September 20, 2017

Miles: 14.5

PNT mile 1142.2 (we are hiking eastbound today and tomorrow)

Camp: Flapjack Camp – Olympic National Park

Those beans we have don’t agree with me and I spent much of the night with uncomfortable gas pain (we ate some before bed). I tossed, turned and perhaps dozed for intervals. I did dream…but I think I spent equal amounts of time awake. At least I was dry and we would go to a diner on our way back to the trail for breakfast. This morning had good tidings all over it.

We packed up and were ready by 6:45am to catch a ride from Sheri. We have only been up and moving that early once all trail…I kind of loved it. I am so much more of an early go getter, sleeping in makes me feel more lazy. It’s one of the ways Pink and I clash as hiking partners, but I guess it’s been cool to enjoy a different and more laid back style of hiking too. At any rate, it felt good to be fired up and ready to go as the sun rose.

We watched the sky brighten pink and purple with Mt. Olympus on the horizon. It was a picture perfect morning so far. The rain appeared to have passed on by and we were watching the sunrise over Mt. Olympus on our way to breakfast. I was happy despite my lack of sleep.

Sheri dropped us off at the local diner and we cheerfully sat at a booth. The waitress was quick with our order and kept our coffee full as we gave our maps some study for our miles missed in the park. We figured it easiest to go backwards to meet our exit point as opposed to picking up where we left off. It doesn’t make too much of a difference as long as we connect our path.

After breakfast we got a ride to the road to the trailhead. We quickly discovered an absolute lack of traffic; zero cars going to the trailhead. We decided that we better walk the road for 5 miles just in case a car never came…and one never did. We ended up walking a paved road for 5 miles, but it was pretty benign (and technically part of the trail).

Once we got to the trailhead we ate the lunches Sheri packed for us: PB&J, pickled beans, apples and a soda water. What an amazing and kind person Sheri is, we are truly amazed and humbled by her generosity! Lunch was delicious and easy, getting us on actual trail by 1:00.

The trail headed into the Bogachiel Rainforest, a somehow empty trail in the middle of a crowded national park. It was incredibly beautiful and it was all ours all day. Everything was covered in thick, droopy, greener than green mosses and lichens, ferns drooped from tree trunks and grew to heights above my waist, water cascaded over mossy rocks and logs…it is just everything lovely about old growth in the Pacific Northwest. It is so raw and organic and smells like all of the wet earth and fresher than fresh air, it is intoxicating.

We made our miles easily due to virtually no elevation change and were in camp by 6:00. Another win for me! I love early camp! I was ready to recharge and rest my heels from the road walk, write a decent blog for a change and be in bed by 9:00. That’s all coming true. What a great day it turned out to be. I’m glad we came back in better weather, it is simply too amazing to miss.