Tuesday, August 27, 13.5mi/21.8km

Route 9 (897.2/262ft) to Alger Alp Trail (913.8/912ft) (WA) (-3.1alt)

I emerged from bed at 8am, quickly showered and packed, and caught the 8:30am bus to town. Time for first breakfast!

The Woolley Market was tasty, and i enjoyed a breakfast burrito, then an hour later, a Buffalo chicken sub! There is a outfitter shop in the same building, so I went upstairs to buy tent stakes…and they didn’t have any. It was more of a technical mountain climbing shop, with ropes, crampons, helmets, and ice axes. So I went back downstairs to the do-it-yourself wine bar.

At lunchtime, Eric from PNTA (Pacific Northwest Trail Association) came and picked me up, and we talked about the trail for awhile. The trail was designated a National Scenic Trail only ten years ago, so there is still much to do with its development. And I love planning, trail building, and maps!

I also received a mystery package that a family member had mailed to me. Back in June during my AT hike, I had received an exciting phone call from my sister Katie and her (now-fiancee) Scott, announcing their engagement. I opened the package, and inside was a tasty beverage with a clever coozie. I of course promptly drank it, so that’s a definite “Yes!” to Scott’s question. Cheers!

(I’m just glad it wasn’t a Smirnoff ice, 10 years ago, haha).

We went downtown for lunch for Taco Tuesday, and we all stuffed ourselves with tacos. This day just kept getting better and better….

Eric was very nice and gave me a ride back to the trailhead after lunch, and I hiked uphill for two hours on a very full stomach.

I passed the 900-mile mark, and there were a couple of different markers, so I got a photo of each.

I got to the top and had great views in all directions, including back east, from where I had come. I finally got a view of Mt Baker! I had been hiking around it for the past week, but it had been too rainy and cloudy.

And looking west, I got my first view of saltwater!

I descended the 3000ft hill, and the trail went by a a pub, so I stopped in for a salad and a beer. This is beginning to feel like the Te Araroa!

I only made it another mile, and setup camp in the woods, on a hill above the I-5 freeway.