Through run of PCT Section I

At the end of the day, as twilight approached, I saw a bear. It was very curious about me, but eventually ambled off. I stopped running for a while and just walked to avoid triggering its chasing instinct.

I met a northbound through hiker. She helped me find water. I told her about the food options at Snoqualmie Pass (Summit Pancake House for diner food, Commonwealth/Dru Brew for classier fare and great beer).

Lizard Lake was not a great campsite. There were many cars that drove by and a loud group off people. There was a ton of trash. The lake is muddy and weedy and water access is poor. There are lots of sites, though.

Stats: 41.8 miles, 6017′ ascent, 8428′ descent, 11:33 elapsed time, 9:57 moving time

Strava: https://strava.app.link/X81YjwKz9rb

Day 3: Lizard Lake to Snoqualmie Pass

Knowing I only had 18 miles to go, I had a lazy morning and wasn’t on the trail until 8:30. This section of trail was equally boring, and much less runnable. The best thing I can say is that the biggest climb, 1k’, was very first thing in the morning – an easy extended warmup. This section of trail, especially near the ski area, is very rocky. I talked to a couple runners, one of whom asked me some questions about fastpacking and said she wanted to try it. I hope she does!

I once again managed to get dehydrated. I brought 2 water bladders and both sprang leaks, which worsened and made them basically unusable. When I got back to the car to meet my amazing wife, I chugged a full liter of water. Then we went to Rio Bravo in North Bend and I crushed 2 large burritos.

Overall, this was good exercise, but not the most fulfilling wilderness experience. PCT Section I between Stevens and Snoqualmie, which I did last year, was far, far better.

Stats: 17.7 mi, 3051′ ascent, 3619′ descent, 4:30 ET, 4:07 MT

Strava: https://strava.app.link/wQ3xQkMz9rb

Lessons Learned:

Be conservative in how much water you carry. Carrying too much sucks a little, running out sucks a lot.
Toothpaste tablets are a great innovation.
Don’t camp near roads if you can help it.
Key Gear:

Gossamer Gear Kumo pack
Warbonnet hammock and underquilt
Therm-a-rest Vesper 32 top quilt
Sawyer Squeeze filter
Black Diamond Z-lite poles
Toaks stove and pot
The Deuce #2 ultralight trowel