2nd October 2013
Rainy Pass to May Creek
Mileage : 27
We were all up early today doing final preparations for the push to the Canadian border. Having arrived so late last night i didn't know what the plan was so assumed.id be out for about 4 days and packed accordingly. It turned out the plan was to take an alternate route into Canada from Rainy Pass along Ross Lake, for a total distance of 50 miles. Nobody was really happy about doing this alternate, but it seemed like the only option, and for.me with my plethora of injuries it was definitely my only option. A convoy of cars left that.morning taking about 25 people up to Rainy Pass from where we would start. The snowline was pretty much at the pass where there was 3 inches of snow, but thankfully ir would mean that as soon as we started the road walk we'd be out of it. The group headed down the road was about 15 strong with the remainder out to try their luck out on the trail. Although a small.part of me was glad not to be going out there into the snow, i was mostly envious of them for giving it a go. I'd like to think if my body was in better shape, i would have gone with them, but i knew the alternate was the right decision for me given my particular circumstances. After many hugs and photos, with groups went their.separate ways, with me bringing up the rear of the road group. The road walk, although only 20 miles, was tough, but at least it was fast. I tried to distract myself with music and podcasts, but it was still tough. Many hours later i was done with the road walk and was sorting out my rucksack in the shelter of a small outhouse with a couple of other hikers including Kazu and and Shedder. Just as i had packed up everything a couple of park rangers pulled up and started talking to people at the cars just out of earshot. I think it was Shedder who was standing right next to me and said "i wonder if they're here to stop us hiking". I panicked. For those readers that don't know, the US government at the moment is closed for business, and that includes the national parks. There are a great many things that i like very much about the US, a couple things that i don't, and one or two things that i just don't get, and this includes the US political system. I will spare you all further ramblings on this, but the shutdown for us hikers meant that trails in national parks are closed. 30 seconds after Shedder had spoken i had my rucksack on and was disappearing down the trail into the forest and away from the rangers before they spotted me. For the rest of the day i headed on my own through the rain and wet forest along the edge of Ross Lake towards Canada. I was trying to catch Cuddles and Atlas, who were only a little way ahead of me, but i never did as my.pace was.slowed by my knee. The dark enveloped me more quickly that i was expecting and had to finish in the pitch dark getting my feet drenched in the last 100 metres fording a ranging river at my campsite. I set up my camp in through rain and crawled into my tent perhaps for the last time before i crossed the border the next day into Canada.
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