August 26, 2018 Mobile Mission Control or Granny Hat Goes North

OREGON

Granny Hat found a beautiful mountain lodge called Green Springs Inn near Ashland Oregon, up highway 66 and very close to the PCT. She spotted a SOBO hiker and realized Mission had passed that way just weeks before. Thru-hikers are quiet, almost stealthy, the last of the Mohicans leaving very little trace down their narrow path. The Inn hosts many PCT travelers and their home-made sourdough bread, pies and jams are probably the reason, not to mention their jet baths complete with rubber duckies, just like home.

Next on Granny Hat’s itinerary was a very restful long visit with her brother Nathan and sister in law Glenda in Roseberg, Oregon followed by an overnight visit with their children in Portland. Nieces Hannah and Sophia took Granny to Anna Banana downtown for really fabulous coffee and breakfast. Granny enjoyed her visit with nephews Benjamin and Jackson also. A quick drive across the mighty Columbia and it was “welcome to Washington”.

WASHINGTON

Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Stehekin are just a few of the odd sounding but absolutely beautiful alpine towns of the North Cascades in Washington. Granny Hat along with her daughter Melody and granddaughter Brighton are touring the countryside waiting for Mission to finish his epic trek. They are keeping their eyes open for Sasquatch, this is his territory.

Uncle Stephan, where are you?  Brighton looks to the mountains above Leavenworth, not the worst place to be marooned waiting to hear from Mission. The last 40 miles or so of the Pacific Crest Trail remain closed due to fires. Mission hoped to obtain a new wilderness permit to hike north to the Canadian border west of the North Terminus. Meanwhile Granny Hat and her crew ate their way through Leavenworth enjoying Bavarian food, Thai food, Chai Honeycomb ice cream and  shopping, of course.

We stayed at the Linderhof Inn and met Tenderfoot and Sideways,  PCT thru-hikers taking a zero in Leavenworth. Granny Hat decided to be a Trail Angel while Melody and Brighton shopped, giving them a ride back up to Stevens Pass.  They had met Mission back at Goat Rocks Wilderness and called Granny “Missions Mom”. We enjoyed swapping stories and Granny loved giving back just a little, so many family, friends and total strangers have helped Mission along the way.

Mission was able to call from Stehekin with the good news that he was granted his wilderness permit for the North Cascades National Park trails that will take him to the border just miles west of the original PCT trail. He plans to hike through beautiful country up to Ross Lake, reach the border, then take a boat ride back across the lake to Highway 20 where we hope to meet him at Ross Lake resort.  With some extra time before we head north, Granny Hat and her Mobile Mission Control crew drove east to Wenatchee to catch up with dear friend Laurie Krueger. What an absolute blessing that was!

🎶listen to the rhythm of the falling rain🎶

Mobile Mission Control reached Lake Stevens north of Seattle and a light rain has been falling off and on all day, showers of blessing for the fire fighters and perhaps some muddy hiking for Mission. 🎶he’s hiking in the rain, just hiking in the rain🎶. Already the sky is clean again, smoke has been washed away. And Washington will stay beautiful and green!

“Who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the mountains” Psalm 147:8