Today’s miles: 18
Total trip miles: 312/2690
According to my National Geographic paper maps, I have finished Northern Washington and am heading into Central Washington. It was a very satisfying feeling tossing the Northern maps into the trash can as I left Snoqualmie last night. I wonder if Central WA will be easier. The snow, blow downs, and steep terrain made the Northern Casacdes tough. Beautiful but tough.
As if in response to this, my morning leads me right through a picturesque meadow. The sun hasn’t quite peaked over the bowls of the surrounding mountains and everything is dewy and quiet. It’s smooth hiking and before I know it, I’m stopping at Mirror Lake for lunch. I pull out the cold cheese, meats, and hard boiled eggs I packed out from last night. They taste even more delicious out here. Before I leave the lake, I take a cold dip in Mirror Lake.
I have phone service most of the day and the trail at times dips under high voltage power lines. That may sound unappealing but honestly it’s a fun change of pace. I decide to make camp early tonight and call my day at 5:30. I drop my pack and jog up a quarter of a mile to fetch water from spring.
As I’m pitching my tent, another hiker walks through my site. He’s a little older and introduces himself as Max-Heap. We chat and he decides to crash here also for the night. It’s nice to have the company after camping by myself for the last week or so. I talk to Max-Heap, eat dinner, and watch some YouTube on my phone. If this is what Central Washington is, then I’m very down with it.
