Day 140

13 Miles

A very cold morning, and, ultimately, the last. We tore down the tent with stiff fingers, wearing most of our warm clothes. I grabbed water from Brush Creek and kept the filter in my pocket for awhile since the air felt cold enough that it could freeze the filter. We began the climb up past Glacier Pass to the top of the ridge. At various points we stopped and debated the weather forecast and our ability to continue. The next 3-4 days would be heavy rain and then snow, which meant we’d be drenched and then frozen. For multiple days. We already skipped other sections of trail for various reasons and leaving the end unfinished would be more of the same. It could even be more rewarding to tag the border later after we had completed those sections. The more we talked it out, the more it seemed like the right decision to stop walking and return some other time when we could do it with favorable weather. It was not an easy decision. Just two more days and we could be “done”. Just 60 more miles. I’m sure we could suffer through the weather and get it done, but I’d rather enjoy it. Our hike has always been about enjoying ourselves and this decision follows that approach. Some will say we aren’t “true” thru-hikers, and I understand that. But, for us, we are. We were never strict with walking a “continuous footpath” or walking every single possible mile. That’s for other people to do. I tip my hat to them. It’s incredibly impressive and I know the struggle they went through to complete their hikes. I know more about what it takes to do a feat like that better than most people. So, again, cheers to you hikers who have done it. We took a long break at the top of the climb and admired the mountain tops knowing it would be our last chance. Washington is beautiful. Being from Colorado, we often get asked how the Rockies compare to whatever section we’re in. For Washington, the mountains are much greener. So much more brush, moss, bushes, etc. The valleys are so deep and have plentiful water. The last descent to the parking lot was bittersweet. We saw one gentleman walking south, said hello as we passed, and then kept going without paying it much thought. We got to Hart’s Pass where other hikers were celebrating with champagne. The sun was still shining, spirits were clearly high. Noodle was there as well, fending off his food bag from a chipmunk. Having to explain that we were done while others were continuing on to the border wasn’t fun. Another couple was discussing if they wanted to keep going, so that was comforting knowing we weren’t alone in the debate. The man we had passed earlier pulled up to the parking lot and began rearranging his gear in the back of his Westie. His buddy eventually showed up too and they offered seats for 3 more if anyone wanted a ride to Mazama. We jumped at the chance and piled in. The ride down took about an hour because of the ruts and how gingerly he treated his old van. It got us to Mazama though. While filling up gas, we learned they were headed back to the Seattle area, which is where we needed to go too. Originally we had arranged a ride with Heidi, but this would save her an 8-hour round trip to pick us up. Donald and Bob were wonderful guys from Scotland who told us all about the various mountains and rivers we saw along the way. Heidi met us in Brier, a little north of where she lives, and the three of us continued on into the city. It felt great to sleep in a warm, dry bed and get a shower before finally falling asleep on our last day.