Rainy Pass to Stevens Pass, 1979, page 7

Thursday, Day 5
September 20, 1979
3:55 PM, Image Lake

Cloudy Pass

The weather is still holding fair but I don't know for how long. Can't believe I've been as lucky as I have so far. I've decided that should the weather turn foul within the next three days I'll get out at Kennedy Hot Springs. That's assuming my friends do show up. If not I'm up the creek without a paddle.

This is been wildlife day. I have seen two deer (one of which came right through my camp this morning), a number of pica (all at discrete distances), one marmot (that stood at the end of a switchback defying me to go on), a whole flock of crows (over Cloudy Pass), a hawk (on the way up to Image Lake), and a number of camp-robber birds (all over the place).

Climbing up to Cloudy Pass this morning, I found a hunters’ camp in the meadows about halfway up. The humans were gone for the day but they left their fire smoldering. Their horses were tied nearby and obviously not thrilled with their situation. I could hear loud gunshot reports all the way to Suiattle Pass.

Even after a full day's layover, I'm still tired. I do real well on the flat terrain, but not so hot going uphill or down a steep descent. But then, it usually takes me a few days to work into this hiking-all-day crap.

Glacier Peak from Suiattle Pass

About 2-miles out of Suiattle Pass, I met the four person party I saw yesterday back at Lyman Lakes. They said there'd been four different groups at Image Lake last night. Outrageous! Might as well be back in the city.

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