Day 93Darrington, Washington

I’m going into the famous section K, of which almost all the southbounders speak as a difficult passage. They did not exaggerate completely: blowdowns (sleeping trees), overgrowth (invasive vegetation), briers and small shrubs make the progression painful.

For once, I don’t add miles to the program. I even stop at 12:00, which I rarely do. Despite the obstacles, the day is beautiful, with some of Washington’s most impressive altitude landscapes.

I’m going down below 1,000 meters and looking for a camp near a river. The part known as the most crowded starts the next morning, I prefer to approach it rested rather than at nightfall.

I meet about twenty southbounders. Many want to discuss my journey from Mexico and the conditions to the south. The exchanges are nice, although the same repeated conversation ends up slowing down significantly during the day.