Page 27: Beverly Creek

Looking back west to Mt. Stuart.

We walked downhill briefly before crossing the creek and coming upon an acceptable campsite. I was beginning by this time to feel that perhaps we should have gone the other way.  But after mulling it over, I figured it didn't matter anyhow, as the map shows a trail running parallel to the one we wanted, only lower and on the south side of the ridge. I reasoned that if we did miss our turnoff, no big deal; we could just get on this other one, even though it would mean a couple of extra miles.

But after pitching camp, Mica and I wandered down the trail a bit and son-of-a-gun! We're not more than 200-yards from the correct trail! And we're camped exactly where I planned for us to be several nights ago! (Just goes to show, sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good.)

 

The County Line trail.

Now the sun has dropped behind the ridge we just crossed, dinner is in our tummies, and I've washed up a little and brushed my teeth. I even washed out my remaining sort0of clean T-shirt. Now it's time to take a quick bathroom break and then hit the sack.

This is our last night alone on this somewhat epic journey, which started two weeks and around 100 miles ago on the west slopes of the Cascades.  We have just walked across the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and it has been a glorious adventure. By God, I do feel as though we have accomplished something! It's not the longest hike we've ever done, but it rates up there pretty high in terms of strenuous. This section of the County Line Trail kind of reminds me of Bunker Hill on the Boundary Trail. God, I hated that section! That is still the toughest 20-mile day I have EVER done.

 

The County Line Trail.

I know I bitch a lot about it, but the weather wasn't really bad on this trip at all. Like I said earlier in this account, we've only had to hike in one day of heavy rain. And we were smart enought to sit out that heavy squall at Spectacle Lake.

I haven't even had that I–can't–wait–until–I–get–out feeling that I usually get towards the end of the second week.  But I will be glad to see C&G and have some real food and beer. And I will be glad to soak in a hot bath tub when I get home. (I think that hot water coming out of the wall ranks as one of them most glorious feats of mankind’s civilization.)  And it will be nice to sleep in my own bed again

But it will not be nice to give up the freedom of these hills to go back to a 50–hour work week at good old UPS.

Oh well, what else is there to say? Next year, I get four weeks vacation!

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