[pct-l] Still hiking...

[Peggy Ratermann]

Best of luck to you, Tamsin!  We were in the North Cascades on Sunday.  A spectacular day with 360 degree views and about 6-12 inches of easy snow to hike through.  Gaiters were welcome, but no other special equipment.  I think you should have some great hiking days ahead!  We'll be at Cutthroat Pass this weekend, and at this time of year, we usually see thru hikers.  The weather should hold at least for the next week or so.

Peggy




________________________________
From: Tamsin McMahon <tamsinrm at yahoo.com>
To: "Pct-l at backcountry.net" <Pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 10:17:24 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Still hiking...

Hello,

I'm Tamsin (Starlet) hiking with Scott. We are leaving Snoqualmie Pass today after a zero here to dry out from the snow/rain and cold.

We seem to be the last thru-hikers here who are not skipping up to Stehekin. A large group left Snoqualmie a few days ago. Chopper/Savior left here for Stehekin yesterday I believe. Giggles is in the register here and seems to have hiked out and not turned around - good luck to him.

We are hiking out today on the Snow Lakes trail to bypass the area that tripped up so many hikers - around Needles Gap/Chickamen Pass. We will continue to Stevens Pass from there.

I haven't skipped a mile of trail yet on this hike (missed the Old Station fire closure by a few days, took the trail, not the road, out of Cascade Locks, hiked the whole JMT, etc.) and will take alternate trails or the road if needed. 

I feel like I'm so close to the finish and will be devastated if I have to skip up the trail. I've contacted two backcountry rangers, Jonathan Ley (who mapped the Glacier Peak detour), Andrea Dinsmore (thanks for the message!) And even an Environment Canada meterologist (there is a poor weather front holding steady off the coast of Alaska and may be tempered by the mountains and even bypass the North Cascades and head to Alberta instead)

We are purchasing some GPS maps of the Washington PCT and may even get a SPOT device.

I have warm clothes, leather boots, a Gore-tex rain coat and a 3-season tent (MSR Hubba Hubba)

In some fashion, I plan to finish this trail and I hope all this snow talk is like the rumour mill at Kennedy Meadows back in June - the number of people who said the Sierras were impassable this year could populate a small country. We made it through, even up Whitney in the snow.

Anyway, sorry for the long message. This is a bit emotional for me. 

Andrea, expect us at your River Haven in 4-5 days!

Any advice from hikers is appreciated! Please send it to tamsinrm at gmail.com 

:)

Tamsin


      
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