodge and leave in the morning. The weather is still perfect, so we will keep pushing.

The next section is supposed to be awesome and we look forward to seeing the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Huckleberries and blueberries are late this year due to big winter snows, but that just means we pick at lower elevations for now and in a week or two we'll pick higher up. It's all good.

Kirsten: The few hours it took to get to Snoqualmie flew by as most town days do. Snoqualmie isn't really a town. In the winter it's a ski resort. The rest of the year it's a glorified truck stop and occasional stopover for hikers.

We tackled the most important tasks upon our arrival, namely breakfast, showers and laundry.

Hoffa, Caterpillar and Landshark, Clearwater, Don't Panic, Jesse, Doc and Lorenzo are all here. Moonpie hitched into North Bend and will hopefully join us on the trail tomorrow.

We all know that sooner or later this little group that has formed will dismantle for one reason or another. Moonpie is meeting her boyfriend, for one. The rest of us could easily be separated by a few miles the rest of trip if some decide to hike faster or slower. For now we're enjoying the camaraderie, the inappropriate jokes and talk of bodily functions. Yes, farting, pooping, the digging of catholes are all open territory on the trail. And it always amazes me how quickly the conversation turns to this subject. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because after camping and hiking with someone for a few weeks you will eventually see a fellow hiker - trowel in hand - tromping off into the forest. And let's face it; we pretend they're gardening buffs for only so long.