August 6, 2020 - Sheets Pass to Snoqualmie Pass

David VanHandel
Aug 8, 2022
3 min read

Day 4, PCT Section White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass

Spectacular Mt. Rainier from the PCT.

All the photos here are from Runningbird on the trail.

Runningbird called early this morning with thanks for the package left at Tacoma Pass and commented how much the other hikers passing through had appreciated the Trail Magic. She had picked up her package and moved along up the trail another couple of miles to Sheets Pass where she settled in to spent the night. She had ploughed through thirty-two miles along the Cascade Ridge yesterday with little or no food yesterday. After having the food I had left for her she was now feeling so much better. Funny how that works.

While the recent days of hiking had been fairly warm, the evenings had been quite cool with one of them being near freezing and leaving frost on the ground, shrubs, and flowers. Runningbird had mentioned at least one of the other hikers that had camped near her only had a fifty-degree bag and had a pretty miserable night trying to stay warm. All that aside, she said the mountains and scenery had been just amazing and it was nice to be back in Washington. The other hikers she had visited with agreed that it was probably the most beautiful part of the the PCT. She had also come across a southbound PCT hiker who had met a lot of the faster hikers further north that Bird had met earlier on in her journey and it was nice to hear that they were nearing the end of their trek. Also along her way Peggy came across a PCT trail crew and as always she stopped to thank them for the work that they do to keep the trails open. Turned out one of them recognized her from the Mountaineers years ago and they visited for a bit. Sometimes the world is quite small.

Starting out this morning Peggy had twenty-eight miles left to go to Snoqualmie Pass and would meet me at the trailhead parking lot late in the afternoon or early evening for a pick-up. During the good friends of ours, Sharon and Ta, had texted and said they were thinking of hiking in to surprise Runningbird and hike out with her. They are both strong hikers and it would give her some encouragement to push through the final miles. Nice! Another hiking friend Chaz, who Runningbird had hiked with in Oregon from before Santiam Pass to Cascade Locks, had continued on with his trek and was now staying at the Inn at Snoqualmie Pass with his wife. He called as I had a package for him and we arranged to meet at the trailhead and would meet Runningbird on her arrival as well.

I spent the morning washing off the truck after the previous day’s adventure to Tacoma Pass (too many new scratches), running errands, cleaning up the house, and trying to make sure Peggy wasn’t going to come home to a dead garden and lawn. Well, the back lawn was already dead (the giant cedar in the yard sucks up all the water from the grass every year). But the front lawn was looking good. I went to the grocery store to make sure there was plenty of rabbit food (leafy greens) in the frig for dinner and her snacking.

After checking the SPOT and getting an update text from Runningbird I loaded up Beau and the package for Chaz into the VW and headed up to the Pass. It was a grand arrival. Peggy, Sharon, and Ta came into the parking lot chatting and laughing and were then greeted by Chaz and his wife. Beau went crazy with his tail thrusting his hindquarters in every direction at the site of master. Somewhere in there I managed a hug and a kiss and managed to get her pack off her back. They had made really good time covering the last several miles and Sharon joked about Runningbird saying “stop talking and keep hiking!” It was a splendid reception!

After arriving back home Runningbird wanted to walk around the garden and admire all the new blooms in the garden and enjoy the coolness inside the house before taking her well-earned bath. I ordered Thai food and headed off to pick it up. I was in bed early but could hear Peggy trying to wind down and the refrigerator door opening and closing until late in night. It was so nice to have her home again, know that she was safe, and managing some food replacement.