Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - September 20th
Day 150: Friday 20th September
Kennedy Hot Springs – Ridge above Milk Creek
A Pika visited my tent overnight and in the morning. This was a popular camping
site and I imagine it was accustomed to getting fed. It had stopped raining and cleared by
the morning. I breakfasted, packed up and then went back to the hot spring for another
30-minute soak. It was still rather cold out of the water but the water felt lovely.
It took me some time to find my way across Kennedy Creek as the bridges had been
washed away. I eventually found a slippery log and managed to cross safely with the aid
of my walking poles. Kennedy Creek is one of the silty streams coming down from the
glaciers on Glacier Peak. I now faced a 3,000ft climb up to Glacier ridge, followed by a
series of shorter up and downs over the ridges dropping down from Glacier Peak, before
a 2,500ft descent down to Milk Creek and then back up again.
I met a young couple heading south at lunchtime and they said that “Billy Goat”
was just ahead of me and sent his regards. In the afternoon Darryl, an IT consultant
from Bristol, caught up with me and we walked together for a bit. He had started from
Campo in early May. Because he had only entered the USA on a three-month visa, he
had had to fly back to England, then return to complete the hike.
Milk Creek was another major glacial stream. It is subjected to avalanches and the
bridge has frequently been swept away, so I was pleased to find it intact. There was a
steep 2,000ft climb in 2½ miles away from Milk Creek and I was delighted to only take
1¾ hours for the climb. I arrived at the ridge at 7pm as it was starting to get dark. The
last rays of sun (“Alpenglow”) on Glacier Peak was a spectacular sight. Shortly
afterwards the full moon rose above the eastern horizon.
I had climbed 6,500ft today.
Day 150: 15.8 miles 8.08 hours Camp: Ridge above Milk Creek
Kennedy Hot Springs – Ridge above Milk Creek
A Pika visited my tent overnight and in the morning. This was a popular camping
site and I imagine it was accustomed to getting fed. It had stopped raining and cleared by
the morning. I breakfasted, packed up and then went back to the hot spring for another
30-minute soak. It was still rather cold out of the water but the water felt lovely.
It took me some time to find my way across Kennedy Creek as the bridges had been
washed away. I eventually found a slippery log and managed to cross safely with the aid
of my walking poles. Kennedy Creek is one of the silty streams coming down from the
glaciers on Glacier Peak. I now faced a 3,000ft climb up to Glacier ridge, followed by a
series of shorter up and downs over the ridges dropping down from Glacier Peak, before
a 2,500ft descent down to Milk Creek and then back up again.
I met a young couple heading south at lunchtime and they said that “Billy Goat”
was just ahead of me and sent his regards. In the afternoon Darryl, an IT consultant
from Bristol, caught up with me and we walked together for a bit. He had started from
Campo in early May. Because he had only entered the USA on a three-month visa, he
had had to fly back to England, then return to complete the hike.
Milk Creek was another major glacial stream. It is subjected to avalanches and the
bridge has frequently been swept away, so I was pleased to find it intact. There was a
steep 2,000ft climb in 2½ miles away from Milk Creek and I was delighted to only take
1¾ hours for the climb. I arrived at the ridge at 7pm as it was starting to get dark. The
last rays of sun (“Alpenglow”) on Glacier Peak was a spectacular sight. Shortly
afterwards the full moon rose above the eastern horizon.
I had climbed 6,500ft today.
Day 150: 15.8 miles 8.08 hours Camp: Ridge above Milk Creek
Glacier Peak
Fire Mountain
Darryl
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