Started the day with a cup of coffee and breakfast at the coffee shop. Sat there a while while charging up and chatting with friends. In between I ran over to the grocery store for a quick resupply of an experimental nature. Finally sick of ramen I bought peanut butter, bread, cream cheese, a few frozen burritos, and tub of yogurt. Along with what's left in my food bag this should get me the four days to Trout Lake.

Walking across the Bridge of The Gods had me laughing with joy. Crossing the sign welcoming us to Washington felt unreal. Washington has always been a distant future possibly achievable by hikers stronger than me. At the other side I popped open a beer with C-Dog and Slay. Yet, Washington did not leave a good first impression. The enduring steep grades were to be expected but the uneven, rocky trail is just brutal on my feet. Additionally much of the trail has been overgrown requiring literal bush wacking to trudge through. I'm appreciative all the more so for the efforts expended in Oregon to make the trail not this way and hopeful it's different ahead. Either way the home stretch has begun. In one month from today I take a train from Seattle to New York to check in with family and prepare myself for the next adventure. That leaves just a few weeks left on trail. I'm physically ready and mentally preparing. I'll certainly miss the opportunities to have dinner on a rock in the middle of a creek from a tub of yogurt that I carried 20 miles, but I'll similarly appreciate the comforts of eating a freshly cooked meal off of a table, in a climate controlled, bug free, home.