8 miles
We wake up early and pack our gear quietly. The night was an endless parade of rowdy teenagers walking through the RV park, and I find myself on the edge of cranky. Safety finishes first and tells me to meet him at Starbucks when I'm done. I bypass the shower this morning, caring less and less about feeling clean. When I get to Starbucks, Safety is nowhere to be found. I worry that maybe he just walked off without me, but then I tell myself it doesn't matter. I start to turn away, and Safety yells at me from across the street that he stopped to get some fruit, and I smile and feel glad I have someone at least for a little while longer.
We walk the few miles to the boat landing and purchase our tickets, arriving much too early. Safety opts for the more expensive, faster boat, while I obviously take the cheaper option. Since he will get there a good hour before I do, we say our goodbyes, and get an awkward picture.
Lake Chelan is 50 miles long, and the boat trip will take me the better part of 3 hours. I take pictures for the first part of the journey, but am soon lulled to sleep by the gentle movement of the boat.
Since the only way to access a house on the lake is by boat, the ferry often makes unscheduled stops for locals, beaching it's large hull on the rocks, and putting down a special walkway for them to disembark. It's cool to see, but I'm worried I won't make it to the Stehekin post office before it closes at noon, and will end up having to stay in Stehekin over the weekend.
We finally make it to Stehekin, a place that I have heard about since the very beginnings of my trail, and have vowed to make it to. This is also the last resupply stop until Canada, in 90 miles.
I get off the ferry and run to the post office, making it just in time. The post master there is a woman in her early 30s, who has lived in Stehekin for 6 years, running the post office for the last 2. She asks me about life on the trail, and I ask her about living in Stehekin. By the end of our conversation, I think we've each convinced the other person to put it on our adventure list.
I am surprised to receive two packages and a letter. The letter is from the aunt (Sandy) of one of my dearest friends (Liz). Inside is a lovely letter wishing me luck and telling me to contact her in Seattle if I ever need to. She also enclosed a picture of her and Liz up in the Olympic mountains, and I smile and tuck this safely away in my pack. There is a surprise package from my old grad school friend, Joe, which is jammed with cliff bars, snickers and kitkats. I pack as much as I feel I can carry, and leave the rest in the hiker box, knowing how happy it will make the next hiker who looks inside. I open my last resupply box from my mom, and find a plethora of food and candy. I want to take it all, thrilled at the thought that I will be eating something other than ramen and tuna, but I only have about 4 days left, and about 8 days worth of food. And it dawns on me that this is the best problem I could ever have. I pack heavy, planning to eat more than I ever have on the trail, and leave the rest for any starving hikers.
I spend the next hour frantically walking across Stehekin, buying a couple of postcards and then trying to find enough stamps to send them (having forgotten to buy them at the post office before it closed). I finish just as the bus pulls up to take us to the trail head, and run into Safety, who has just been lounging around waiting for the bus. I'm sweaty and red faced, and he smiles languidly at me, "Hey, Pip, long time no see. You look like a mess."
We get into the bus with a couple of other section hikers and tourists, and head to the main attraction: the Stehekin Bakery. This is the place that previous PCT hikers have been talking about for months. I can't contain my excitement. And then the bus driver tells us we only have 10 minutes to stop in before he leaves for the trail head. WHAT?!
We all rush into the bakery, which is beautiful and rustic, and set on a little farm. I order a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie to go, and make it back to the bus just as the driver is counting to make sure everyone is on board. He looks at me and says, "Where's your husband? He's the last one we need." Um. Huh? Oh, lets just assume, once again, that any girl and guy traveling together are married. I'm sure he wouldn't do that if I was traveling with another woman. His assumption irks me, but all I say is, "I think he's on his way." Lame, Bree.
When Safety gets on I tell him about the driver's comment. He laughs and shakes his head, and says, "well, I'm flattered." And that totally disarms me. Because even though I know he has a girlfriend, and he's not hitting on me in any way, that was pretty much the best thing he could have said to me right then. So I shut up and eat my pie. And it is the best pie in the world. I put Stehekin on my list of possible places to move to so that I can work at the bakery.
We finally get to the trailhead, and exit with a couple other hikers who are going South Bound. Safety and I sit at the little picnic table, and he pulls out a couple of PBRs, offering me one. I laugh that he's packing out a 6 pack, but gladly take a beer. We sit and chat, guessing how far we'll make it today. It's already 2pm, and I plan to do about 8-10 miles. Safety said he had wanted to get in at least 15 today, but has decided to do no more than 10. He pulls out a one hitter, packs it, and asks if I want any. I don't even know why I'm surprised any more that people bring pot on the trail with them. I take a drag (close your mouths, it's legal in Washington), and appreciate that it will take the edge off of my knee pain. After I finish the beer I leave Safety to himself, and decide that I better start hiking if I want to make it to Canada on time.
A few miles in I come across a giant canvas tent, that looks like a semi-permanent structure. I'm curious about it, but not curious enough to stop. It also feels a little "the Hills have Eyes-ish", so I walk quickly away.
I keep expecting for Safety to catch up with me, but 8 miles in, and still no sign of him. I come to a large campsite around 6:30, and decide to end for the day. It's been an interesting few days, but I feel relieved to be back in the wilderness. And now it's a short countdown to Canada. I'm ready but not ready to be done. I can't believe I only have four days left.
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