I've finally gotten around to adding some cool pix from our last Section.  Stehekin to Manning was my favorite part of the hike.

winter break!

These dusty skis are getting waxed and sharpened as we head out to Moab Utah for some Winter backpacking and hiking, then to Wolf Creek Colorado for some downhill skiing.  Since we got home from the trail we have been busy

Jay got a new brother, our exchange student from Ghana, Abdul Slam Yakubu.  He spent his birthday at a Columbus Crew game where he met Frankie Hejduk a long time soccer pro.

This Abdul he likes taking pictures of himself.

We went Kalamazoo over Thanksgiving.  Jay and Abdul had a blast on the Sand Dunes.

Abdul, Jay and Max on a fall hike at Dow Lake

Election Day in Nelsonville Ohio with my good friend Chris Fahl.  Helping to prove how Ohio goes so goes the Nation.  

Jay with his science fair project.

I know this a thru hiking blog so this winter Kevin and I are preparing to section hike a portion of the Continental Divide Trail.  We heven't picked the section yet.  Any Suggestions?

WE DID IT!

Broken ribs and bruised knees to completion.  Vicky had dreams of "Sound of Music" songs in her head most of this last stretch.  This will be a quick post, seeing as we've created a line of people waiting for this computer near Banff, Canada.  Vicky started this section worrying about a broken floating rib; she then went over Fire Creek Pass, slid down 100 feet of snow into a pile of rocks and seriously bruised her shins and perhaps did more damage (but that's for the doc to decide when we get back).  But then we met two women from Canada who ensured us that from Stehakin onto the end, there would be no snow (they were what they call SoBos).  And Canadians don't lie.  We pushed onwards after a nice stay in Stehakin, met up with our friend Alex ("come on Alex, you can do it...") and made it to Canada  More details will be provided later.  We post only a few pictures here.  For now, let's just end this by saying "Yes We Did."  

Skykomish Washington 180 miles to go

We have just completed section J in Washington.  Two more Sections to go!  This section was full of alternate routes.  We spent more time on the alternates than on the trail.  The first Alternate was a short cut to the Goldmyer Hot Springs.  The trails in the Snoqualmie National Forest were universally bad in the backcountry.  We hiked on a hiker highway out of Snoqualmie Pass to Snow Lake.  After the lake we crashed down 2000 feet of weed covered rocky switchbacks.  It was some of the hardest hiking we've done. 

 Jay enjoying the Goldmyer Hot Springs...

 Lake Ivanhoe, one of the most beautiful we've seen.

 Waterfalls into Ivanhoe.

 Getting above cloud level making it towards Stevens Pass.

Half way through Washington

The Bridge of the Gods.  We cross the Columbia  River into the state of Washington.  Though you can't see her, Utah is right behind Vicky here.  Look for the tail.  It symbolizes fear and trepidation as Utah stares down at the river below her through steel mesh.

And we climb.  And then climb.  Climb.  And, oh yes, climb.

I still need help with flower IDs

Is that something to eat Mommy?  We all believe that our dog's nose has some sort of magical power.

The Columbia River from the PCT.

 This is the look from Vicky that Jay dreads.

 This is the look that Jay thinks about giving his mother when she gives him the look that he dreads.

Towards Panther Creek -- a Forest Service campsite, with kids!

a fire and Marshmallows.  This is Vicky showing off her technique of burning -- uh, we mean "toasting" marshmallows to their imminent death.

Mary -- a wonderful trail Angel who took Vicky to Carson, WA to get resupplies.  

 Yes, hello big mountain.

Have you hugged your kid today?  Or: Have you hugged your kid today with a solar powering device on your back?

 Hell yeah.

Where are we?

 "I want Alpo," says Utah as she decides to sit for this beautiful portrait.

 Here Jay and Kevin celebrate entering Indian Heaven Wilderness.

 Hello, frog.

Nothing like a good tree hole for camp.

 Ye olde PCT sign.  We saw many of these on the trail.

Big ass mountain in the background.  Where the hell are we?  

We found a weather balloon on top of Sawtooth Mountain.  Jay hiked the electronics package out and mailed it at Trout Lake.  

Ahhhh Wilderness -- Mt. Adams, that is.

Mount Adams

 Will we ever get there?

Jay checks out a Glacier on the side of Mt Adams

The William O. Douglas Wilderness. A hike to contemplate our civil and reproductive rights.

 Yeeeehah.

 This was much scarier than it looks here.  It's a gigantic bowl of snow that had 500 foot drops to hell.  We wore micro-spikes and carried ice axes (or their equivalent) through this area.  And though agnostic and atheist, we prayed.

 You can't see Mt. Rainier in the background here (look at the next photo for a sense of the view), we camped here to have the BEST views of the entire trail so far.  And we met a dude named Swami while camping here.

 Swami, a crazy-ass Australian (we mean that in the good sense of the term) who hikes all over the world and is now doing the "Triple Crown" hike -- PCT, CDT, and AT -- in one year.  Wow!!!  He was one of the kindest and coolest people we met on this hike.  As you can tell from here, our dog loved him.  We loved the conversation with him that lasted until 11pm and that included views of Mt. Rainier and stars above.

 Swami and coffee and oatmeal.  Yes, sir.

 Kevin with a hero of his and a GPS hanging from his neck.

 So after Mt. Rainier and William O. Douglas Wilderness, we entered "Fog City" -- literally.  Otherwise known as Norse Peak Wilderness.

 Norse Peak Wilderness as we experienced it.  Trees in fog and then peaks in... fog.

 Kevin happy that he made it through Norse Peak Wilderness.

 Urich Cabin.  Some people say that when you travel far from your home you get away, but then others say that when you travel far, you wind up reproducing your home terrain.  The latter applies in this case.  Here we met impish rednecks drinking huge quantities of Jim Beam and Vodka (look at the far left of this picture for the bottle) and looking cross-eyed.  Just like the front porches of frat houses in Athens, Ohio.  We thankfully didn't camp here.  Utah is looking for a way out.