September 14, 2017
Mama G’s in Packwood to Longmire to Pyramid Camp
Wonderland Trail Mile 3
Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike: Day 132
Woke up in a sandbox to the smell of pancakes with syrup mixed into the batter. A bleary-eyed Sam unsure of his future. Boo and Vice journaling at the breakfast table. Tension over competition on the Wonderland trail: there are a limited number of permits, and it's the route everyone wants to take, so we're all secretly jockeying to get there first.
We had breakfast, I killed wasps. Mama G drew us a map to Longmire, the Rainier ranger station where we could get our Wonderland Trail permits. She drove us to where we left off yesterday, and we started walking.
Sam stayed at Mama G's and waited for his package. Boo and Jen hitched back up to White Pass because they didn't walk in yet. In town, we stopped by the Mtn. Goat for pastries and they were so good! Stone asked what we were up to, how things were going, so I told him. He decided to hop in the car and head the hour and a half (2 hours?) one way to Packwood to meet us.
A few WOBO's (wayward bound folks) in Packwood shouted a warning at us not to do the PCT or you'll get arrested. We headed out to keep on walking the road towards Longmire. The road is called Skate Creek Road/FS52.
After a mile or so into the Skate Creek road walk with Alex, Vice and Boathouse, Stone showed up with beer and Andes mints. He took me and Alex to get permits at Longmire so we could ensure we'd have them when we road-walked in. He even paid the $25 to get into Rainier in his little bro's sporty car. Permits were no problem. We got permits for four people.
When we returned (Stone drove us back to where he had picked us up), Vice and Boathouse hadn't made it far because they'd hitched back into Packwood to get beer for the day. The four of us walked into Longmire over a beautiful suspension bridge, passed a bunch of people our age (employees) pressing apples to make cider. They gave us two beers and were very friendly and encouraging. We ate dinner at a picnic table in Longmire and then walked the 3 miles into the park to sleep at Pyramid Camp.
Tomorrow we have a 27 mile day. We lost Sam to his package today. He will stay and help out with Mama G's operation until his package comes and then head to Snoqualmie, hopefully timed with when we'll get there—Snoqualmie is about 150 miles away as the road walks, and it's the point when we finally get back on the PCT.
Half of Mama G’s map to Longmire
Entering Mount Rainier National Park
These fools.