Packin' It In

Day 132: When I left home this morning, I had no clear plan other than to go for a hike after picking up some screws for Max at the hardware store. Several options presented themselves: Bud Blancher Trail, Nisqually-Mashel State Park, Pack Forest, or any of the lesser-known trails in the area. As I drove past the trailhead at Bud Blancher, I said, "Nah, boring...boring and mostly flat. That's not what I want. I think I'll go to Pack." Shopping for screws was a five-minute job requiring focus on the task at hand, so I had still not made a determination as to which trail I'd take until I was again on the road. It's only a few miles to the entrance of Pack, and by the time I'd got to the gate, I'd decided on a loop which would take me over a section I haven't hiked in several years, i.e., up the 1000 Rd to the 1400, up 1400 and thence down the Hugo Peak trail to the gate, and back up the paved road to parking for a grand total in the neighbourhood of three miles. At least that was the Plan when I shouldered my pack, but as Kevin would tell you, I'm not one for sticking to a Plan. I was feeling quite perky and invigorated when I reached the 1400, and what was left ahead of me seemed too short for my energy level. Standing there at the junction with the 1400, I said, "Screw it, I'm going up Hugo." From there, I came down the regular trail, did the short section back to the gate (which I seldom cover), and then back up the paved road to parking. Five miles and a thousand feet elevation gain spent in almost total silence but for a Pacific Wren or two, the occasional airplane overhead and one insistent mosquito in my ear satisfied a longing to be out and about which has been plaguing me all winter. Bits of botanical and natural history interest will surface over the next few days. These photos are just to give you an overview of what it's like to pack Pack.