WalkingCarrot

Another night where the clouds cleared off to reveal a star filled sky at midnight, only to wake at 5am to the steady drip of a light rain on the tent. A cold dreary morning. We slept in until around 8am and were hiking by 9am. Dad hit the trail by about 8:40. The sky looked like it might clear but became completely overcast again a short while later.

The steady climb up Bridge Creek to Rainy pass continued with occasional glimpses of nearby peaks. On the ground, the trail splits for about 4 miles, with an older branch following one side of the creek and a newer branch following the other. The signs and guidebook did not agree about which one was the PCT. We followed the “older route,” which seemed to have been recently worked on.

Near Rainy Pass we watched an owl swoop silently through the trees. No ears, bars on face and body, large.

Across Rainy Pass we continued our climb, heading now for Cutthroat Pass. The clouds broke up and the sky cleared so that we finally returned to nicer weather. Blue skies! A first while hiking for almost 2 and 1/2 weeks. Dad seemed to be slowing down as we continued the unabated elevation gain. We stopped a couple miles sooner than originally planned, making camp on a high bench before Cutthroat Pass with panoramic views west. It was the best campsite in the area around the pass and because the trail traverses high, steep slopes for a couple miles we would have no other camping opportunities for awhile. To go on would be to camp just before dark. Getting cold too fast after sunset for that. So we stayed

The dying rays of the sunset turned the few thin lines of clouds pink. A nearly full moon rising above the basin cast pale yellow light on the granite peaks. With no clouds the night air is cooling off fast and we are headed for the tents.

Phil “Nowhere Man” Hough