Not often I get to write a post from inside a sleeping bag at the top of a mountain. But lupagreenwolf convinced me to hit the trail one last time before heading home. (I did not need a lot of convincing, mind.) We drove out along the Columbia River Gorge and up into the hills, where we picked up my old friend, the Pacific Crest Trail, for a brief but satisfying walk up to the top of Mount Chinidere. Cell service is embarrassingly excellent, to match the views.

Slightly chilly and a bit windy, but we brought adequate clothing and our campsite is a bit down the ridge out of the breeze. For the first time this trip, I am enjoying open skies and NO MOSQUITOES, so I am finally partaking of the pleasures of "cowboy camping" (a sleeping bag under the stars) - a much-loved habit on my PCT thru-hike, but something I've been able to do only rarely since.

I realized a short while ago that this trip means I've now walked along the Pacific Crest Trail in all of its three states this summer. Only for tiny little sections, mind, but it feels like a momentous achievement all the same. Kind of a thru-hike in microcosm. A 1:1000-scale sample of the trail that became my life in 2006. In an unexpected way, that feels almost bigger than my very real accomplishments at Rainier.

I've spent this week being social in Seattle and Portland. Both were fantastic, though I'm not quite up to typing out full details or thank-yous amidst all this serene beauty. I'll be back home in 48 hours, so a write-up and photos are on their way.

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