August 26th, 2022 by Jon
When we woke up, we just couldn’t get out of bed. It was still far too dark out. When we finally decided to get up, we packed, and eating ate a bit later, drank some of the water we got last night, and then walked through dark pine forest for many miles. It was actually pretty flat, with small rolling hills. We passed a few trail junctions for various lakes in the area, but kept walking. The bushes grew very close to the narrow trail, and we actually got kinda wet with all of the morning dew that was still on them. We began climbing after about 4 miles of flat and gained elevation steadily.
The trail ran along a ledge, in a tunnel of green pine trees. We hiked for a while and got partway up the climb towards the pass before stopping to sit on a log with our feet hanging over the edge. Although we didn’t really have a view, it was kind of a nice break spot. Eventually, we actually got cold, so we started hiking again. We continued going higher and higher before turning a corner and heading along a different face of the mountain we were going up. This side was covered in meadows and small pockets of trees, which made for much better views. We were hiking north, and behind us, we had spectacular views of Mt. Adams.
We got to a ridge and could finally see the top of Cispus Pass. In between us and the top, we could see a long exposed climb through beautiful red rock, small groups of trees, and sweeping views of the valley below. It was breathtakingly gorgeous. We climbed up the pass and both reached the top feeling very hot and absolutely drenched in sweat. But we also felt proud to make it all the way up! On the other side, we could see a large bowl and the trail that hiked around above it. We passed a stream that would join the Cispus River down below and stopped there for lunch. The water was very clear and cold. I suppose that makes sense, because it was snowmelt from the patches that remained at the top.
We got going again and walked all the way around the bowl, passing a few superb-looking streams, waterfalls, and tent sites. We reached a trail junction where one trail led down, and the PCT went up. We climbed through the most gorgeous meadow I have ever been to. Probably the most beautiful place I have ever been, period. The wildflowers were everywhere, mountains surrounded us, the trail crossed perfect streams, and even the rocks looked good. It felt like paradise. I was so happy to be climbing up and getting to experience it all. Just before we got to the top of the ridge, we ran into our friends Sparkles and Free Refill! We last hung out with them in Ashland when they were taking some time off trail. They ended up flipping up to the northern terminus and are now hiking south to Ashland, where they will finish their hike. We talked with them for a long time before sadly saying goodbye.
When we got to the top of the ridge, we saw Mt. Rainier somewhat covered in clouds, but majestic nonetheless. We hiked over a large snow field and then up some loose rocks before reaching the junction to go up to Old Snowy. It’s a nearby mountain you can go up to, and we decided to check it out. The trail was steep, but when we got to the top, we were rewarded with amazing 360-degree views in every direction. We began our climb down, and once back on the PCT, we began the Knife’s Edge section. It’s basically walking on a razor-thin ridge for a few miles, and it’s astoundingly beautiful. We had a great time hiking it. As we moved along the ridge, the clouds began rolling in and covered everything in a bit of a fog. I’m glad we got there in time for at least some views! We hiked down through more astonishingly amazing meadows and creeks, our feet and knees aching from how steep it was.
We stopped at a small stream and collected water there to take with us to camp in a few miles. Then a hiker friend told us that Biscuit wasn’t too far behind us! We waited there for a while, and a little later she and Wilco showed up! Apparently, Missile wasn’t too far behind. We all hiked together for a bit and found a nice set of tent sites where we made camp. We ate dinner together, and I had messaged Missile where we were. He arrived as we were just starting to eat. It was really great to catch up, and now we have friends to enjoy the town with.
Tomorrow we plan to hike the 14.5 to get into White Pass, where we will meet my parents, who are bringing some snacks and helping us out with some resupply stuff. They are also bringing our dog, Griff. We cannot wait to see them all!
Boy don’t slip on those mountain sides!