I flew into Seattle on July 4th. My good friend Justin collected me at the airport. He and his wife had graciously agreed to host me for a few days and then drive me to Hart’s Pass. After a few spectacular days in Seattle it was off to the trail.
The road trip alone was awe inspiring for this Georgia boy. The North Cascades are absolutely stunning. The drive got interesting once we reached Dead Horse Point. This narrow single track forest service road is bordered by a cliff on one side and tire shredding talus on the other. Justin white-knuckled the wheel of his brand new Subaru and cursed my name as we squeezed past some oncoming traffic.
Eventually we reached the Harts Pass Guard Station. A knock on the front door was answered by the caretakers (an extremely kind husband and wife). There we stood in a cold stiff breeze surrounded by a cloud of mosquitoes. We shivered and swatted as the caretakers looked on unfazed by the conditions. We talked fishing and life lessons for what seemed like forever. Then they helped me hang my food cache in the outhouse and we said good night. Justin and I made camp as sunset painted the surrounding mountains in a brilliant pink.
The next morning brought a thick cold mist. We broke camp and started the hike north. Justin hiked the first mile with me before turning back to make the long drive home to Seattle. We said our goodbyes and Justin disappeared into the fog. There I stood alone on the edge of a gray abyss.
Note: If you plan to cache food at the Harts Pass Guard Station keep in mind we are not entitled to this service. The caretakers help PCT hikers because they are genuinely kind people. Please treat them with respect.