I did this section SOBO with Matt as a 30 mile day hike. Blue Lizard and Jessi did it NOBO as a 2 night backpacking trip at the same time so we could leave cars on both ends for each other. The morning started off cold and cloudy as we climbed up to the PCT. As we gained the ridge the wind picked up, and the trail climbed into low clouds. For the first time on this entire trip I put my rain gear on to stay dry. Out of all the months spent hiking in California I never used it for rain, only as a wind block.
The clouds and fog blocked the views of nearby Mt. Adams, and the wind, cold, and moisture made the hiking a bit miserable. On the bright side, the trail surface was nice and smooth and we made good time. The clouds stayed around for at least the first half of the hike, and it was cold enough that we took a walking lunch to stay warm. We met Blue Lizard and Jessi just after lunch as they told us how great and sunny their views had been. We stopped to talk for about 5 minutes before continuing on.
We made it to sunlight a couple miles later and had a much more comfortable hike the rest of the way. Later in the afternoon we ran into Mando and Poolside on their way NOBO. We’d been texting so I knew they were somewhere in this stretch. I hadn’t seen them since July when I jumped out of Northern California. We caught up for a few minutes with the best news being that they’d be in Portland for a few weeks after they finish so it should be easy to meet up again. The last few miles went by quickly, and we got to the car well before dark.
Emge Adventures 
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