Miles hiked: 14.72 (Goldmeyer 11.06 to PCT junction at 2438.14)
Elevation: + 4418/-3146
Times I slipped and fell: 13
Steep. Treacherous and beautiful. Recent rains and poor maintenance on the alternate made it a difficult passage all day. When long drops, snot-slick rocks and walkways, and 2:1 grades with no traction weren't immediately present, the views were spectacular. There aren't enough pixels on my camera or words in English to differentiate the shades of green and blue here. Immense lettuce-leaf lichens hung from tree bark. Mold grew on fungus growing on decaying trees. Thick mushroom scent hung in the air.
We followed the Snoqualmie River most of the day, finally ascending Dutch Meadow Gap and dropping toward a lake. The trail was completely washed out, as was the bridge, which we carefully picked our way over at its extreme angle. By the time the switchbacks leveled out into walkable trail, by abdominal muscles and quadriceps were buckling. The broken toe was screeching, and Any Minute Now had rolled her ankles many times. At the bottom, we found a campsite near the river by the trail junction and gave it up for the day.
my hat is too small for that pancake of a mushroom
dazzling variety of fungus
water source
just a little harder to cross than before