Date: September 3, 2017
Miles: 22.3 miles (35.9km), from Rock Creek to mile 2,186.
Health: Feeling strong but the heat is really getting to me.

I wake up and it's dark around. I feel like I've slept for a long time so I check my watch – it's 1:43 am. I look up and see the thousands of stars above us between the treetops. It's so peaceful and beautiful here in the forest at night.

My alarm goes off at 5:20 am. I hit snooze and turn around to see if the others are waking up. I don't see any movement so I quickly fall back asleep. I wake up again at 5:50 am – still no movement. We were supposed to wake up at 5:30 am but I don’t mind and quickly fall back asleep.

I wake up and it's a little past seven and people are starting to wake up. We're getting a late start today. I eat breakfast and pack up my gear. Dandelion is first out of the camp, as always, and we agree to meet up at the water source about ten miles (16km) down the trail. Roadrunner and Fireant leave next and I'm the last to leave. Before I get going I stop to take a few photos of the area around Rock Creek. I really like this spot.

The trail continues really lush and jungle-like – it's beautiful. The trail meanders along, going around river bends and dried up creek beds. Occasionally there's some climbing but nothing too bad as the trail only gains a few thousand feet (600 meters) of elevation at a pretty easy angle.

After an hour and a half of climbing, I come to a stream and find Indigo filtering water. She's trying to solo hike this section so I try not to spend too much time talking with her and keep moving after filling up my water bottle.

I keep climbing for another hour and reach a stream from where I stop to get more water. As I'm there, Indigo catches up. We hike together for a while and then I drop back to let her continue to hike solo.

I really like this section even though we're hiking in a green tunnel – it’s a nice change of scenery. I only wish it wasn't this hot. Washington was supposed to be cold but it feels as hot as the desert just with more air humidity.

On one of the climbs, I get reception and check my phone. I’ve gotten multiple messages saying there's a new fire behind us. That must be the big tower of smoke we saw yesterday while climbing out of the Columbia River Gorge.

I start seeing messages from multiple friends who’re behind us, telling they’re ok but covered in smoke and ash. And then I see an article saying around 150 hikers are trapped between the two fires on the section we just hiked three days ago. That's bad! Sadly there's nothing we can do but to hike on and hope everyone is safe and okay.

The fires this year have been crazy and I’ve been constantly hoping the approaching autumn would bring some rain to put most of them out. Sadly, for both the fires and us, the heat keeps on.

On top of all the fires around us, we’ve also been hearing stories about a fire on the Canadian border around the northern end of the PCT. There’s a rumor going around that they might have to close the trail up to the monument due to this fire, meaning we might not be able to finish the trail on the northern terminus. I have no words to describe how much this would suck.

I finally reach the creek we're having our lunch at and everyone's already there. I make my staple, mashed potatoes and salami, and then take a dip in the creek. Due to the late start, we need to keep moving and soon get back on the trail.

We all hike on alone and soon reach the second river. As it’s uncomfortably hot and there’s a big climb right after the river, everyone has stopped here to fill up their water bottles and to take a quick dip in the cooling water. We take another break just to get some relief from the heat but soon have to get back to hiking. Wasn’t Washington supposed to be cold?

While others cross the river and start the next big climb I take advantage of the pit toilets in the campground close by. You don’t want to pass up an opportunity to sit on a porcelain throne – even if it’s in a pit toilet.

As I return to the river I meet a couple of other hikers and they tell me the trail has been closed not far ahead due to another new fire. If I didn’t know better, I’d think we’re in a bad episode of candid camera. I shake my head in disbelief and start climbing up.

The climb is long, hot, and sweaty. And it’s through a long waterless section. At some point, I catch up to Indigo and we keep climbing together. I’m sweating like crazy.

It’s starting to get late and we’re still a long way from the next water source. I definitely underestimated my water needs for this climb. It’s going to be a long and thirsty walk in the dark to the next water source.

Not long after I sip my last drops of water we cross a forest road and there’s an old lady with a pickup truck parked next to the trail. As we come up she offers us some fruits and asks if we need any water.

There’s a saying that goes: the trail provides. I’m not a superstitious or religious person myself, but this type of thing has happened way too often and I now fully understand what the saying means. I’ve seen a friend break their hiking pole and find a discarded pole on the side of the trail the next day, another friend lose their sunglasses only to find a new pair on a rock on the next pass, saying “If we could only get ice-cold soda, cold beer, and pizza, this would be perfect” and then get all of those things the next morning in the middle of nowhere, and countless other similar instances.

And here I am, out of water, stumbling onto a logging road up in the Cascade Mountains just as it’s getting dark and an old lady comes to my rescue and fills up my water bottles. I don’t know what else to say but to profusely thank her and think to myself – the trail provides. Again.

When ever we popped out of the green tunnel, the views were amazing.

We leave the road behind and get back to climbing. It’s starting to get dark and I’m starting to feel really weak. All of a sudden everything starts to go dark and I yell “I have to sit down” to Indigo, who’s not far ahead, and she turns around. I’ve totally bonked as I haven’t gotten enough salts during the climb.

As I’m trying to dig more salt packages from my backpack Indigo notices a great camping spot, not five feet from where I’m sitting. I get back up to discover she found a perfect camping spot where there was not supposed to be one. It’s just big enough for two, it’s flat (we’re in the middle of a climb), and it’s next to a cliff overlooking a gorgeous forest and the rivers below us.

As the trail is closed not far from here, it’s getting dark, and we both have our water bottles full, we decide to call it a night. We stuff our faces with extra dinners as we now have too much food due to the new fire closure ahead while watching the sky turn dark and the stars to come out. Right before falling to sleep, I position my food bag between myself and the cliff right next to us. Would not be a great way to wake up.

Tomorrow we have just a short hike up to the fire closure and then we have to figure some way around this one.