Last Steps North

WOOO-HOOOOO!!!

After months of walking every day, my journey to CANADA is complete.

The Northern Cascade Mountains were an absolutely stunning finale and easily rivaled the High Sierras in both remoteness and scale; a truly awesome experience. The weather had co-operated wonderfully for most of the Glacier Peak Wilderness and north of Stehekin but just a day before finishing a huge cold front came through and made sure to remind me what the great north is supposed to be like in the fall.  Cold, damp, and wet.  It is time to head back to civilization and start planning my next adventure!!!!

Please stay tuned for an announcement regarding the time and location of my Talk and Slideshow Presentation to wrap up the fundraiser for the Coleville Valley Animal Sanctuary.  It will be a fun evening of stories and incredible photos from the trail.  If there is anyone out there wishing for me to come talk to a community group, etc please feel free to email me at talags@gmail.com and we may be able to work something out.

Thank you again for following in my incredible journey!

Peace, Love, and Happy Trails!!!!!

~Beads

On the monument marking the US/Canadian border

Pisatan Wilderness

Stehekin, WA ~80 miles to CANADA

Washington is big, beautiful, and generally lacking of internet access. Apologies for such a short entry but I am lucky to even be on a computer in this stunning little town that is completely off the grid.  Nestled on the northwest shore of Lake Chelan, the only way to get here is on a ferry or on foot.  Cell phones do not work and the village bakery is the hub of news.  I have 80 miles to the border and another 8 until I reach Manning Park, a mountain resort close by and the center of celebrations for all the hikers whom find themselves out of trail to hike north.  This part of the trail through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Glacier Peak Wilderness has been absolutely incredible and stunning every day with beautiful weather.  With a small weather system coming in this weekend it should make things interesting and I may finally get a true taste of what the Pacific Northwest weather is like.

 Happy Trails and Peace and Love y'all!!!!!

Rough and wonderful

Greetings from Snoqualmie Pass!

Firstly, a HUGE THANK YOU to Dragonfly and Beaker who drive me form the airport back to the trail.  It was so surreal to leave PA in the morning, fly to Seattle, and be sitting around a campfire by dusk, surrounded by great friends and good vibes.

I've taken a few days off the trail before but I've learned that 2 weeks is is too much.  My feet are soft, my hips are bruised, and my whole body is sore.  With some foul weather expected in the area I've taken the opportunity to rest at the most awesome Mountain Mostel, a hiker hostel that just opened up here on the pass and a perfect place to relax away from Washington's finest storms.  If the weather man is correct it will be sunny and warm all next week, perfect for steps northbound through some of the most spectacular terrain on the trail.

Peace, Love, and Happy Trails!
~Beads