Being small is no limit to your impact

We are currently sitting in a field at 6000 feet surrounded by wildflowers and a small spring. We are somewhere between Snoqualmie and White Pass...feels like a European spring afternoon; a small breeze with a bite fitting for 6000 feet. We finished 18 miles at 4.30pm and decided to set up camp and relax for the afternoon as the next camp site and water was an other 8 miles away. We'll make up for it and push out 22 miles tomorrow. We are getting faster and better at this now. However there seem to be some rather seasoned (and fresh young) faces that overtake us and leave us for dust. There is more technique to this hiking business than I suspect I have given it credit.  *** Turns out at 6000 feet when the sun disappears... its freezing! Coldest we have been. The wind was frigid.  The frigid wind remained; intensified overnight and into the morning. It was so cold getting up. The coldness led to fumbling fingers which lead to delays in getting packed and moving and ultimately being warm.  After we got going the cool remained and the jackets remained layered, but as we came over the saddle of the pass Mount Rainier appeared in full view; dwarfing all in sight.  *** It is now July 23. July 24 back home. Happy 29th Birthday to my little brother, William Archibald! "An avocado... thanks". This morning we walked over Goat Rocks. The view of Mount Rainier and St Helen was incredible. Shortly after we had a panorama of these two volcanoes as well as Mount Adams. It was spectacular. Two weeks ago this knife edge cliff walk would have been covered in snow and it sent a chill down my back and a flush of nerves uncomforted me. Only a little snow still remained that we had to directly traverse. Without the snow it was easy to walk, albeit still with care, and enjoy the vista.  We have been hiking this leg with Siesta, a fun, lovely guy from Georgia who now lives in Victoria, Texas. It's been great to hike with other people and meet a few more people from the trail in towns (otherwise known as places with wifi). It's been good to exchange stories, lives, ambitions, reasons for being out here and favourite foods/cuisines (the big questions). Hiking with others also makes the day go faster, perhaps because it is different from our usual routine... though it does stop us from recapping on the previous night's exploits from The Magician. We are currently taking refuge or being held hostage in our tent at camp. I am not sure which is more accurate. We hiked the last hour and a half at lightning pace with our jackets zipped up, bluffs up, glasses on, sweating and overheating, whacking our legs with our walking sticks in a ineffective attempt to avoid the mosquitoes. Our bug spray has decided it does not want to spray; frustratingly unreachable. I have never felt so munched and swarmed (until tomorrow I bet). My hand was swishing side to side like a windscreen wiper catching 3 or 4 mozzies in my brow sweat each swish. Gangs of mozzies and their looming bites create an unnatural venom in me; a rage almost uncontrollable. I suspect they play an important role in the food chain... but I wish them ill. I will try to appreciate the humble fly in future as it harasses but does not bite!  This afternoon has seen us retreat to the tent with speed and desperation. Neil fortunately braved it outside to boil water for soup and our chilli mac. I have not left the tent - playing the princess card and "chief sleeping mat blowerupperer". I haven't even left to wipe myself down with water; a true measure of how bad they are (and the fact that there is no water around except what we hiked into camp). But this is in stark contrast to this morning. We woke up in sunshine with Mount Rainier as our view, no bugs as we were above 6500 feet, and then climbed up Goat Rocks to a stellar view. I'm not going to say its been easy but it's definitely worth it. Our miles continue to climb and we are nearly through Washington... somehow this all now feels achievable. Observations: 1. Mosquitoes are the worst. 2. If item X is dry it is clean, if item X is wet it is considered washed and therefore clean and therefore dry. And you wear it. 

3. We ssaw a bear cub...luckily not the mumma.