PCT | Washington
This is the last section of the PCT, crossing the state of Washington from Cascade Locks (mile 2147) up to the Canadian Border (mile 2650).
It is told to be a magical section, as hikers go through beautiful alpine landscapes, peaceful forests, and a rollercoaster of emotions while approaching the northern terminus of the PCT.
1. Cascade Locks to Trout Lake
mi 2149 - mi 2231
2. Trout Lake to White Pass
mi 2231 - mi 2297
3. White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass
mi 2297 - mi 2396
4. Snoqualmie Pass to Leavenworth
mi 2396 - mi 2467
5. Leavenworth to Stehekin
mi 2467 - mi 2575
6. Stehekin to Manning Park
mi 2575 - mi 2655
These are the main challenges we faced:
Wildfires & smoke 🔥
Cold temperatures ❄️
Emotional rollercoaster 🎢
Now that we already made it to Canada and back to “real life”, I look back and remember those days with tears in my eyes, realizing how lucky I was to be there, whishing it was all just a dream so that I could still live it and fall in love with it for the very first time.
Tips for future PCT hikers:
While hiking the PCT, remember to LIVE!
Smile, cry, be silly, go crazy, soak in all the emotions. Enjoy the nice moments but also the bad ones. Listen to the sounds of nature and the calls of pikas and respond to those calls. Slow down, observe the rhythm of the changing seasons, fill your eyes with the beauty of those vaste forests and majestic mountains. Love the people you’re hiking with and most importantly, be proud of yourself. Let go and fall in love with the trail.
“Uphill Once Again”
Cascade Locks to Trout Lake
Distance: 82 miles
Time: 4 days
Our Resupplies: Cascade Locks
Mile 2150 | day 116 | Cascade Locks
When leaving Cascade Locks, the crossing of the Bridge of the Gods was a very much anticipated moment. Humming “El Condor Pasa”, I thought of Cheryl Strayed as I walked on the grid above the wide Columbia River separating Oregon and Washington. It was epic.
We slowly started climbing into the state of Washington, planning to get a hitch to the town of Trout Lake on the 4th day.
Mile 2150 | day 116 | Cascade Locks
Fun Fact:
We ended up crossing it three times.
Why?
When we first arrived on the other side, I couldn’t find the famous blue sign stating “Bridge of the Gods”, the one I’ve seen in so many pictures and videos. Hence I thought: “I must have missed it, it’s for sure back at the entrance of the bridge!”. But once on the other side, I realized that I just didn’t see it because it was simply not there anymore… upsi! Let’s cross one more time, now for good!
Mile 2160 | day 116 | On trail
While hiking that evening, Chef told me to look at the beautiful soft clouds in the sky. I had to take a picture.
Mile 2160 | day 116 | On trail
Views from the top of the big climb out of Cascade Locks.
Mile 2170 | day 117 | On trail
We quickly understood why Washington is called “the evergreen state”. The forests are so dense and diverse here!
Mile 2175 | day 117 | On trail
Campanelle.
These flowers reminded me of my Nonna. When hiking in the mountains, my sister and I would always beg her to tell us a story… she used to invent great stories involving living trees, butterflies and flowers, and this type of flower was often a main character.
Mile 2194 | day 118 | On trail
Mount Adams slowly got closer and closer.
Mile 2202 | day 118 | On trail
While Mount Hood got farther and farther behind us.
Mile 2213 | day 119 | On trail
We spotted an older PCT sign on trail.
Mile 2226 | day 119 | Trout Lake
The General Store in Trout Lake.
Here we resupplied for the next stretch, pitched our tents in the backyard, met incredibly generous and kind trail angels, and drank the most delicious huckleberry milkshakes.
It was definitely one of the most special stops on the PCT!
“Goat Rocks”
Trout Lake to White Pass
Distance: 66 miles
Time: 3 days
Our Resupplies: Trout Lake
Day 120 | Off trail
Due to a shoe delivery problem, Chef and I left the town of Trout Lake a bit later than our trail family. We did not manage to fully solve the issue, but we did just enough to postpone it… so Chef decided to get creative and tape his broken shoes for the moment.
Our mission was to walk another re-route around the William’s Mine Fire, cross the Goat Rocks Wilderness, hike on the spectacular Knife’s Edge, and arrive at White Pass on the 3rd day. Of course, our main priority was to catch our friends.
Day 120 | Off trail
During the first day, we hiked 30 miles on forest roads around the fire.
It was a special day, characterized by countless emotional breakdowns, hysterical reactions against bite flies, breathtaking views of Mount Adams, and a special encounter with a black bear crossing the road.
Mile 2270 | day 121 | On trail
Views of Mount Adams after entering Goat Rocks Wilderness.
Mile 2275 | day 121 | On trail
Old Snowy Mountain.
It was a nice feeling to know we would summit it the next morning at sunrise.
Mile 2278 | day 121 | On trail
Last views of Mount Adams, now behind our backs.
Mile 2278.5 | day 121 | On trail
Chef going for the last climb before reaching our campsite for the night, right below Old Snowy.
Mile 2279.8 | day 122 | On trail
The spectacular sunrise we witnessed from the top of Old Snowy. It was a special moment, which we shared with Pacman.
Mile 2279.8 | day 122 | On trail
Chef and Pacman descending Old Snowy, with breathtaking views over Mount Rainier.
Mile 2281 | day 122 | On trail
Walking on the ridge of Knife’s Edge in the golden morning light was surreal.
Mile 2282 | day 122 | On trail
And my god, we couldn’t help falling in love with Mount Rainier.
It also made us realize that Canada was quickly getting closer.
Mile 2290 | day 122 | On trail
Views over Shoe Lake from the trail.
Mile 2298 | day 122 | White Pass
Once at White Pass, we picked up our resupply box, showered and spent a great evening cooking Japanese Curry with Easy Peasy, who recently joined our trail family.
It was a foggy, cold and dark evening, and we were all sitting at the tables in the back of the store, surrounded by the loud noise of the power generator.
As Pacman was telling his famous cotoletta about the LA aqueduct stretch back in the desert, I looked at our family loughing out loud and having fun… and thought I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.
“Superheroes”
White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass
Distance: 99 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: White Pass
Mile 2298 | day 123 | White Pass
Finally, the “shoes delivery odyssey” came to an end. We had to wait and pray till noon for the postman to deliver the boxes at White Pass with his autonomous driving car… after fishing between 50 other hiker boxes, Chef found his last (6th) new pair of shoes.
Mile 2305 | day 123 | On trail
“Hi there, where are you hiking to?”
“North, to CANADA”
“Oh… and where are you coming from?”
“MEXICO”
The short silence that followed was filled with incredulity. We looked at each other and started laughing, realizing how odd we sounded. At the same time, the truth of what we just said slapped us in the face. Then the group of day hikers started applauding and cheering for us. We felt like superheroes!
This was a short but meaningful conversation we had with day hikers during this 4-days stretch from White Pass to Snoqualmie… my god, we really needed that motivational boost to survive this section!
Mile 2314.8 | day 123 | On trail
Since we started hiking quite late on the first day, we arrived at camp at dusk.
When climbing down to the tentsite, we startled a huge animal that started running downhill… we froze and tried to have a better visual, but unfortunately managed to only see the big butt of what looked like to be a moose. Well, it looked like the butt of a moose, although an elk sighting would have been more probable.
We talked a lot about this butt, and we want to believe it was a moose.
Mile 2321 | day 124 | On trail
The next day, we entered Mount Rainier National Park, and the views were not disappointing.
Mile 2339 | day 124 | On trail
We walked on the ridge of a burned valley at sunset. Suddenly, the incredible mating calls of elks filled the valley… one call from our left, followed by an answer from our right. It was an enchanted moment.
Mile 2340 | day 125 | On trail
Another sunrise - “another day in paradise”.
Mile 2360 | day 125 | On trail
The trail started winding between tall trees and the atmosphere was mystical.
Mile 2370 | day 126 | On trail
Although the weather has been hot in the last few days, the red color of the huckleberry bushes is constantly reminding us one thing: autumn is coming.
Mile 2387 | day 126 | On trail
This is how we communicate within our trail family: the pacman drawings on the dirt are indicating which way to follow for finding the tentsite.
Mile 2387 | day 126 | On trail
Mirror lake.
At this campsite that evening, magic happened. I managed for the first time to throw my bear hang rope on a very tall branch with the “lasso method”, and we saw a flying squirrel after dinner.
It was an epic moment… Chef was pointing his flashlight in the right direction at the right time, and “frufrufrufru”, a flying squirrel flew from one tree to another in front of our shocked eyes.
Mile 2391 | day 127 | On trail
Thanks to Easy Peasy, we are learning some useful Japanese words, mostly related to trail life and the outdoors.
“Kinoko” (mushroom) is one of them.
Mile 2396 | day 127 | Snoqualmie
Snoqualmie was an interesting ski town, most probably under the influence of a magic crystal.
We shared rooms at the Summit Inn motel, where we witnessed crazy things, and were vortexed by the Dru Bru Brewery, where we had way too many beers.
The vibes were great and we even saw Chris Bertish… go check out his upcoming expedition, planned for 2025!
“Pika Calls”
Snoqualmie Pass to Leavenworth (Stevens Pass)
Distance: 71 miles
Time: 4 days
Our Resupplies: Snoqualmie Pass
Mile 2402 | day 128 | On trail
This 4-days stretch from Snoqualmie to Stevens Pass was mainly characterized by the high pitch calls of pikas. We dragged our tired bodies across many valleys, filled with the sound of these cute chubby creatures… it didn’t take long for us to loose our minds and start talking to them:
“iiih! iiih!”
“Piccolo Pika, che cosa mi vuoi raccontare oggi?!”
We even had to excuse ourselves when surprized by a group of hunters, who then told us:
“if you’re PCT hikers and you started in Mexico, you can do whatever sound you want!”
In the last few days, these curious animals started working like crazy to prepare for the winter, accumulating twigs and leaves to store in their nests between rocks.
Mile 2402 | day 128 | On trail
Golden lake at sunset.
Mile 2410 | day 128 | On trail
Views over an enchanted valley, shortly before camp. That evening was probably the best I had on the PCT.
After a quiet dinner, we all took part in a fun group activity: bear hanging our food. Cleopatra and I managed to hang our food pretty fast, so we had the chance to watch the men creating art in the form of a christmas tree. We felt like the spectators in “Ciao Darwin”, watching “Padre Natura”, and couldn’t help but laughing so much.
Later at camp, we all switched off our headlamps and watched the stars in silence. It was a special moment, during which I felt so connected to everyone in my trail family.
The silence was broken by Chef, who started doing a detailed description of the time, mileage and profile of the next days. I smiled thinking it was so typical of him.
This was a moment of pure happiness… I felt part of a group, of a family.
Mile 2410 | day 128 | On trail
Chipmunks are also warning us about winter. They lately started running across the trail, their mouth full of food, digging and hiding their treasures everywhere.
Mile 2412 | day 129 | On trail
Spectacular views over Spectacle Lake.
Mile 2427 | day 129 | On trail
I know it’s another mountain picture… but wow how cool were those mountains! And new ones kept coming after every climb!
Mile 2440 | day 130 | On trail
Amanita Muscaria.
Mile 2451 | day 130 | On trail
Views of Glacier Lake with Glacier Peak in the background.
Mile 2453 | day 130 | On trail
Our campsite at Glacier Lake, where we prepared for the worse, which never came. The weather forecast announced rain for the whole night, and this scared us so much that we started digging trenches around our tents as prevention.
Mile 2467 | day 131 | Leavenworth
Leavenworth.
After picking up our resupply box at Stevens Pass, we had a tough hitch to Leavenworth, where we again shared a hotel room, and satisfied our hiker hunger with German food, milkshakes and McDonald’s. This town is modeled after a Bavarian Village, and we felt like at Disneyland!
“Around The Last Fire”
Leavenworth (Stevens Pass) to Stehekin
Distance: 108 miles
Time: 4 days
Our Resupplies: Leavenworth
Mile 2470 | day 132 | On trail
We left Leavenworth and started hiking from Stevens Pass with determination: we were going to walk our last alternate around the Miners Complex Fire.
The reroute we planned was 4 days long and led us East of the PCT… to Lake Wenatchee, along the Entiat River, up Milham Pass and down to Lucerne on Lake Chelan, where we hopped on the ferry to Stehekin, our last town stop!
Day 133 | Off trail
Road walking along Lake Wenachee, where we had fun doing “house watching”.
Day 133 | Off trail
Midday stop at Midway.
This lunch break was awesome… the kind people working in the shop even offered to pay for everything we wanted.
Day 134 | Off trail
View over the forests of Glacier Peak Wilderness, while climbing up a steep dirtbike trail.
Day 135 | Off trail
The third night was very cold, and we woke up to our first morning frost in Washington.
It was a difficult morning… we felt very tired, consequently very slow, consequently very demotivated.
Day 135 | Off trail
This was the valley we had to climb and, even though we were having a very low moment, we took a break to admire its beauty.
Day 135 | Off trail
Descending from Milham Pass… in front of us, spectacular mountains.
Day 135 | Off trail
Views over the meadow of Emerald Park.
Day 135 | Off trail
Lake Chelan.
On the neverending bushwacking descent towards Lucerne, we realized that we were going to be late for the ferry… so we ran like crazy for one hour.
We miraculously didn’t twist any ankle, arrived at the dock just in time, and had an amazing ride on this wild lake!
Mile 2574 | day 135 | Stehekin
Arrival in Stehekin, a tiny town on the shores of Lake Chelan, accessible from the outside world only by foot, float plane or boat.
Mile 2574 | day 135 | Stehekin
Magical sun beams over the bakery of Stehekin, just on the other side of the lake.
We were so looking forward to tasting those legendary cinnamon rolls the next morning!
Mile 2574 | day 135 | Stehekin
We spent the evening on the patio of the Lodge.
While listening to Enya, I looked at the peaceful moon-lit lake and fought back the tears. Part of me really wants to complete the PCT, touch that monument and arrive in Canada… but that would mean saying goodbye to our trail family, to this tough but perfect life, and coming back to reality.
I am not ready for this, and I honestly think part of me will never be ready.
“The Dream”
Stehekin to Manning Park
Distance: 80 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: Stehekin
Mile 2574 | day 136 | Stehekin
Chef and Cleopatra rushing into the Stehekin Bakery for an epic breakfast before hitting the trail.
I swear, those were the BEST cinnamon rolls i have ever tasted!
Oh and the atmosphere was just unique… the bakery was completely run by women, all baking with love. It was such a cozy and familiar place, filled with the incredible smell of baked goods.
Mile 2579 | day 136 | On trail
And just like that, we found ourselves in our last 5 days stretch between Stehekin and Canada, leaving town and civilization for one last time before reaching the northern terminus of the PCT.
We took the shuttle bus to the trail head. Shortly after rejoining the trail, we crossed this nice suspension bridge.
Mile 2601 | day 137 | On trail
The mountain range of the North Cascades in Washington is truly spectacular… around every corner, there are new breathtaking peaks to discover.
This was the view over Tower Mountain, on the descent from Cutthroat Pass.
Mile 2603 | day 137 | On trail
Shortly before reaching the planned campsite, we had to call a quick “emergency meeting”.
We indeed spotted the remainings of the Easy Fire burning just down the valley… in the end, we decided to push forward and camp on top of Methow Pass, a strategic place for us in case of a “fire disaster”.
Mile 2606 | day 138 | On trail
Luckily, the fire did not grow overnight, and the next morning we were gifted this stunning view.
Mile 2624.7 | day 138 | On trail
As we arrived at Harts Pass, we could not believe our eyes… a big tent, many chairs and coolers, people loughing, the smell of food. It meant only one thing: TRAIL MAGIC!!!
Harts Pass was the very last road we crossed on the PCT.
Mile 2626 | day 138 | On trail
The North Cascades range.
These mountains made us fall in love with Washington, and I swore to come back one day.
Mile 2627 | day 138 | On trail
Popeye and Chef pointing at the tall peaks and glaciers in the distance.
Mile 2628 | day 138 | On trail
Popeye and Chef, olio su tela.
The light between those hills was magical at sunset.
Mile 2629 | day 138 | On trail
That evening, I kept looking back to admire the landscapes we were crossing. I probably took like a hundred pictures… I just couldn’t stop. This was the view we had shortly before arriving at our chosen campsite.
We then spent 45 hilarious minutes at a small stream flowing down the mountain, desperately trying to collect enough water for dry camping, using leaves as a funnel.
By “enough water” we mean 4 liter each, because we are the “water lords”.
This amount of water would allow us to cook, prepare hot toddy to share with our trail family, spend the night, and hike out the next morning for a few miles.
At camp, we realized it was going to be our second-last evening on the PCT. As a happy and sad knot was building in my stomach, I tried to enjoy and remember every single moment of it.
Mile 2632 | day 139 | On trail
As expected, the fog was quickly rolling in over Foggy Pass.
Mile 2643 | day 139 | On trail
During this second last day on trail, the mountains were showing off some cool autumnal colors.
When looking at that sky, we also knew we soon had to get out of there. As an old Italian proverb says:
“cielo a pecorelle, pioggia a catinelle”
Hence, rain and cold days were coming!
Mile 2647 | day 139 | On trail
Climbing up to the highest point of the PCT in Washington.
Mile 2647.5 | day 139 | On trail
Well, the views were worth the climb.
Mile 2647.5 | day 139 | On trail
And the colors on those hills were just mind blowing!
Mile 2648 | day 139 | On trail
Easy Peasy overlooking the mountains ahead of us… somewhere behind those peaks, there was Canada.
Mile 2648 | day 139 | On trail
Hopkins Lake.
Let’s gooo! All downhill to Canada!
Mile 2651 | day 139 | On trail
One last beautiful sunset sky.
Mile 2655 | day 140 | Northern Terminus
The next morning, we flew on the downhill to the PCT northern terminus. We didn’t care about the wet plants on the side of the trail, and arrived soaking wet at the monument at 08:00.
There it was, standing tall in a foggy and rainy morning, marking the end of the PCT, where the trees were cut in a perfect line symbolizing the Canadian border.
Lilo cried, Chef smiled… we touched the monument and hugged each other as strong as we could.
Mile 2655 | day 140 | Northern Terminus
Chef is now a PCT thru-hiker.
Mile 2655 | day 140 | Northern Terminus
Lilo is now a PCT thru-hiker.
Mile 2655 | day 140 | Northern Terminus
We shared this incredible moment with Pacman, Cleopatra, Popeye and Easy Peasy. We took many pictures, finally opened the beer and soda cans we carried in the last stretch and performed our silly “Orinoco Flow” dance.
Mile 2655 | day 140 | Northern Terminus
My biggest fear is to come back to an overwhelming reality, to a routine life where every day looks the same as the previous day, week, month and year.
You would think that every day on the PCT is the same boring thing: walk, eat, sleep and repeat. It’s actually much more than that.
If people would ask me “so, how was it?”, I would struggle to answer. As cliché as it sounds, only someone who lived it can really understand what we were going through every day.
The wild landscapes, the good and bad moments, the pain, the memories, the genuine friendships, the power of nature’s elements.
It was wild, crazy, beyond imagination.
But I’ll soon face the next challenge, come back to reality look for a new job, and so on. I really hope that I will take some lessons back home and that I will always remember:
I am strong
I walked from Mexico to Canada
“Difficult” never means “Impossible”
