The Trip 8 team assembled Thursday to start their hiking adventure on Friday.

This team’s route is affected by wildfires. They were scheduled to hike, with llamas, approximately 5 miles in to a base camp near Pete Lake. They were to day hike from there for several days before hiking back out. Plan B was to hike in to a base camp in the Esmeralda Basin. Both of those base camp locations are now included in the Three Queens Fire Closure Order.

On to plan C. PasstoPass administrator Brian shared this information:

“[Llama wrangler] Charley has generously offered to host our base camps at his ranch with several day hikes in and around the Teanaway area.

“Rather than cancel [Trips 8 and 9] altogether, we feel this will be a great fallback and a chance to still get in a nice camping trip and some lovely hikes.”

Trip leader Barney reported Thursday night:

“How many times can the Trip 8 team switch one basecamp for another and still survive intact? The team has air quality index (AQI) fever dreams. Our latest basecamp had an air quality index of over 300 — very, very unhealthy — two days ago. Yesterday [Wednesday], it popped over 400. Danger! Danger! Still, [on Thursday] team members got on planes in Alaska, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. All day, the AQI crept down.

“When we arrived at our basecamp near Cle Elum, in the heart of the Cascades, the AQI was in the single digits. We had a pizza dinner with not one single scratchy eye and not a single cough.

“We sat in a circle of chairs just after sunset under a perfectly clear sky. Charley, the wonderful llama ranch owner, joined us and we plotted out tomorrow [Friday], starting with Charley will make coffee at 8 a.m.

“All the tents are set up, and we are heading out as a group to watch a full lunar eclipse. Life is good.”