When the Pieces Fall Into Place

8:45 AM

Everything happens for a reason; the art is learning to recognize it, so that moments fall into place like pieces of a puzzle.

The man, John, who called me FireWater yesterday, has arranged a shuttle. While we’re sitting at the breakfast table, three other hikers join us. They’re part of the same group—a glacier mountaineering group. I had passed them yesterday on the pass, and they recognized me.

Suddenly, they offer to take me to Stevens Pass. It reminds me that everything is connected. The uncertainty about how to bypass the wildfires is suddenly resolved, and I can mentally prepare for the new challenges ahead of me.

10:26 AM

The arranged shuttle takes the five of us to the ferry dock, which turns out to be quite a drive from the mountain.

It’s a bit of a strange village: it looks beautiful and well maintained, yet I get this unsettling feeling that I might never leave this mountain again. The entire day is scheduled for those staying behind. As early as 7:00 AM, people are mowing lawns, driving little carts, sweeping, and doing laundry. In the town square, there’s a board where everyone can sign up for chores that need to be done. Plants are watered with sprinklers like the ones we only use in large orchards back home. I feel like I’ve stepped into an episode of Lost.

For the ferry to dock, a green flag has to be raised. A few minutes later, we’re on the boat—ironically heading in the wrong direction, toward Stehekin—but that’s because the same ferry makes the return trip. In Stehekin, I can grab some lunch.

10:57 AM

The boat passes the wildfires that forced me to detour from Stehekin earlier, when the danger level was raised to level three. The wind has shifted now, and Stehekin is open to hikers again.

We eat lunch together on the terrace and end up having a great time. John and Susie are retired. Ben and a Korean woman—whose name I can’t quite remember—are younger. They’re members of a mountaineering club and don’t stick to the trails; they go straight off them. Ice axes, crampons, microspikes, helmets, ropes—you name it, they have it. Their backpacks feel like concrete to me, yet they lift them effortlessly.

12:56 PM

After lunch, we depart for the other side of the lake. The captain wants to show us prehistoric drawings on a rock wall, so he steers the boat close to shore.

He also takes us past the wildfire so everyone can photograph the raw force of nature.

John, who is involved with the PCT organization, explains that wilderness areas used to be protected from fires. The decision was later made to stop intervening and let nature restore itself, because suppressing fires had allowed forests to grow too dense, making fires far more intense. There’s certainly truth to that—but the recovery of burned forests can take hundreds of years.🤔

2:48 PM

The boat ride takes a long time, and it’s not until 3:00 PM that we’re back on land. John’s truck is waiting, and the five of us are driven to my hotel in Leavenworth.

Susie also lives in Leavenworth, and I’ll need to text her tomorrow if I want a ride back to the PCT.

On the Camino, these are called Camino moments. Here, they’re known as trail angels. How do you ever properly thank people like this? 🙏

4:31 PM

I quickly go through my gear. Some things have to go—my backpack is too heavy—so I ship them to a Camino friend of Aimee’s who happens to live near the PCT. I do laundry and get myself ready for the next stage.

6:48 PM

I go out for dinner on Susie’s recommendation: a delicious rice ball with salmon. The town feels distinctly German, and after taking a closer look, I realize everything is German. Where on earth have I ended up this time?