PNT day 37 – Into Pasayten Wilderness

Cold Springs trailhead (614.2) to Old Tungsten Mine Camp (637.4)

23.2 miles

After a wonderful breakfast Clint gave me a ride up the mountain to the Cold Springs trailhead. I skipped the climb up to 6000 ft along a hot mountainside. If my foot wasn’t a problem right now I might have hiked it but as there was something going on I was glad for the offer.

Up on the mountain Clint drove a bit further to a viewpoint to show me where I was heading. It was nice to get a bit of an overview of the area. Then it was time to say goodbye. I already have a lot of practice but still I think I am not good at it.

After one unplanned day of rest and lots of good food I felt strong when I hit the trail. Keeping Ibuprofen handy in my pocket I wanted to feel first how my foot was doing. As I had skipped the climb the trail started with a descent and went through a valley with cows for a while. I was heading towards a climb up Goodenough mountain (strange name for a mountain, but for me it’s good enough 😉 )

I was climbing up before lunch and it was already getting hot – even up here in the mountains. Nearly at the top of the climb I passed the boundary of the Pasayten Wilderness. For the next five and a half days I would be in the wilderness. No towns, no roads, just nature!

After starting off with a burned area and some navigational challenges the trail got a lot better and I started enjoying the hike. My foot didn’t hurt as much as I expected and so I shooted along the trail. The views were nice as the trail was mostly open following a mountainside. For the first time the PNT didn’t descend straight away but stayed at a high elevation with a bit of up and down.

My hiking day turned out to be a long one. I hiked nearly until 8 pm to reach the camp next to the old Tungsten mine. I had made a rough planning how far I wanted to go each day and due to the permit for the North Cascades I was basically stuck with a schedule. Well, so far I am right on time!