TROUT LAKE, NERO

Four days hiking brought us to Trout Lake. In order to reach town and coffee, we woke up at 4am and hiked ten miles before 8:15 this morning! We’ve already visited two coffee shops and planning on pizza for dinner tonight.

The last few days were fast miles. We’re doing very well in regards to energy, enthusiasm, and avoiding injuries. The flora in the area is tall fir trees, ferns, and some beautiful flowers. This morning, as we hiked in the dark with our headlamps, we must have seen at least ten big toads in the trail. No big four-legged animals as of yet and surprisingly few birds.

Forest fires loom in northern Washington state. Two sections of the PCT are closed, about 125 miles of trail. We have the choice of skipping these sections and coming back in the future or walking the re-route. We’ll be considering our options as we get closer, the fires are still more than 200 miles ahead of us.