3 Highlights
– Waking up dry beneath our protective tree
– Animal footprints in the snow by Anne’s Lake
– River crossings
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6. Daily Summary:
– Distance hiked: 25 km
– Starting point: km 3005
– Ending point: Trailhead to Buena Vista
– Weather conditions: Rain and snow
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7. Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
Woke up hugging the tree that kept us dry during the night. It tas our protector from the wet and cold, like an old friend. But snow was already waiting for us as we started climbing. At first, it seemed like a joke—just a sprinkle—but soon we were knee-deep in it, 10-20 cm of the stuff. Beautiful, but cold, oh so cold. The variety of animal footprints in the snow was crazy. Moose or elk, judging by the size of those bad boys.
After climbing Anne’s Pass, the snow turned into mush on the other side. And our feet? Wet. Soaked through for seven hours. Lanski crossed two rivers, and I tackled one. Hiking in these conditions is like trying to move through quicksand. I slipped and fell five times. Just keeping upright was a challenge.
We set up camp at a trailhead near the road to Buena Vista. We played with the idea of hitching into town to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. If the first car stopped for us, we’d take it as a sign. Well, car #2 was game, but only part of the way, so we pressed on and set up camp instead. Smart move considering there was a dead deer nearby that looked like wolves had been at it. We didn’t want to be dessert.
Tomorrow’s still an open book—maybe Buena Vista for a nice birthday breakfast? Depends on how Lanski’s knees and ankles feel. Fingers crossed for a warmer night.
