[pct-l] News from the Trail: Goforth

["Karen Elder" <wild_mind@earthlink.net>]

Here's another note from Joanne "Goforth" Lennox:

Oregon, Government Camp
1st day of October
Friday

Dear Folks.
    I am heading S. from Mt Hood, hoping the weather will remain
clear + I can get to Crater Lake in about 10 days. I have left
the relatively low ground between Trout Lake and Solo [Lolo?]
Pass for last figuring that I can do this even if snow was at the
higher elevations. I found that one day can make a big
difference.
   It rained North of White Pass. Before that it had been in the
80s. Then poised for the Big Snowy Traverse in the Goat Rocks, I
camped for the night in a small saddle N. of Tieton Pass. By 8 pm
the wind was gusting + it was raining. The wind seemed to get
higher + higher, each large gust awakening me with a shot of
adrenalin. Finally, it just seemed to be continually hollowing. I
decided to go outside + investigate - it couldn't be as bad as it
sounded. Well, it was the wrong thing to do - what I saw really
frightened me - the really tall trees were waving around in a
very frightening way. In the morning, there was snow on the
ground + it was still blowing. Retreating back to Hidden Spring,
I found that 3 trees blocked the trail close to my camp - they
had fallen + I didn't even hear them over the wind.
   Well, a few "sucker holes" (blue sky) + the wind died some + I
turned around again. At Eagle Pass, just below the traverse I met
Kristian Whittsett (K-Rock) going S. He said, "don't go up
there", it is very sketchy (told 2 other guys it was the most
intense outdoor experience he had had). I decided to go for 1 1/2
hours + evaluate the conditions. It was very windy + I was
walking in a crouch most of the time, + kneeling when the gusts
came thru. At the beginning of the traverse, I had Charcholla's
advice ringing in my ears - "Be Safe" - Kristian had been blown
off his feet twice, I realized I could easily get injured +
hypothermic in minutes - not to mention the whiteout conditions -
the snow + ice + the deteriorating weather. i got blown off my
feet going down + landed on my elbow - it is still sore. Later I
learned that Florian Yan of Australia crawled through some of the
traverse.
   The next day I tried again + got most of the way across the
traverse before coming to a narrow + broken ridge - precipitous
on either side and the rock was covered with ice (verglass); up
to this point the foot-deep snow anchored me into the slope, but
where the ridge was very windswept + exposed, snow hadn't
accumulated + ice had formed (it was colder thanthe previous
day), with heavy steps, I turned around again, + then hiked the
fastest that I could to get to White Pass + get in contact with
my husband who was to meet me in Trout Lake the next day. The
wind had damaged the phone both at White Pss + Ohanopecosh. As he
was stepping out the door the next mornign, he finally heard the
phone.
   He took me South of White Pass + Packwood + I regained the
ridge through the Nannie Ridge Trail. Nannie Peak was my 70th
peak of the thruhike.
   It is intriguing how different Mt. Adams + Mt. Hood are as you
compare them by hiking the PCT both on their western sides.
   As I was hiking N. of Chinook Pass - near Louisianna Saddle (~
9 am), I heard a lot of barking + yipping - it sounded like dogs
had treed something, but this was a ridge top, no large trees.
Quietly, I approached a picket of small dense trees; the barking
(about 4 voices) was just on the other side of this screen of
trees. Suddenly, there was a small gap in the trees; I could only
see one animal -- less than 50 feet away - it was a white wolf.
We locked stares. This animal was not afraid of me. I was out of
there!
   The snow patches have been very hard + icy; only a skim of new
snow seems to make them passable. I am somewhat anxious about the
Jefferson, Washington, Sisters area + hope I can still get
through.

         Sincerely,
           Goforth

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