so many thoughts and yet how to put them down into a readable form. i will do my best to do a day by day account, but i didn't journal and will try to keep details straight.
the decision to hike without cassandra was actually her idea, but i do admit that i was getting a little restless just just sitting around. i did get my fix of watching the world cup, i pretty much watched all the replays over the week and a half that we were at home, so i guess i couldn't complain too much.
i was happy that cassandra could at least hike in part of the way as i headed out north from steven's pass on the way to stehekin. when we parted ways, it was very bitter sweet and it wasn't long before i was thinking, what am i doing out here alone? what if something happens? i tried not to think about it for too long and really spent quite a bit of time just praying and trusting that God is taking us on this journey and wouldn't let anything happen beyond His control.
i hit snow very quickly after we parted and of course that meant having the trail leave me, which it did many, many, many times over the next few days. unfortunately it was really cloudy and foggy and i didn't really have any views, although once i got north of union gap i was on actual trail for a little bit which does wonders for the motivation. it didn't last long and i hit snow again just before getting to lake janus. heading north from there i don't remember seeing much of the trail for quite awhile. (i'll do a post about the gps that i use later because if it wasn't for the gps, i would still be out there)
when you can't see much around you, its always tough to figure out exactly where you are on the map, so instead of constantly trying to figure it out, i just tried to stay on the trail and keep moving. i brought snow shoes with for this section thinking i would find some flatter sections, but i only used them once that first day and spent more time falling on my butt and sliding all over the place, so i kept them on my pack for the rest of the trip thinking about how much they weighed.
i didn't have too much trouble that first day, i used trekking poles a little bit and the ice axe for a little bit, but overall was able to keep a steady pace and made it all the way to pear lake for the night and found a bare spot at the first camp sight by the lake. it was somewhere around 18 miles, which i was pretty excited about.
i set up the tarp and cooked dinner as it got dark and was so thankful to be at a familiar place. (i had been rained out at that site last fall on a trip with high school freshman when a lake appeared right where the group was sleeping and we had completely soaked sleeping bags, floating sleeping pads and some very cold campers, sploosh!! up to my shins is what i remember about that night.)
day one of the 'hans solo' journey complete, God is good.
-jason
the decision to hike without cassandra was actually her idea, but i do admit that i was getting a little restless just just sitting around. i did get my fix of watching the world cup, i pretty much watched all the replays over the week and a half that we were at home, so i guess i couldn't complain too much.
i was happy that cassandra could at least hike in part of the way as i headed out north from steven's pass on the way to stehekin. when we parted ways, it was very bitter sweet and it wasn't long before i was thinking, what am i doing out here alone? what if something happens? i tried not to think about it for too long and really spent quite a bit of time just praying and trusting that God is taking us on this journey and wouldn't let anything happen beyond His control.
i hit snow very quickly after we parted and of course that meant having the trail leave me, which it did many, many, many times over the next few days. unfortunately it was really cloudy and foggy and i didn't really have any views, although once i got north of union gap i was on actual trail for a little bit which does wonders for the motivation. it didn't last long and i hit snow again just before getting to lake janus. heading north from there i don't remember seeing much of the trail for quite awhile. (i'll do a post about the gps that i use later because if it wasn't for the gps, i would still be out there)
when you can't see much around you, its always tough to figure out exactly where you are on the map, so instead of constantly trying to figure it out, i just tried to stay on the trail and keep moving. i brought snow shoes with for this section thinking i would find some flatter sections, but i only used them once that first day and spent more time falling on my butt and sliding all over the place, so i kept them on my pack for the rest of the trip thinking about how much they weighed.
i didn't have too much trouble that first day, i used trekking poles a little bit and the ice axe for a little bit, but overall was able to keep a steady pace and made it all the way to pear lake for the night and found a bare spot at the first camp sight by the lake. it was somewhere around 18 miles, which i was pretty excited about.
i set up the tarp and cooked dinner as it got dark and was so thankful to be at a familiar place. (i had been rained out at that site last fall on a trip with high school freshman when a lake appeared right where the group was sleeping and we had completely soaked sleeping bags, floating sleeping pads and some very cold campers, sploosh!! up to my shins is what i remember about that night.)
day one of the 'hans solo' journey complete, God is good.
-jason
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