Day 98Harts Pass, Mazama and Lions Den, Washington

When I wake up, I have about 13 miles to travel in the opposite direction until Harts Pass. The walk is pleasant, on a path always as beautiful and I see no fire directly on the course.

At the ranger station, I meet a ranger preparing to leave. She warns me that hitchhiking to Mazama may be difficult today because there are few day hikers around. In the parking lot, I find Tracy and Troy, 2 trail angels who came to support Aurélien Sanchez. They are still waiting for his team, who camped at the terminus, and offer me a Coke and some food. They can take me if I cannot find another ride, but we would have to wait several hours.

I prefer to start walking down the long dirt track to Mazama, about 20 miles away. For almost 1 hour, no car passes and I already imagine having to walk the whole road. Two people from Seattle, fortunately, end up stopping and dropping me off in Mazama.

I return to the store and bakery for another feast: chips, soda, a pulled-pork sandwich and several pastries. After using the internet, I walk about 10 minutes to Lions Den.

Along the way, I meet Chance, a Pacific Northwest Trail hiker. The PNT is an east-west route of approximately 1,200 miles from the Continental Divide to the Pacific coast and crosses the PCT in northern Washington. Chance stops at Harts Pass to get his car back, he tells me he’ll be at Lions Den in the evening.

When I arrive, the place is deserted. I explore the house that Marie, whose trail name is Lion, makes available to hikers. Everything reflects years of hikers passing through: signed walls, painted stones, a tipi, tents, hikers sorted by category, abandoned trekking poles, covered couches and Hawaiian shirts to wear while showering and doing laundry. Inside, a shared kitchen, communal fridge and PCT-themed bathroom complete the place.

I take a shower, drop off my laundry and go back to buy some beers for the evening. Joseph, Mary’s son, then arrived to explain how the place worked, but I had time to install, recharge and put on a Hawaiian shirt.

Aurélien’s team eventually arrived: Lucile, his companion, Martin, his cousin, Tracy, Troy and another American who had already crossed the terminus. Other hikers join them, as access to the terminus is closing due to fires. To one day, Aurélien like me would probably have missed the border. We are soon 15 or 20 at Lions Den, with PCT hikers and several PNT (Pacific Northwest Trail) veterans. Next to them, I feel like a child.

I spend the afternoon talking with the group and exchange a few more words with Aurélien. His team leaves for dinner late enough, I stay at the Lion The day ends with a quiet night, very different from the last night in the mountains.