28     White Pass - Snoqualmie Pass   100 miles

White Pass

Deer Lake                                        2.5 m

Two LakesTH                                  18.0 m

Big Crow Basin                                20.0 m

Roadside                                        20.0 m

Out House former weatherstation       19.7 m

Snoqualmie Pass                             19.3 m

An unexpected trail magic waited for us and all other thruhikers at White Pass. And at the nearby Kracker Barrel store my food parcel was waiting. Also I could recharge my phone. Thereafter I returned to the trail and the trail magic. Before dark we hiked a couple of miles to Deer Lake. We met a number of other hikers there. The night had freezing temperatures again. Mount Rainier NP was our goal today. Along the trail two bridges had been washed away by high water. Fortunately water levels were very low. Hopping from rock to rock I reached the other side. Around lunch time I met some riders and a horse camp. The air quality got worst all the time. We could feel the many forest fires.

PCT offered many great views of Mount Rainier all day long. Only water sources were rather limited. The trail runs high up on mountain slopes well above any spring. During the last stretch to the entrance of Mount Rainier NP I counted a total of 72 day hiker; what a hype. The following night in Big Crow Basin became one of the noisiest of the trail. Elk deer was rutting all night. Near Urich Hut the trail was very well maintained. I stopped for lunch at the hut with a great view of a big meadow.

Maps and guide books indicated there would be an outhouse along the PCT with nothing else near or far. Arriving on site it became clear that there had been previously a weather station. Concrete foundations were all that remained. Here we stayed for the night before continuing to Snoqualmie Pass. Surprisingly there was a cell phone reception. So I could call my wife for her birthday. Only a mile down the PCT there was trail magic. So we had a second breakfast. This was not to be the last one today. En route to Snoqualmie Pass there were too more places with trail magic waiting for us. However all this meant we ran out of time to arrive at the pass in time for an appointment with another very friendly trail angel. He had come with his family to the pass to deliver us one foot Subway sandwiches. Only one of us made it just in time. I arrived rather late at the pass.

Elevated trail in muddy area

Mount Rainier

Ice stays in shady areas all morning

Sunset

Urich Hut at PCT

Hazy mountains due to many wild fires

Trail Magic

Snoqualmie Pass

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