8/28/17 – Miles, not Smiles

Day 126
Miles: 2,390.66 to 2,405.35

Total miles hiked: 1,764.31
Some days the terrain is rough or steep and it’s a game of physical endurance. Some days are challenging mentally (mostly long forest sections without views). Some days are tough both ways. Today was one of these days. We started late, leaving Snoqualmie Pass at 10:45 a.m. but after two large meals I thought I would have the energy to power through the uphills and make our miles. I was wrong.

It was a hot day, the sun heated the air to uncomfortable level and the amount of smoke from Jolly Mountain fire made breathing hard. The climb we had to Kendall Catwalk was not easy. I knew it wouldn’t be, we hiked this trail before and I remembered well its steepness and the rocks that made travel difficult. The rocks were still there. And it was still just as steep as I remembered. And it would be fine because the area is amazingly beautiful but today the views were concealed by the smoke and it felt like we did all the hard work with no reward.

It didn’t get easier after the catwalk. The trail was extremely rocky and slow going, and except for few brief areas of flatter ground, it went mostly uphill. I was really bummed about the smoke. The peaks we vaguely saw hinted the views would have been breathtaking on a clear day. 

We made our miles, slowly one step at a time, arriving to camp just few minutes before dark. Tomorrow, hopefully, we will have a better day.