Chief, aka Kevin. PCT 4 me 2013: 09/01/13

Summit Inn, Snoqualamie, WA mile 2401

Chief at Goat Rocks

Yay. He made it to Snoqualamie. I love that town name. So the day he rolled into the Summit Inn to pick up his resupply, it finally stopped raining. Time enough to get a room in the Inn and set up his house to dry out. First it went on the patio, then the deck, then the bathroom and finally the parking lot.
Kevin chose to stay at the Inn because it was directly off of the trail and the Trail Angel (the MOSTEL) was about 4 miles away. Easy decision at that point in time! It was so nice to actually talk on the phone with him. He can really talk these days...I think the solitude has begun to get to him. My iPhone clocked him in at 38 minutes on our last phone call. That's more than he has ever talked on the phone to me in one setting in the last 30 years! It was nice.

So other than the crappy weather, it's been a tug to the Finale. I've been following other thru hikers blogs that I have come to know through Chief and through my Mobile Trail Angel trip. They are ALL feeling the same way. Negative, want to QUIT, want to come home, want to get off of the trail, and mostly want to FINISH. All of this in the same thought process...bit mind blowing to say the least. I keep reassuring him that in just a few weeks, this will all be DONE. Then it's back home and all that will remain of this incredible journey and trail is his MEMORIES. Keep pulling Canada. Keep pulling.

Fan Mail!!!! A few days ago, one of the other thru's, BeeRad, saw Chief on the trail and announced that he had MAIL! What? Yah, apparently there was a letter from his wife on a PCT marker? "Not my wife, say's Chief,", well, "Then you have FAN MAIL!," says BeeRad. Allison, I have never met you, but this was the BEST ever. Really encouraged him and I sure hope you are continuing to follow his blog, because you made a pretty crappy day into a great day for my husband. THANK you so much. And I'm sure glad that Dan and Denise set you up with the blogspot.

The Aardvark .... lots of good food coming out of a trailer in Snoqualamie. Kara, the woman that runs the "mostel" also runs the Aardvark. This is true hiker hang-out and really good food. Most of us, actually, ALL of us, are super hungry again. Can't get enough food. My first night at the Aardvark I had 3 dinners, all delicious. Hung out with my guys and chatted about trail gossip. The who's and where's of where everyone is at. Who's injured, who had to go home, have you seen ??? (trail gossip). He highly recommends the chicken curry (which by the way would get big rolling eyes if I made that at home?)

So the Chief hits the trail tomorrow morning. Off to Skykomish (another very cool town name). There he will stay at the Dinsmore's Hiker Haven. Some very cool Trail Angels that are the last of the bunch. From there, it's off to Stehekin, where he hopes to see his sister's, who have been planning this trip from the beginning. Unfortunately, with the knee issue and the 2 zero days needed, he may miss them. So sad, but that's the story of this trail. Can't really plan and pin any specific time and date out.

Following are some pictures that Kevin took along his Washington route. Enjoy. and thanks SO much Alison!!!!