Day 113
Published:
We opted to take the alternate route, and I’m very happy we did. We woke up at five to ensure we would make the bus into town, and the climb up to the ridge was strenuous, but holy cow the views were unreal. Sidenote: if you have read John McPhee’s Encounters with the Archdruid, Miner’s Ridge is indeed the site of David Brower’s clash with the mineral engineer in the book’s first section. Unobstructed views of the west face of Glacier Peak and (I think) six of its glaciers, equally stunning views of the Dakobed Range to the north, and the chance to get an up close look at one of the few active fire lookouts in the Cascades. The ridge walk back to the PCT was other-worldly, passing the unbelievable Mirror Lake as a bonus—the fact that the PCT doesn’t take this route is inexplicable.
After getting over the pass, it was basically all downhill to where the bus would pick us up. It wasn’t easy though, as the temperatures swelled towards 100° and the trail was exposed for the entire twenty-something mile descent. Along the way we were reunited with Pilgrim, but he marched on ahead while we cooled off in the river. We made it to the bus time to spare, so it was definitively a successful day.
Stehekin is a charming little town, a sense heightened by the stories offered by Steve the bus driver. After scooping my package from the post office, I enjoyed a pretty decent dinner from the one restaurant in town while I enjoyed a killer sunset over Lake Chelan. It still feels like it is over ninety degrees, so falling asleep tonight will be interesting.
