Day 160: Stehekin to Rainy Pass (mile 2591.4)

9.22.18. 19.5 miles.

Whew. Today was kind of rough. Actually, it wasn’t too bad until the end. I slept in a little, getting to go back to sleep after using the nice flush toilets at the campground. I got ready shortly thereafter though as breakfast started at 7:30 and I wanted to eat before the shuttle left at 8:15. I had to say goodbye to Dead Zone who was thinking about zeroing again or leaving later in the afternoon. I hope she took another zero based on the weather! I ended up eating with a girl named Stitch, who was raised in Half Moon Bay! What a small world. I think I was the first person on trail to know exactly where she’s from. And she knew Belmont, of course. After breakfast, I got on the first shuttle with a handful of other hikers. It took a little under an hour to get to the trailhead, with a stop at the bakery. Having already got my baked goods, I stayed in the shuttle.

The hike out of Stehekin was nothing to write home about. Just low elevation forest, no views for the whole hike, and it was all uphill. Gradual, but still uphill. I leapfrogged with everyone on the shuttle for most of the first half of the day.

It rained on and off throughout the day, but was actually pretty sunny at first. But, by the time I got to Rainy Pass, it was coming down real hard. Another fun thing: I got stung on the ankle by another bee! Right before getting to the highway. It was pretty painful, and every step stung. When I got to the trailhead, a former hiker from this year was doing trail magic with his wife! They had soup and pizza, which warmed my soul. I also got to sit in a chair to examine my bee sting. I couldn’t find a stinger, must have pulled it out with my sock, but my ankle was already swollen. I got the bite/ sting pad from my kit but it appeared to be dried out. I took a Benadryl instead.

I was anticipating hiking another 3.5 miles, but it was raining so hard, I was soaking wet, and the bee sting was hurting, so I threw up my tent at the trailhead along with most of the other hikers who left Stehekin today. Hopefully I’ll just have to wait out the rain tonight and it will be sunny tomorrow.