A Spectacle With A View

Day 5
Friday, August 8th, 2014

13 PCT Trail Miles
Waptus Burn Trail Junction to Spectacle Lake

PCT mile 2433 to 2420  (+1mi down to lake)                14 Total Miles
2,477ft elevation gain; 3,491ft loss

 Mount Stewart in the Smoky Haze

A Great Alpine Plateau

Big day today.  Spectacle Lake is a beautiful and magical place.  I was there in 2007 and have always wanted to go back again.  The Bonus is; this will be our planned Zero Day!!  We had to carry an extra day's worth of food for this, but I think it will be so worth it; especially, with the perfect weather.  It's a full moon now, so the nights are so unbelievably bright.  The moon rises about midnight and the brightness actually wakes me up.  I may put the rain fly on tonight just to darken it up a bit. I'm really liking my Big Agnes Spring Creek UL 2.  I had purchased a Gossamer Gear 2P Squal Classic Tarp tent but decided I wanted a free standing tent with higher side covers.  Tents are such a personal choice kinda thing.

Gossamer Tarp Tent

 The Gossamer is a great tent and I think it would have done well; certainly a very light tent.  I picked it up for $250 on Craigs List; they retail for about 325.  Using your hiking pole for the central pole saves a lot of weight.  Anyway, I'll be going with the Big Agnes.  If anybody out there thru hiking next year and would prefer a good quality tarp tent, I would let this one go for a couple hundred bucks.  Anyway, enough of that, back to the trail.

Lemah Mountain

I was looking forward to seeing these tarns and rocks up here this next stretch of about 4 miles.  Obviously a pretty popular place since they have had to impose camping restrictions up here.  The views are certainly airy.  Lots of Marmots and Pickas.  This first part is easy walking along the top of this big jagged/rocky plateau.  The balls of my feet are sure appreciating the relatively flat terrain but I know once we start dropping off of this enchanted place, the multi-switched backed descent is going to be a bit of a challenge.  Once we got to the end of the plateau, and just before starting down, there was a fabulous place with a sweeping view all the way around.  Three Queens, Four Brothers, Chikamin Peak, Lemah Mountain, Overcoat Peak, and Chimney Rock.  Unbelievable.  We decided to stop here for second breakfast.  We hung out for a good hour before saddling up and heading on down to Lemah Meadow;  2200ft drop over a short two miles; ugggg....

Me and My Cousin at Lake Angeline; Alpine Lakes 1994

While sitting here in this lofty, majestic place, I mentally time traveled to every single venture I have had into the Alpine Lakes over the last, OMG!, 40 yrs :o) Let's just say, since I was 18 years old; it just sounds better because, from my "mind's eye" perspective, that was only a short few, years ago; not 40.  But anyway, I'm sitting up here at 5,500ft, in the warm sun having a flour tortilla, with a sardine and pepper jack cheese.

Brunch

  The memories come flooding back in huge waves.  I have seen all of these peaks before, from every angle and at different coordinates. They feel comfortable, familiar, I have touched the Pacific Crest Trail between Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass at various points all along its length between these two passes.  I have so often referred to this area, and the PCT north of Stevens Pass to Stehekin, as "My Playground" all these years.  I have had overnight trips, multi-day trips, and even muilti-week trips, all through here.  This Section Hike I am now doing, has been so great, in that, I am tying together, into a full experience, the multitude of past little experiences and memories.  How truly fortunate I have been.  Not only to have had this "place" but to have had, and still have, so many wonderful people in my life to share it with.  You see, for people to have a unique, shared experience together out here, an experience that only the wilderness can give, a bond is formed that is extraordinary.  A bond that forever connects; across time, position, relationship, and life events.  Which is the source of the one, and only, concern I have about thru hiking the PCT.  Loneliness. Yes, I have done many solo trips over the years and will do many more, but they are short trips and I must admit, I don't overly enjoy them, but will endure them when the need to be in the Wilderness is greater than the price of loneliness. So, as you can imagine, the thought of five months solo is unsettling.  Now, I know when it comes to the PCT, you are not really completely alone.  The trail is a community that is connected by this same bond the Wilderness makes possible.  But this "trail community bond" is less direct, and so much more fluid; weaker if you will, then one gained with someone you are otherwise connected to, have a history with.  Oh man; so hard to explain, so must be time to move on to Spectacle Lake, eh?

Let the down begin!!  Not too bad really.  The balls of my feet did start to scream about half way down to Lemah Meadow, so the second half was rather slow and uncomfortable.  Even tho these blisters are a nuisance and uncomfortable, I'm finding it is manageable and I'm still having a great time overall.  This business and its rewards, is not without its suffering and sacrifice, that's for sure.

Once down in Lemah Meadow we discovered the bridge is out, but fortunately it was only knee deep at the mid point.  But once on the other side, it was time for lunch and a much needed rest.  I needed to put new "second skin" pads onto my blisters.

Bridge crossing Delate Creek

2008 Burn

Spectacle Lake!!

After lunch, we headed on across the meadow and down the valley then walked through a large burn area.  The Fireweed flowers were in bloom and full of life with bees buzzing all about.  Once through this, we started the 1,200ft of switch backs to the Spectacle Lake junction.  It was long and hot out in the open with no tree cover.  The last time I was here, this was a deep cool forest.  Fire really changes everything.  About half way up, we crossed the bridge that goes over Delate Creek, which comes out of Spectacle Lake.  Almost there!!!.  Once at the junction, we headed on down to the lake.  We headed to the lesser used North side of the lake where the outlet is, and found Jim's Brother and Sister in law.  They had gotten there the day before.  They brought their Black Lab with them and we all just had a grand time chit chatting about our day and the last four as well.  Lots and lots of laughter.  We got tents up, ate dinner, visited a whole bunch more then called it a night.  No miles to do tomorrow.  Just hang out, read, write, daydream; "whatever" kinda day; Oh Boy!!!!!