The Walkabout: North Cascades: Tumbling Into Those Bumbling

An early start to the day, I left Kate and Slaed's place after checking on the local traffic "Jam Factors" (Kate will get it...). Traffic would not delay me from getting to the North Cascades in time enough to start hiking into the backcountry! Despite all my rushing.

Filling out a permit, registering a bear canister (first of what will eventually become MANY times), and loading up my pack still took me enough time that it set me back a few hours. Whats more...the road leading to the trail head was closed three miles back. The Ranger told me that because of this second landslide, I would probably have the backcountry to myself...I guess three miles uphill on asphalt just to get to the trail was enough of a deterrent for some folks.

If memory serves me correctly, this was my first time among peaked mountains. I tell you what...you never forget it. I was walking through pages of a Tolkien story...I was sure of it. Turns out it would be far from that last time I felt like that over the last two months.

Once passed the grueling asphalt mountain of pain, I finally reached the trailhead. Another 4ish miles until I reached the Pelton Basin...another 4 beautiful mountains. Ascending the countless switchbacks, the only sounds were the swaying trees and the booming cracks of the the glaciers slowly heaving themselves across mountains...literally changing the landscape before my very eyes. I mean these ice giants sound like the sonic boom of jets when they creep along. You feel like the mountain is going to crumbled down on top of you.

Once I reached the mountain pass I stumbled into a few day hikers. They warned me to not go any further because a black bear was on the trail ahead. Well my curiosity got the best of me so I decided to investigate. But not for long...sure enough the black bear was right there nomming on some DELICIOUS blueberries. I didn't blame him, but I gave him a WIDE berth.

Once I crossed over the Sahale Mountain Pass into the basin the mountains seemed to only further echo the crashing sounds of the glaciers. It is really unlike any other sound I have ever heard. Everytime I would hear it, I felt so tiny.

One thing about being in this basin, surrounded by rocky giants - sentinels of the soul - and the sounds of a babbling stream, any negative concern or memory of mine that may have been plaguing my thoughts over the last year had disappeared. Gone. Nothing else mattered. The mountains blocked everything out and the stream washed what was leftover away.

I would not be the only one either who felt the healing powers of this basin. I met two fellow travelers, Bumblers, if you will. Michael and Fern. They were going to be staying the night in the basin by accident rather than by design. They were there before me and without skipping a beat, invited me to join them for dinner. Whats more, we even shared a "site" together. A quick forming but lasting friendship was forged in those mountains. Tempered by stone and ice. Such an incredible time with these folks...a lot of bottled up laughter finally had a chance to release. With insanity from isolation looming, I sure hope they weren't just a figment of my imagination.

This is not the first time I've posted about these folks...anyone remember Bumbleabout.net? Well...