The Trip 2 team reached the White Pass trailhead this morning. Hooray!
This team overcame several challenges: A change from an Oregon to a Washington route. Snow. A sick llama. An impassable alternate exit route. We celebrate that everyone is safe and we celebrate the team’s accomplishment in finishing this hike! We also thank everyone who provided support.
Coming up: Trips 8, 3, and 4
This week, the Trip 8 team hits the trail on Tuesday, July 26 for their impressive nine-day trek without pack llamas. They are hiking on the John Muir Trail (JMT) in California and will experience high elevation.
Trip leader Derek says: “Backpacking the Sierras, or even just the thought of going up Hwy 395, is akin to the anticipation a child has on Christmas Eve. You know you are in for an experience of a lifetime. The Trip 8 team is getting those jitters. The JMT is about 220 miles total with 10 mountain passes of more than 10,000 feet elevation. The trail is one of the most gorgeous trails in the world. We’ll do about 65 miles on this trip. Last year we did about 60 miles, so after this trip we’ll have done half of the trail.”
The Trip 3 team also hits the trail this week. Thursday, July 28 they depart from the Chinook Pass trailhead and start their six-day route to Government Meadows Forest Road 70 – about 28 miles.
Trip leader Brian says: “It’s gonna be a HOT one! … We’re planning early as possible departures from our campsites on the trail to try and beat the heat and give us and the llamas a break. There is reportedly very little snow on our stretch of the trail, so no worries there.” Brian did some scouting and adjusted planned campsites for the trip based on conditions and available water sources.
The Trip 4 team hits the trail on Saturday, July 30. They will hike from the White Pass trailhead to the Chinook Pass trailhead — the reverse of the Trip 2 team’s route – with hike leader Irene. As this team gets started we will have three teams on the trail at once. That means Bill and Nadean will be busy with the gear truck, ensuring teams have what they need at their starting trailheads and community gear gets transferred from one team to the next.
We will have teams on the trail through Aug. 21:
- Trip 5: Aug. 4-9
- Trip 6: Aug. 10-16
- Trip 7: Aug. 16-21