Day 114: Skykomish
From Mig Lake mile 2454.4 to Stevens Pass / Skykomish mile 2461.7
A quick 7.3 miles this morning, with two 600 foot climbs, and I was at the highway by 9:30. It took 45 minutes to get a ride the 14 miles down to Skykomish.
At the little deli/convenience store I ran into Digs. She and some other folks behind me took a side trail that cut off the last 8 miles. Folks were desperate to get out of the smoke.
The town has a gas station, convenience store, post office, laundromat, and the Cascadia Inn. The Inn has rooms with shared bathrooms and a small restaurant.
There were 11 hikers in line ahead of me at the post office. The clerk, harried and unhappy, refused to put tape on a box for the guy ahead of me. The unhappy hiker went off in search of tape.
At the Inn a room was not ready yet so I changed into only my rain gear, stashed my pack in the hiker lounge room and went to the laundromat. When done with that chore a room was ready and I got showered and felt human again.
Had dinner with Digs and then sat at the bar for a bit with other hikers. We met a guy who offered to drive us back to the trail in the morning and Digs and I will meet him at 10.
The air here is hazy with smoke. Reports make it sound like it will be smoky from here to Camada. The weather reports offer some hope that after tomorrow the wind may shift to coming from the west and may cool down a bit. That would help decrease the smoke.
So much smoke… but beautiful photos and views. It is September 15 as I write this; it looks like you will be at the border today! Congratulations, Jon!