Day 26 : Snow Lake

Start – Snow Lake (1510 m)
Finish – White Pass (1365 m)
Daily Distance – 16 km
Ascent – 275 m
Descent – 440 m

As I sat there on the rock I realised that, in spite of the closeness of civilisation and the changes that hemmed it in, this remnant of the old wilderness would speak to me of silence and solitude, of belonging and wonder and beauty

Sigurd Olsen, 1958

I had rather begun to forget that rain happens here.

For improved ventilation, better views, and because completely closing the rain fly zip requires yogi-like flexibility, I have developed the habit of leaving the door open at night. So, it was with some surprise that I was awoken during the night by the gentle patter of rain on canvas. The realisation that said rain was, by virtue of my open door policy, landing inside my shoes helped bring me the rest of the way to consciousness. Light to moderate rain has persisted for much of the day, although did slacken enough to enable a power walk to “town”. In this case, “town” is one store which allows free camping and an overpriced lodge, for those who want a roof over their heads and a proper bed.

When powered by visions of coffee, my legs are now capable of heroic feats, and even more so when cake is involved. So it was that I sped through the wet with no more than a break to eat sweets and the odd trail blueberry before arriving at White Pass. Many people would consider a day such as today a “Nero”, which has nothing to do with anyone playing the fiddle while Rome burns, probably because is has been too wet for a start. It rather stands for “Nearly Zero”, as in, “I walked nearly zero miles today”. Splitting hairs, I would consider it more a half-day, but I don’t think such a distinction exists in the competitive, who can walk farthest, community.

The Cracker Barrel at White Pass is fairly famous as a hiker hangout and meeting place. It stocks hiker friendly food, provides free camping, coin operated showers and laundry. Everything that the budget conscious hiker could need. There is even a covered decking areas with sockets for charging devices. In order to better dry laundry and wet equipment, not to mention indulge in an excessively long shower, I have opted for the expensive option of renting a room at the lodge next door. Fortunately, with a bit of meal flexibility, the store stocks enough food to get me through until the next town, so there is no need to hitchhike to the next town over to visit the grocery store, which was my original plan. The invitingly named Trout Lake is only 3-4 days down the road, so there is no large food carry required for this section.

Trail magic instance #2 happened today. Upon arrival at the Cracker Barrel, I found a man manning a grill and cooking food for hikers. I was the grateful recipient of a burger, eggs x2 over-easy, toast, and fried vegetables. Particularly welcome as I had skipped breakfast on account of not wanting to go out in the rain to retrieve my food bag from its hanging tree. Americans, for all of their peculiarities, continue to be exceptionally generous hosts.

Tomorrow, I will move on again, although only for another shortish distance. My legs feel the need for more than a half day break. Also, if I am to avoid buying new trousers, consuming calories in large quantities is required at every opportunity. A task which I am applying myself to gladly.