The final lap

Well folks, that's it for Oregon.  We arrived in Cascade Locks 2 nights ago, and are enjoying a well earned rest.  From our Motel room we can see Washington across the Columbia River.  

The same river that Lewis & Clark navigated in their quest to discover a passage to the west coast...will become our passage to the last frontier of our own, personal, epic journey.

We have been anticipating this section of the trail for it's remote beauty and lushous forests.  We have also been cautiously optimistic of the weather, and our chances of running into major rain or even snow.  Washington and the North Cascades, have always remained, in our minds, the biggest wild card of the trip...at least as far as weather and terrain                                                                           are concerned.

We are phisically stronger than we have ever been, yet our bodies are beginning to caution us.  We have asked more of them than any other time in our lives.  My feet ache most of the time now.  Two of my toes and parts of my heals are perpetually numb.  The list goes on...for both of us.  We are being as careful as we can, but now we must ask a little more...25 days...20 miles a day...we start again tomorrow morning.  

Cheers.

Tunnel falls