Page 4: Ruminations on Hiking with Others

Mel putting on Saru's doggy pack

We headed over 6200 ‘ Jim Pass, then down to Foggy Pass. And it truly was foggy! Then we traversed under beautiful Tamarack Peak (7290’), after which we had lunch on the other side of an unnamed pass.

At this time Mel chose to inform me that she was beginning to have some pretty severe knee problems. It seems she has always had this weak knee, but neglected to mention it to me until the third day of the hike. I was a little pissed. She basically had invited herself on this hike in the first place, even after I had tried to dissuade her by noting we would be averaging around 15 mile-per-day and that there were lots of ups and downs when you're in the mountains.

I suppose the reason I agreed to have Mel accompany me on this hike was that after last year's adventure (my first really big hike ever, which was a solo hike from Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass), everyone told me how foolish and dangerous it was to go hiking by myself. ‘Think what would happen if you broke a leg up there by yourself!’ Well, we are only three days into this hike and I am already calculating the dangers of solo hiking versus the annoyance of having someone else along.

Saru is great, though. I can see that having a dog along is a pretty good deal.

I know that sounds really horrible and anti-social, etc. But the honest truth of the matter is that I AM pretty anti-social and I really come up to the mountains for the adventure and the scenery … not to share it with someone else. If they want to know what happened, I can show them the photos I took later. And maybe even let them read the journal.

But I digress …

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