After sleeping in, going to the convenience store for a couple breakfast burritos for our microwave in the room and to return the ghetto blaster, we cooked our morning breakfast. Then I called Eric for an update on the weather, which was still unfavorable in general, but seemed to be o.k. until Wednesday, when the next big storm is predicted. Tabasco and I debated multiple options for two hours, finally deciding just before noon checkout time, that we would avoid Goat Rocks on the PCT and would take a long road walk instead. We turned in our key to the room, visited Teal and Bugaboo for a few minutes, then returned to the convenience store to update our plans in the PCT register there and to have some Gatorade for the 20 mile highway hike to Packwood, WA.
Delores, the morning cashier at the convenience store, said she was giving Teal a ride to Packwood at 1pm and offered us a ride. We declined since the goal is to make it from Mexico to Canada on foot, with continuous steps between the two. We began our highway walk down Hwy 12 to the town of Packwood, WA. About two miles into the rainy hike, it occurred to me that when Delores would drive by with Teal and Bugaboo in a few minutes, we could put our packs in her car and have these guys put them in their motel room.
So we called up to the convenience store (thank goodness for cell phone reception) and then called Teal on his cell phone to make arrangements. Half an hour later Delores and the boys pulled over next to us on the highway and we stuffed our packs in the cramped car. That made the next 18 miles so much more enjoyable as we slack-packed in intermittent rain down the highway.
Two flatbed trucks, loaded with corn, passed us about 4 miles into the hike. An hour and a half later we caught up to them. One truck lost her brakes on the winding mountain road and crashed into the side of the mountain, flipping the truck onto its side and destroying the cab. As we hiked by the scene we took a photo and were amazed that the driver walked away. The rest of the 20 mile hike into Packwood was uneventful.
We arrived at the Inn at Packwood motel parking lot at 5:30pm, just in time to see a car pull up in the lot. Phantom got out of the car! He looked worn out, and there were misty eyes as he told us of his harrowing, dangerous crossing of Goat Rocks in waist deep snow, across the knife edged slope. He said it was the most afraid he had even been in his life and he couldn’t even find the trail for a couple miles. Somehow, through the grace of God, he made it to a trail junction identifying the PCT, hugged the sign, and made it down to White Pass. Phantom said that if he had seen us coming up toward the Goat Rocks, he would have made us turn around. Sounds like we made a really smart decision, doing a long road walk to go around the precipitous, but normally outstanding section of the PCT.
We spent the balance of the evening catching up with Phantom, who shared a room with us, getting some dinner next door to the motel, and hot tubbing with the nine of us staying at the motel. Thru-hikers at the motel were: Steve and Mijanou, Steve and Abby (Pancake and Wildberry), Bugaboo, Teal, Tabasco, Phantom, and me. After the hot tub, Phantom, Tabasco and I stayed up late in the room watching ESPN NFL football highlights and drinking some beers. We were happy to be warm and dry another night. Today’s weather: cloudy, intermittent rain, low 34, high 50. Today’s road miles: 20.0. Equivalent trail miles: 18.0. Cumulative mileage: 1688.2.
