Another cold start this morning, there seems to be a trend here. All day today, except for the very end, was climbing. The trail followed the Methow River, but gradually climbed the valley wall while the river dropped away below. I turned up Bush Creek and began a brutal climb through Glacier Pass, up to Grasshopper Pass. The reward for such work was incredible views of Azurite Peak and Mt Ballard to the west, along with a panoramic vista to the east. I covered 9.7 miles today, 15.6 km.

This morning, once again, everything felt as though it should have frozen, but it hadn’t. The river nearby was keeping everything damp and unfrozen. I left camp and climbed away from the river a little bit, then saw frost covering all the plants alongside the trail. It felt pretty good to be validated for feeling so cold.

A short while later, I walked into the morning sun and everything instantly warmed up. I was taken aback by the bright yellow vegetation which lined the trail and grew up through the valleys, between patches of evergreen.

Despite all the beauty, I was still finding it hard going. Being so close to the end, but not quite there, is hard on the body and mind. I was certainly feeling the climb before even turning up Bush Creek. Once I made the turn, the river junction marked the beginning of a 5 hour monster climb. I pushed through ceaseless pain and dizzying fatigue as the trail relentlessly headed upwards to Grasshopper Pass.

Every half an hour, I would stop to rest, drink, and snack. I would take in the view at each stop and appreciate how far from the valley floor the trail was taking me.

Immediately after reaching the top, a bitterly cold wind picked up. Dark clouds swirled around the peaks to the west and I could feel snow in the air. To the east, the sun was still shining and I could see the trail snaking along the ridges.

As I walked along the ridge, more views opened up for me. It was still very cold, but the mountains gave me shelter from the brunt of the wind. There was a good looking campsite coming up in a mile or so, I had no interest in walking into the evening with potential snow on my tail, so I called it a day.