From the south the PCT comes into Washington across the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods, elevation 180 feet, and continues 513 miles north to Monument 78 on the Canadian border at elevation 4,240 feet. An additional seven miles were added beyond the border by the Canadian government to provide access to Highway 3 through Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia.

There is a lengthy climb out of the Columbia River Gorge to reach the crest near the Indian Heaven Wilderness which is a lake-filled land abounding with huckleberries. Next, the PCT rounds the base of Mount Adams and then enters the rugged Goat Rocks Wilderness and the traverse of the Packwood Glacier.

The PCT then crosses US 12 at White Pass before encountering more lakes in the William O. Douglas Wilderness. At Chinook Pass, the trail crosses State Highway 410, the trail skirts many lakes as it approaches the east side of Mount Rainier. From Chinook Pass, the trail has an easy, rapid route through private land clearcuts to IH 90 at Snoqualmie Pass.

The North Cascades offer many climbing challenges, or more precisely, numerous climbs up to mountain pass only to climb back down to a deep canyon as it traverses the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Henry M. Jackson Wilderness and Glacier Peak Wildernesses before entering the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, North Cascades National Park and Pasayten Wilderness.

The prime attraction is Glacier Peak, and the rugged route around it offers a memorable experience to trail users. Not only is the North Cascades Range rugged, it is the wettest along the route, lying in a storm track most of the year producing over 750 perennial snowfields and small glaciers, which collectively account for about half the snowfield area in the lower 48 states.

The Washington section of the trail has several high passes and ridges. Lakeview Ridge (elev. 7,126') is the highest and is located only eight miles before the Canadian border.

Awake, dress in my fall blues, drive to the w-mart for coffee, com and computer. I remain here until about five this afternoon when I pack out, walk out to the jammer and continue my drive west to the city where I will be going to the convention. My path takes me first westward out of Yakima on US 12, leave the Columbia Plateau ecoregion of the Basin and Range region where I have for such a long time been dwelling and into the Cascade Mountains ecoregion of the Pacific Coast region, coming into the back door of the Mount Rainier National Park.

From the Naches River Valley, I begin a long climb up to Chinook Pass at the point where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses over the state highway on a bridge, one which also marks the entrance to Mount Rainier National park.

Upon climbing up out of the Methrow River valley, I soon begin the final approach to the Washington pass, elevation 5477 feet. Just west of the pass, the Pacific Crest Trail comes in from the south and arrives at SH 20 near Bridgecreek Trailhead, a parking lot that I have overnighted on many occasion. I pull in for photos, but not to overnight on this occasion and soon pull out to follow the PCT north along SH20 to the next pass Rainy Pass, elevation 4855, where the PCT crosses SH 20 and continues its way north into the Pasayten Wilderness.

The trailhead parking at Rainy Pass where the PCT crosses SH20 is still covered with snow, so, I can not stop at this parking but pull over and take a photo of the sign.

I continue east on SH 20 up into the Cascade mountains, past Diablo Lake, then up onto the Cascade high ridge where I stop at Washington Pass and here pull in to overnight. The parking lot has more cars that I have ever seen it, but the one space next to the large picnic table is still available, so I park next to the table and begin cooking my evening Repast. While the meal is cooking, I talk with Allen, who is going up onto the high ridge and spend a couple of days. I tell him that I will be here for a few days, so I most likely will see him when he walks back out.

Awake first at five this morning but because it is much colder earlier, I choose to sleep for a time longer. When I do arise, it is still forty-nine degrees so I run the jammer engine to warm up the inside and start my work on the computer.

It remains quite cold in the early morning as I continue pounding keys and I keep a watch on the eastern mountain ridge. Soon, I see the sky begin to turn, not red, nor orange, nor even yellow, but a deep cobalt blue as the day slowly begins to illume. I try to take a photograph but the blue illumination is not bright enough for a good photo. Later, just before the sun rises, I am able to take photos and when the sun does rise above the mountain at just before eight this morning, the temperature also rises very quickly.

Awake, walk the parking lot and then return to the jammer to prepare a cup of hot and a cup of Daystart, then climb back into the jammer to escape the bite of insects, which are mostly a multitude of mosquitoes. I have my meal while I continue pounding keys, and occasionally looking out my windows to watch the arrival and departure of those backpacking on the mountain. Then, at about nine-thirty this morning, a large flat bed truck arrives and two men in green national park uniforms, who get out, unload packs and get ready to walk onto the mountain.

A short time later, another truck pulling a horse trailer arrives, and two more, a man and a woman get out, open the trailer and lead out one horse and two mules.

All animals are saddled and then then the two mules are loaded up with the provisions for the three man crew to stay two weeks on the trail in the national park.

Then the woman ties the white mule′s lead rope to the saddle straps of the black mule, takes the lead rope of the black mule in hand, then mounts the horse and begins the trip into the maintenance campsite. The maintenance crew chief follows the pack train behind on foot.

Methinks, when I grow up, I want to do this too.

Until then, I get out my solar panels, set them out next to the jammer and plug them in so that I can continue cropping photos, setting up web pages and writing stories to upload to my website.

About four hours later, the pack train returns with Jeff afoot behind, then the two take off the saddles, lead the animals back into the trailer and head back to the barn.

I stop my work and take another photo, but then return to the jammer and continue my work.