Tag Archives: Rock Creek

Aug 5, 2020 PCT Mile 2165 to 2177

So today is another up a hill and down a hill day which I suppose is just how it goes in Washington. Washington has 111,000 feet of elevation gain, and 107,450 feet of elevation loss.  Today I will start out a 1890 feet and end up at Trout Creek 1197 feet and in between those spots are two peaks at about 3200 feet.

Start hiking about 7 and after 2 hours and 2 miles I reach Rock Creek. I decide I need to eat something and so sit down to fix up some oatmeal which tastes pretty ok. First meal I have had as I am having my typical issues with eating. I just get so tired that the thought of food just makes me nauseous. This is where I actually meet ASH’s walking partner PIERRE as he was still in the sleeping bag but got up while I was fixing breakfast. He told me he saw me setting up camp last night but didn’t say anything and came ahead to Rock Creek. He was surprised not to find ASH at Rock Creek but ASH was probably at least 3 hours ahead of him. Anyway Rock Creek is a beautiful spot with deep pools of water. Would have been a good swimming hole had I been so inclined. Just beyond Rock Creek I took the picture below that shows the trail is a bit overgrown in this area. It will actually get much more so and causes a slow down as you have to make sure you are not stepping on a rock the wrong way.

PCT 2165 to 2177 Beautiful trail. A tad overgrown

So I wanted to get to Trout Creek today but as it turns out I need to get to Trout Creek as that is the next available water and tent space. There is far less water on the PCT in Washington than I expected. The little stream shown below is about 30 minutes out from Rock Creek and that is it.

PCT 2165 to 2177 Small water source

I’ve past by a lot of the rocks shown below and finally decided to take a picture. They are thickly covered in Pincushion moss. It is like having a padded chair to sit on one.

PCT 2165 to 2177 All the rocks covered in Pincushion moss around these parts

At around 6pm I get to Trout Creek which is another beautiful spot and right near a paved road. There are only 5 tent spots here and I was worried I would get there and they would all be taken. But when I arrived there was no one else around and so I picked the prime spot and set my pack down. Literally 5 minutes later another camper arrives. He was on his 20th mile for the day. His name was YODA. I asked him how he got his name and he indicated that on his first day of hiking he realized he needed some more water and so backtracked to a water supply to load up. The person he was walking with said “That was a wise thing to do, I will call you YODA”. That is how you get trail names, someone else gives them to you.

So every part of me hurts. Toes are bruised and already turning black. My hip is on fire. My lower back hurts. I need to do something about this 60 pound pack. So Martha and Lenora decide they can come and get me the next day. I am off the trail for awhile. My trail name should be 3DayDon as that is about all I’m good for.