Rainy Pass to Stevens Pass, 1979 - page 13

I washed my hands and face down in the cold water of the creek. The whole of me needs a bath badly, but I won't get it until Kennedy Hot Springs.

I hiked today in sweatpants, tank top, T-shirt, and light wool turtleneck. I was drenched with sweat by the time I got here, and it felt good to peel off the clammy shirts and put on a dry T-shirt. Hopefully the wet ones will dry out on the back of my pact tomorrow. (Yep, that’s my laundry system. Rinse out the sweat and then tie the wet laundry to the top of my pack. Works surprisingly well in the hot weather.)

Just think, from Kennedy Hot Springs it will only be five more days! (And only four more nights.) Maybe I can pull this off after all. I've never done such a long hike before. I have to admit, I've been having fantasies about either getting out at Kennedy or blitzing the rest of the trip and getting out a day early and spending the night at the Stevens Pass inn. Shame on me!

I've also been thinking about my kitty cats and my nice soft warm bed … and beer in the fridge, and hamburgers at the Deluxe II, and a number of similar things. Sigh!

Underneath the clouds on Milk Creek

6:53 PM – Now I'm just sort of BS-ing as I wait for it to get dark. I sort of hoped another hiker might come along, but it’s too late for that now. Maybe if Marj comes in at Kennedy she will bring Micki and let me take her for the rest of the hike. It would be swell to have a dog along. That would make all the difference in the world!

I guess I'll head out of here early tomorrow morning and take my time going up the trail. That three mile-per-hour pace down those switchbacks sure killed off my legs today. And I was so busy watching the river flow by at one time that I tripped and fell flat on my face. It’s not a particularly pleasant experience to be pinned down by a 50-pound pack.

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