Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - August 10th
Day 109: Saturday 10th August Old Baldy – Cascade Canal
It was easy walking in the morning through mature forest until I reached Dead
Indian Road, along which I had a long detour to get to Lake of the Woods Store, where
I had left a supply bag. I reluctantly refused a lift from a passing motorist as I intended
to walk the whole way from Mexico to Canada. As in Europe the roadside was thick with
litter, particularly cans and beer bottles, thrown from cars by passing drivers. It’s a poor
show, when hikers carry their rubbish for several days and drivers can’t even keep
theirs in the car.
I had an early lunch at the Lake of the Woods Resort, which was very busy and I
wasn’t able to get the swim that I had hoped for because the shoreline was too crowded
with families to strip off and I didn’t want to walk in wet shorts. At the time I was
reading “The Last of the Wine”, an historical novel by Mary Renault, based in Ancient
Greece, where nudity was normal during exercise and was even expected of the
competitors at the Olympic Games! Now 2000 years later it is expected that you put on
clothing to swim. I’m not really sure that this is progress.
There was more road walking before I found the Rye Spur Trail, which I was using to
get back to the PCT. I stopped for an early dinner, a 24oz can of stew potatoes and
carrots that I had included in my supply bag. I tried to put a can in all the supply bags,
as a change from the dehydrated meals, and didn’t want to carry them too far before
eating them. I reached the Cascade Canal in early evening. Rather than follow the trail
over Peak 6,434, with another 500ft of unnecessary climb, I decided to follow the canal
round to Four-mile Lake. It was easy going and I camped beside the canal a mile short
of the Lake.
Day 109: 21.2 miles 7.52 hours Camp: Cascade Canal
It was easy walking in the morning through mature forest until I reached Dead
Indian Road, along which I had a long detour to get to Lake of the Woods Store, where
I had left a supply bag. I reluctantly refused a lift from a passing motorist as I intended
to walk the whole way from Mexico to Canada. As in Europe the roadside was thick with
litter, particularly cans and beer bottles, thrown from cars by passing drivers. It’s a poor
show, when hikers carry their rubbish for several days and drivers can’t even keep
theirs in the car.
I had an early lunch at the Lake of the Woods Resort, which was very busy and I
wasn’t able to get the swim that I had hoped for because the shoreline was too crowded
with families to strip off and I didn’t want to walk in wet shorts. At the time I was
reading “The Last of the Wine”, an historical novel by Mary Renault, based in Ancient
Greece, where nudity was normal during exercise and was even expected of the
competitors at the Olympic Games! Now 2000 years later it is expected that you put on
clothing to swim. I’m not really sure that this is progress.
There was more road walking before I found the Rye Spur Trail, which I was using to
get back to the PCT. I stopped for an early dinner, a 24oz can of stew potatoes and
carrots that I had included in my supply bag. I tried to put a can in all the supply bags,
as a change from the dehydrated meals, and didn’t want to carry them too far before
eating them. I reached the Cascade Canal in early evening. Rather than follow the trail
over Peak 6,434, with another 500ft of unnecessary climb, I decided to follow the canal
round to Four-mile Lake. It was easy going and I camped beside the canal a mile short
of the Lake.
Day 109: 21.2 miles 7.52 hours Camp: Cascade Canal
Dead Indian Road
Lake of the Woods store
Camp by Cascade Canal
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