Washington 8/26-8/30

We are two days into Washington and have less than 500 miles to complete our odyssey. TC calls Washington, Oregon on steroids. Everything is longer, the ups and the downs. Everything is greener and has more moss on it. Maybe the forests are older and the moss has been here longer. Even the rocks are covered which means they will eventually crumble. Moss is powerful. It softens everything it covers and eventually destroys it. Does that remind you of anything? It is a pretty color and it cushions your butt when you sit on it. The wood surrounding our campsite last night was rotten. FC tried hanging her food bags but it was difficult to find anything that didn't crumble when touched. Green decay is everywhere  you look and touch. It reminded me of Angor Waat, that ancient monestery in Burma that is covered in vegetation and is crumbling. I believe the monkeys are now in charge. There are monkeys out here swinging in the trees, parrots singing Ave Maria and every now and then you get the flash of an orange robe darting through the trees. Quite Burmese here, really.

 

   This is our third day in Washington and Tortuga just about killed himself to reunite with us. He took a week off to help with the fires so he hiked 5 thirty mile days to catch us. He has blisters in both feet but it was worth it to him. We have less than 450 miles to go. 

     Today was a 6,000 ft. day. We had 3 cardio workouts but thankfully were in the trees with the monkeys. It's incredibly humid and for three days now FC can only tolerate walking in her sports bra. She can't tell if she is getting hot flashes,has lung Qi deficiency sweating or heart Qi deficiency. She can be slightly chilly and sweating at the same time. She has lost most of her fat and along with that went her estrogen so it's hard to tell what is going on. The first two days TC was not happy with the temperature and suffered in moody silence. Presently we are expecting weather, maybe some snow. It's windy and cold ( it's 9:17pm). We have all our warmest clothes on. From humid 80's to blustery 50's. Welcome to Washington weather. 

Mt. Adams. Our newest volcano. 

       Mt. Hood, the recreational playground of Portland is now behind us and we are circling Mt. Adams. Poor Mt. Adams. In Washington Mt. Rainier gets all the glory and Mt. Adams is the 2nd tallest. 

It is to our east and Mt. St. Helens is to the west. Mt. Saint Helens looks like a volcano without its top on. It blew off in the 1980's and only 2 people died. One was an 85'year old who didn't want to leave his house so he went down with the lava. The other guy was a scientist who wanted to take some kind of reading but got too close. People get plenty of warning when a volcano is going to blow. Cities are not built close to volcanos in Oregon or Washington but if Mt. Hood blows the beautiful Timberline lodge would be buried and that would be a great loss. Hawaiians seem to be living dangerously close to all of their volcanos but it's not like they can run too far. It's either lava or sharks.

     Way back when, in Oregon we passed a very large lake, Lake Timothy, and near that lake was a small artesian lake called Little Crater. It was 75 ft. deep and 34 degrees. We could see clearly to the bottom of the turquoise/purple/charcoal/ sour patch blue water. You could see entire trees criss-crossing the small lake; tall trees.The color, depth, and temperature were so unusual. There were no signs prohibiting swimming. Who would get in water that cold? FC would, that's who. She did not dive in fearing bilateral spasm of the vagus nerve and possible instant death. Instead she dipped all of her body in except her neck ( this is where the vagus nerve is located). She so wanted to swim but had to be content with a partial emersion. The water felt sacred. She has never felt cleaner or more pure.

  

Little Crater Lake

Deep powder blue

Chilled to the neck. 

      Fourth day into Washington. The weather is a bit chilly but FC's sweating is under control. Today we are going 18 miles. Yesterday we did 23 miles and were fairly spent. 

Blue Lake. Our campsite for 3rd night. 

       

Princess enjoying a Spectacular view of something. We have had only glimpses of WA. We took a parallel trail (to PCT) so we could view. 

Mt. Adams. 

Firecracker up to some tricks. 

Trout Lake Resupply.