August 29

First day in Washington: rain. Woke in the middle of the night to droplets splashing on my face. Then, a frantic yet drowsy attempt to erect my tarp in the dark, in the rain and in an area completely unsuitable for the tarp (no trees to tie off to, loose ground that wouldnt hold a stake). In the morning, more rain, solid overcast skies, fog like sheetmetal, wind sucking the heat off our skin. Mike had to use his rainjacket as a pack cover, so he walked in a wet office shirt that clung to his frame.

We walked straight through the rain, not wanting to stop and get cold. Across a clearcut, winding through gullies. Until we reached a road and then rain relented and discovered a cooler of beer set there by a thru-hiker sympathizer. Shivering, teeth clattering, wind penetrating the skin and burning the bones frigid. Clouds moving in fluid sheets, unfolding above us. Miles under the cover of fir and hemlock, branches dripping. We stopped only when the rain would temporarily let up, only briefly, just to eat and fuel up. Slept next to Trout Creek Mike built a fire to dry out our soaked gear, steaming in the radius of heat.