1982: The Pasaytan Loop, page 2

Looking back at the road as we start off.

At 9 AM we were all up and hovering around the campfire pit for breakfast. The weather was alternating between cold rain and wet snow.  But who cared?  We had hot pancakes right off the griddle and coffee!

C&G drove me up road to catch the Pacific Crest Trail just below Slate Peak. (This, by the way is the highest drivable road in the state, at around 7200’.)  The windshield wipers were slapping the heavily textured rain away, and I pondered the reality of hiking through the cold, wet stuff.  We reach the end of the road and I hauled out our gear, fitted the dog pack on Micki, and then strapped the 50-pound behemoth onto my own back.

It was around 11 AM and there was no sense in wasting any more daylight. So Micki and I waved goodbye to the girls and headed off into the snow, the sleet, and the clouds.

Wildflowers peaking through the light snowfall.

This section of the crest trail is really one of my favorites. It contours gently along high mountain slopes offering dramatic views in all directions. That, of course, is when you can actually see more than 20-feet in front of you. But I took heart in the realization that although it was cold, overcast, and decidedly damp, the snow was not increasing. There was just enough on the ground to add a pretty white accent to the fall colors. By the time we reached Baron we had begun to hit a few pockets of clearing – nothing that lasted for any length of time, however. But still, it was encouraging.

Wa-hoo! Looking forward to ten days in this!

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