Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - September 26th
Day 156: Thursday 26th September Tatie Peak – above Holman Pass
It was clear at first light, but had clouded over by the time I left and drizzle had
started by mid-morning. While I stopped to put on waterproofs I was caught up by “Billy
Goat” and we walked together for the rest of the morning. He was on his own now as Mary
hadn’t been too well and had headed back to the warmth of Arizona. At a road crossing we
met a fire crew, but they said that they were letting the fire burn as it was well away from
any settlements and the gentle rain was stopping it burning strongly or spreading quickly.
To fight a 10,000-acre fire would require thousands of fire fighters and be very expensive.
At this time of year in Washington they expected that rain would eventually control and
then extinguish the fire. At a break “Crown Vic”, from Bend, Oregon caught up with us.
He had recently retired from the Oregon Police Service and had got his trail name from
the “Crown Victoria”, a model of car Ford provided to the Police. Instead of waterproofs
he was carrying and using an umbrella. “Mercury”, also from Oregon, joined us a few
minutes later.
In the afternoon I met Alice, another legend of long-distance hiking in the North
America. She had been brought up in Switzerland, but was now living in Vancouver. She
was a “Triple Crowner”, having section hiked the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide
Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. She was hiking to the ALDHA (American Long Distance
Hikers Association) end of season party to be held further south at the beginning of
October.
We were walking through the Slate Creek Mining District, which was well populated
in the 1890’s until the Klondike gold rush lured the miners away. Gold, silver, copper, lead
and zinc had all been mined. Mount Baker, the highest mountain in the Northern
Cascades was visible to the west. It has erupted four times in the last 10,000 years and on
four other occasions produced enough steam to melt the glaciers and trigger mudslides.
There was an increase in thermal activity in March 1975 and another full eruption is a
distinct possibility.
This section of the trail was famed for its Tamarack Larch. These are deciduous
conifers and at the end of September the pine needles were turning yellow, contrasting
with the red from the Huckleberry bushes.
After spending most of the day traversing the high ridges, the trail now dropped down
into the dark forest and I camped in a small clearing just above Holman Pass
Day 156: 18.8 miles 7.21 hours Camp: Holman Pass
It was clear at first light, but had clouded over by the time I left and drizzle had
started by mid-morning. While I stopped to put on waterproofs I was caught up by “Billy
Goat” and we walked together for the rest of the morning. He was on his own now as Mary
hadn’t been too well and had headed back to the warmth of Arizona. At a road crossing we
met a fire crew, but they said that they were letting the fire burn as it was well away from
any settlements and the gentle rain was stopping it burning strongly or spreading quickly.
To fight a 10,000-acre fire would require thousands of fire fighters and be very expensive.
At this time of year in Washington they expected that rain would eventually control and
then extinguish the fire. At a break “Crown Vic”, from Bend, Oregon caught up with us.
He had recently retired from the Oregon Police Service and had got his trail name from
the “Crown Victoria”, a model of car Ford provided to the Police. Instead of waterproofs
he was carrying and using an umbrella. “Mercury”, also from Oregon, joined us a few
minutes later.
In the afternoon I met Alice, another legend of long-distance hiking in the North
America. She had been brought up in Switzerland, but was now living in Vancouver. She
was a “Triple Crowner”, having section hiked the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide
Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. She was hiking to the ALDHA (American Long Distance
Hikers Association) end of season party to be held further south at the beginning of
October.
We were walking through the Slate Creek Mining District, which was well populated
in the 1890’s until the Klondike gold rush lured the miners away. Gold, silver, copper, lead
and zinc had all been mined. Mount Baker, the highest mountain in the Northern
Cascades was visible to the west. It has erupted four times in the last 10,000 years and on
four other occasions produced enough steam to melt the glaciers and trigger mudslides.
There was an increase in thermal activity in March 1975 and another full eruption is a
distinct possibility.
This section of the trail was famed for its Tamarack Larch. These are deciduous
conifers and at the end of September the pine needles were turning yellow, contrasting
with the red from the Huckleberry bushes.
After spending most of the day traversing the high ridges, the trail now dropped down
into the dark forest and I camped in a small clearing just above Holman Pass
Day 156: 18.8 miles 7.21 hours Camp: Holman Pass
Peter
Billy Goat
Crown Vic
Mercury
Alice
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