Today’s miles: 23.4 Total miles: 276.8 The jets continue even after dark, and I find it difficult to fall asleep and then difficult to get moving in the morning. The campground is perfectly silent at this early hour, all the car campers tucked in their tents and RVs, save one in pajamas who is walking … More PNT Day 21: The Happiest House
Today’s miles: 13.8 Total miles: 253.4 My phone alarm goes off at 4:45am, because this morning I have a phone session with my analyst, and the time zone difference means it’s a 5am appointment for me. I’m groggy, suffering a bit of a sugar hangover from eating at least 3/4 of that pint of ice … More PNT Day 20: Deception Pass
Today’s miles: 21.7 Total miles: 239.6 I’m up very early, using my headlamp on the red light setting and walking softly so as to disturb as little as possible the sleeping hiker on the other couch. I leave the amazing barn at 5:40am and step into a densely foggy morning. Not optimal for roadwalking. I … More PNT Day 19: Road Runner
Today’s miles: 19.7 Total miles: 217.9 I sleep soundly in that huge apartment-sized tent, and after a quick thank-you text to my hosts, am retracing my steps back to Alger around 6:20am. Then I squeeze through another service road gate to shift off the highway and onto trail. It looks like today’s the last day … More PNT Day 18: Way Cool
Today’s miles: 12.7 Total miles: 198.2 At 6am exactly, I meet Dan (Sedro-Woolley local and fellow hiker) in the hotel parking lot for a generous ride to the trail. Along the drive, I observe that indeed there is almost no shoulder on this road, and vehicles (including semi trucks) are hurtling along at alarming speeds. … More PNT Day 17: Into the Smoke
Today’s miles: 21 Total miles: 185.5 Despite not feeling any big need for a zero, it’s a struggle to leave my hotel room in Concrete this morning. Partly because of the conveniences of shower, running water, fresh food…but mostly because today is 20+ miles of completely straight, completely flat walking to Sedro-Woolley, and it’s hard … More PNT Days 15 & 16: Rail & Rest
Today’s miles: 13.3 Total miles: 164.5 Everyone settles down at the RV campground by the posted quiet time of 10pm. Except for two dudes, who sit up for a whole other hour playing music, drinking beer, and having progressively louder conversation. I lie in my tent feeling bitter, but unwilling to confront two drunk men. … More PNT Day 14: Town Time
Today’s miles: 21.9 Total miles: 151.2 People take their very loud motorboats out onto the lake at 5:30am, not my favorite way to wake up. I pack up slowly, knowing that I have reasonably flat trail to walk today. I’m deliriously happy to see big patches of blue sky this morning, even if the continued … More PNT Day 13: Circumnavigation
Today’s miles: 13.4 Total miles: 129.3 In the middle of the night, my itchy feet wake me up. They’ve been itchy most nights lately, maybe because they spend most of the days wet? I notice with relief that the rain’s stopped, but while I’m rubbing my feet it starts up again. Argh. It is still … More PNT Day 12: The Water Challenges
Today’s miles: 14.1 Total miles: 115.9 In the night, some smallish woodland creature walks near my tent, waking me up. I turn over noisily in hopes of startling it off, and then fall back to sleep. Later, I half-wake to a tentative gnawing sound that is very much like the sound of my former cat … More PNT Day 11: The Cold Rain
