PNT day 31 – Bonaparte Lookout & Havillah

Lake view camp (533.0) to Havillah church camp (550.0)

17 miles

Guess what?! This morning I woke up and the sun shone on my tent! Yes!! The night on the mountainside had been very quiet and I enjoyed a quiet morning with a good granola breakfast.

A quarter of a mile down the road and I hit the trail that went up the hill. I had decided to do the alternate route which would lead me all the way up the mountain to Bonaparte Lookout. This Lookout was one of the last staffed lookouts in the area meaning there was actually someone up there watching for fires. The climb up was quite steep and so I settled at my usual slow pace and stopped here and there to catch a breath or take a photo. There was no rush as from the summit it would be all downhill. My right foot was bothering me again today and I am highly worried. Halfway up I killed the pain with some Ibuprofen. What’s wrong?

Arriving up the mountain I dropped my pack under the wooden tower and climbed up the wooden stairs. Jim the Lookout man welcomed me and I entered the Lookout. We talked for a while and it was interesting to get to know more about Jim’s work, see the old instruments he is working with and peaks which are more than 50 miles away. The time now was emergency time for the forest service due to the thunderstorm a couple of nights ago. Fires could still develop. Jim actually had been on the lookout during the storm and he showed me the wooden chairs with plastic feet. And I had thought my tent would be a bad place…

After about an hour it was time for me to say goodbye and hike on. I descended down the mountain and the trail changed quickly. From a mountainous environment I hiked into a hot and dry forest with black cows. Afterwards the trail led me into a road that went through farmfields and occasional trees. The Okanogan Highlands were a very different landscape.

My destination for today was supposed to be the church of Havillah. The people there were supposed to be very Hiker-friendly and it was possible to camp there.

Arriving at the church I studied the information board for PNT hikers when a car pulled up. A woman with four kids got out. “We are here to see you”. She handed me a bag with fresh fruits and some cookies. It was amazing! We hikers are also allowed to use the restrooms in he church as well as the kitchen. In the freezer are some microwaveable meals and some other stuff for us. What a great place!

As it’s still hot outside I am lying in the church room on a church bench writing these lines and I am ready to fall asleep. I am so tired! Hopefully my foot will be better tomorrow!