Mile 2,282 to mile 2,271
Miles: 11
Five years ago, I backpacked in the Goat Rocks and, looking out beyond Mount Old Snowy, first saw the Knife's Edge, one of the most iconic segments of the PCT. On that day five years ago, I told myself that I'd someday hike the Knife's Edge. Today was that day.
We started the day with a couple flat-ish miles in the forest. The perfect warm-up for a monster climb. Luckily, the monster climb was monster incredible. A thousand feet in to the twenty five hundred foot climb, we left the forest behind and ascended onto the ridges of the Goat Rocks wilderness. On most clear August days, the Goat Rocks ridges would entail broad views to the north with Rainier looming large. In our case, we couldn't see more than half a mile in any direction. It ends up that overnight a huge amount of smoke blew into the area. Chatting with other hikers, we ascertained that the smoke either came from fires in the north, or the south. Great. Actually, the person who seemed most knowledgeable (AKA confident) said that the smoke was coming from fires in British Columbia, in Canada. We chose to believe that guy partly due to his confidence, but mostly because Canada would be the most convenient source of the smoke as we were headed south.
Our progress up through the Knife's Edge was slow and steady. Since the trail follows the very top of the ridgeline, we were constantly faced with abrupt climbs and descents. We took our time, drinking lots of water as we were without shade for most of the day.
We had heard that the PCT crossed three snowfields in the final phase of its Goat Rocks ascent, and that some hikers had opted for a much steeper alternate route directly over the top of Old Snowy. The thought of bagging an ugly peak excited neither of us so, upon seeing that the snow fields were similar to those I had crossed in Northern Washington, we forged ahead. The afternoon snow was soft and the path was clearly blazed across the snow fields. Though I felt adrenaline course through my body thanks to the walk across squishy snow with a thousand foot drop and sharp rocks directly on one side, we made it easily and safely across.
Our final miles were a gradual descent into the rocky, grassy, Lord of the Rings-esque valley on the south side of Goat Rocks. Our mileage may not have been huge today, but the views (smoke be damned) and experience we're off the charts.
I must have accumulated a sleep debt over the past few days because, even with lower miles, I'm exhausted to the core. More funny stories to come in other updates.
ALSO, we saw a herd of mountain goats in the Goat Rocks!!! As we were ascending the final leg of the Knife's Edge, I spotted a herd of more than forty goats a thousand feet below us in the valley. Some were lying on the snow, some were munching alpine plants, and some were romping around with the mountain kids (baby mountain goats). This is forty times more goats than I saw last time I was here! They look like a cross between a regular goat and an abominable snowman.