I've been meaning to update you all for a whole now, considering we got to Stehekin on Friday, but I have not has cell service in over 8 days! Stehekin is a small (there are 75 permanent residents), beautiful town in the Northern Cascades, only accessible by boat, plane or hiking. We made it in on Friday and have been waiting around to see what this storm does in the meantime.
Which leads me to the toughest decision we've been faced with...
Whether or not to go on.
Is this the end of our hike? Have we come to the end of the line? 80 miles from the border?
This storm, as many of you in the Pacific Northwest are aware, is bringing torrential rain, landslides, and floods at lower elevations and heavy snowfall to the higher elevations. So much snow. Colder temperatures. Tricky navigation. So much to think about.
Hikers are bailing out left and right - and for good reason. This is probably a smart decision considering the conditions out there. It's really sad, actually. We are all so close! We've been through so much! Come so far.
We are trying to come to terms with what this storm could mean for us. Winter is definitely on its way... And it is here early!
We could go on and attempt the last three or four days but it would mean purchasing new gear (winterizing), waiting for a break in the precipitation, braving the freezing temps, fighting hypothermia, using a GPS/compass for navigation and hoping for the best.
There are some hikers that are going to attempt to push through, and I'm glad to report that they ARE being smart about it (buying boots, gloves, extra food and extra maps) but everyone has a different comfort level in the snow.
Snow travel is a different animal. It's entirely doable but it isn't for everyone. I am one of those people that is intimidated by these conditions. I'd rather be safe than sorry and I'm leaning towards calling it quits. I was not prepared for this (mentally or physically) and will wait and watch the weather carefully.
The only thing about waiting around and watching the weather is that it goes against our plans. We'd planned on being done by now and it is difficult (mentally, physically, FINANCIALLY) to drag this journey on indefinitely JUST IN CASE there may be a chance the trail is passable.
The reality is - this storm will bring a significant amount of snow and no kind knows whether or not the trail will be easily passable. Everyone must make the right decision for them and consider their comfort/skill level in snow travel, their financial situation (can they afford to buy new gear at the end of a 5 month trip), are they willing to flirt with dangerous conditions, do they have a group to travel with (safety in numbers), and are they willing to finish their trip later.
We might need to accept the fact that our journey will not be exactly how we had imagined.
We've been so lucky up until now - no serious injuries, no illnesses, no road blocks, fabulous weather, no fires, etc.
We have so much to consider in the next 24 hours.
But in the meantime... We will wait. We will eat. And we will be glued to the weather reports.
Wish us luck!
5 comments:
wishin' you buena suerte (so much luck), full, warm stomachs, and good moods, regardless of your choice, be it to push through or go back to portland. i am intimidated of big stream crossings, slippery or obscured, snowy trails & can understand the decision is fraught... so enjoy your posts, thank you for ALL of them. listen to your gut, it will tell you what is right for you. best wishes!
I've been following your blog for the last two months and I've been wondering how you guys were weathering this storm we are having. Only you will be able to say wether or not you can continue.
Washington is filled with wonderful people who are willing to help at any turn. If money is a problem, might I suggest asking for help on this website (www.nwhikers.net) You will probably find good luck with someone who will let you stay with them in Chelan and others who might lend out winter gear.
Nobody will think less of you if you do stop short. North Cascades storms are not to be taken lightly.
Good Luck out there!
-- Samuel (Kitsap County, Washington)
It is not a loss to stop now and be safe, just vow to come back and finish when the time is right. Perhaps you can stick around and be trail angels yourselves, for people coming through this last hard bit instead of investing money in new gear. Wishing you all the best! Stay safe!
as far as i'm concerned you guys are superheroes.
Samuel: Thanks for your kind words of advice. We definitely chose to avoid the storm as opposed to charge through it - we are home! And I'm working on getting caught up on my blog. The North Cascades were beautiful (from what we saw of them) but unforgiving.
Thank you everyone for the nice comments!!
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