Mountains and lookouts and huckleberries, oh my! Week 2 on the PNT

The second week of my thru-hike on the Pacific Northwest Trail has passed and it seems like it has lasted a life time. Since I've left Eureka, I've walked along the edge of the humongous man-made Lake Koocanusa, I've climbed several mountains in the Purcell mountain range, some of which have beautiful lookout towers propped sturdily on their summits, I've traversed through the vast Kootenai National Forest, and I've teamed up with another lonesome female hiker that we met on trail, expanding our hiking group to 3 powerful, badass women!

Instead of taking you all day-by-day on where I've hiked, it makes more sense to write what comes most easily to me, and to elaborate on what experiences stand out most. 

Firstly, the lookouts. They're just cool! I've enjoyed hitting them on the trail, and am happy that the PNT crosses them. I like seeing how each one differs, what vibe each one has to offer and of course, the views! 

The first lookout I came across was right after crossing Lake Koocanusa, and climbing several thousand feet to summit Mt. Webb. Evening was approaching, and I felt motivated enough to climb to the top before night fall. The climb went well, until the last mile. I took a break to drink some water, put my pack on again and promptly started feeling quite nauseous. So much so that getting to the top became a huge effort. Still, I managed to summit, only to discover the lookout was booked for the night with a family of 6. I layed down on the road, and the father brought me a cold wash clothe and some icy water. After a moment of recovery, I managed to find a semi-flat place to pitch my tent and observed the sunset, hoping with all my might that my nausea would fade in the night. Wasps and mosquitos buzzed around the mesh of the tent, and I was happy to rest, untouched and unstung.

The next morning the family rose early and took off, allowing me the chance to enter the lookout and cook a rare oatmeal breakfast for myself, as I waited for Snowberry to catch up to me (she had decided to pitch at the foot of the mountain). I felt entirely better, and thoroughly enjoyed the coziness of this sturdy, small cabin. 

Around this time, me and Snowberry also (miraculously!) ran into another solo PNT hiker, a woman in her 30s from Minnesota. We were both so excited to see and hike with another person, since we hadn't run into anyone else on trail so far. 

(We did see 3 young guys in the outdoor gear shop in Eureka, who were just exiting the town, about to hit the trail again. Until this day, we refer to them as 'The Brits' since they're British. They remain a frequent topic of conversation, as we speculate who they are and how they must be fairing.)

We asked a lot of questions initially and were curious to find out her story. She had been having trouble with her ankle the past few days and her morale was down. On such a rough and remote trail, loneliness is definitely a prominent emotion, and I think she was very happy for the company as well.

The next lookout I visited was on top of Mt. Henry. After having a discouraging day trudging through the forest, mosquitos ever present and blow-down everywhere, we were tempted to cut through an alternate trail, called #161. Our prospects were looking good to get into Yaak, MT earlier than we expected as long as we took this trail and then followed a forest road into town. Snowberry kept fantasizing about the big juicy burger she was going to order at the tavern, and I had a crystal clear picture of the ice cold beer and fresh salad I'd chow down... We got to the trail head though, and found an even more discouraging message: "Trail not maintained. You'll regret taking #161." After heavy deliberation, Suzanne (the Minnesotan) chose to go for it anyways and see what this trail had in store for her. Me and Snowberry chose to stick on the primary PNT route. As soon as we continued on the trail, I was happy with our decision, since the trail was more maintained than the day before, led us to the lookout, and offered some pleasant, mellow ridge walking with beautiful forested mountain views.

While Snowberry had her lunch about .4 miles below the summit, I climbed, curious as ever, and reached Mt. Henry lookout. It was completely boarded up and hard to enter inside. The view, though, was dramatic and exciting, and I allowed myself to feel the strong wind and imagine myself as the adventure woman I always (naiivley) strive to be...

The next day, we took a confusing route through old forest roads into Yaak, and finally unwound, had fun in town and just relaxed. I really liked Yaak, however tiny and limited the township was. Chilling by the river for hours was so pleasurable, as I watched the water glisten with mountains in the background and heard faint pop music playing from The Dirty Shame saloon across the street.

We met Suzanne there who had had a terrible time bushwacking through trail #161. Beaten down to the max, she asked if she could stick with us from that point forward, and of course we said yes.

We rose early the next morning, hoping to catch an early ride out of town and onto the trail again. Just as I was about to convince the group to wait a bit longer until the mercantile opened and traffic began to flow, (secretly I just wanted one last cup of coffee) a pick-up truck pulled up, and out walked our unsuspecting trail angel: Doug. He offered us a ride, and boy what a ride it was. He drove us all the way to where the forest road ended, up Garver Mountain, and spared us 17 miles (and a whole day) of walking up a boring road. We were all ecstatic. We climbed up to Garver lookout and took in the sights. A nice family from Delaware had booked the tower for a few nights, and we chatted with them as they shared pictures with us of their ambitious and adventurous family trip around the states.

Part of what I love about thru-hiking is the people you get to meet along the way. Many of them think differently than me and inhabit a different reality, but all are so friendly, approachable and generous. It makes me appreciate our universal humannes, our common need to connect, to give back, to share a laugh or two. It's those simple things in life I find myself striving for more and more of. And if there is ever a crash course in simplification, it's definitely thru-hiking.

I've been feeling good on the last few days following our third lookout experience. We've been mostly traversing through forested, mountenous terrain with sporadic stretches on dramatic ridge lines that offer beautiful views. Also, we've discovered the magical world of huckleberries! They are so pungent, fresh and tasty. Perhaps one of the more enjoyable surprises on the PNT. I feel myself getting in better shape, climbing up mountains more quickly and most importantly, adjusting my attitude. 

Honestly, there were moments in the first week when I was doubting my decision to hike the PNT. Soaking wet, cold and itchy, I would think: "why?!" But the weather has gotten better, and the trail has been revealing it's lessons to me. One of which is to slow down, and be more present. Yes, my life post-hike is precarious with many unknowns ahead of me. Yet the trail forces you to stay calm, and not let stress or discomfort take over. It teaches you valuable lessons that you can apply to life.

Furthermore, I've begun to tap into a hiking rhythm. That obsessive and dedicated flow one must find to be able to achieve something like this. And with this rhythm, I'm able to listen to my body more, reflect upon my technique, and cultivate a kind of meditative joy.

Hiking is 90% mental and 10% physical, and I know that self-confidence is an absolute must. Furthermore, I'm starting to see things in an opportunistic way. I find it a great opportunity, for example, to be able to develop my unlikely partnership with Snowberry, an older woman that otherwise I would have never connected with. Yes, I could be spending my summer partying with friends, connecting with more like-minded and like-aged people. Instead, though, I've embarked on quite a unique (perhaps crazy?) journey across the Pacific Northwest. New places, people and emotions await me as I exit Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and enter soon into Washington State. 

Oh! And one more thing! I've finally been bequeathed with a trail name! Indigo is my name, so don't wear it out.... due to my blue attire, and because of the fact that me and Snowberry stumbled upon a beautiful indigo bunting (click link), sharing a moment of awe as we stared at it's brilliant blue feathers. 

So without further ado, Indigo signing out, until next week!