September 8, 2017
Mile 2175.2 to Mile 2201 (Forest Road 60)
Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike: Day 126

God bless this beautiful state, Washington, which smells like nature and fresh air and bakeries and honey, not smoke and foul stuffy unbreathable air.

The clouds crawl over the mountains, the breeze encourages you up the hill, keeping you cool and your ascent lifted.

Where the water is plentiful, but the mosquitos are not.

Where you, for the most part, only have to hike with the very best people you’ve seen on trail.

Where it feels like fall and the colors are chomping at the bit to leap forward, turning verdant forests into bursting reds, golds, and oranges.

I started listening to podcasts and the time flies by! I thought of planning a party that celebrates everyone we love in our lives and also getting married at the party. I saw trees, giant dead trees or the stumps of them rising out of Goose lake. I am looking forward to a road walk through part of Washington to see the off-the-beaten path side of the state that we got with Oregon. The weather is cooling and that should help the fires.

I feel hopeful and determined.