Ellensburg to Spokane Valley

June 2, 2024 Maxheap
2 Comments
Washington

[Note: see my YouTube playlist for the latest videos,  including my first ever rattlesnake encounter! Videos are now labeled by date. Start with May 19 for all the new ones.]

See this YouTube video for details on how these two mistook me for their shepherd!
Smaller Washington wind farm

My apologies for the delay on this post but I’ve been under the weather the past couple of days. Today is Sunday, June 2nd and I’m posting from the comfort of my own desk in Spokane Valley! One fun thing about walking a route of your own choosing is getting to walk wherever you want. I intentionally routed a trajectory that goes through the trail in our backyard (the Centennial Trail). I reached our door late in the day Wednesday the 29th, 13 days and 335 miles after setting off from the wharf in Seattle the morning of the 17th.

Endless alley
Sightings like this backyard shed just warm my soul
Is “Whiskey Dick Unit” redundant?
Cool rock formation
Rocky Coulee Recreation Area
My green tent hiding behind a clump of trees
The Columbia at dusk

Thus far, the hike has been terrific, exceeding my expectations and making me quite excited about the next few months of walking. Assuming all continues to go well, the next day I hike, I should cross into the panhandle of Idaho and a couple days after that into Montana, where I’ll be walking for quite a while.

Nice colors
Passed by, didn’t linger
Still suitable for Underdog
Stone landscapes are surprisingly diverse
The Washington Palouse region

I’ve had mostly great weather, my pack weight has been very light and comfy, helping the long days come relatively easy- save for the gnarly condition of the smallest two toes on each foot which seem to be taking longer to develop heavy calluses. The next stretch of hiking (between Spokane, WA and Missoula, MT) traverses some truly stunning scenery, especially around the Coeur d’Alene area.

Walked this “rail trail” through much of Washington
Very active hives, the buzz audible from far off
What’s unusual in this picture? Henry might not approve, but it made me laugh out loud!
Ever?
Maxim: North, South, East, West (and all points in between), where there’s a road sign outside the city limits in the U.S.A, there’s someone with a gun that feels compelled to plug a few rounds into it
From a distance, the Palouse often resembles a manicured golf course
They were staring at me more than I at them
Yeah, don’t slip down that massive open drain
Sometimes the sheer scale of modern American farming leaves one speechless

Before closing, I wanted to comment on a recent milestone passed. At some point during the past month, I walked my 10,000th mile (16,000 kilometers) on long distance thru-hikes, between the AT, CDT, PCT and now this CTC (Coast-to-Coast) journey. What started 10 years ago as a one-time break from the stresses of corporate work ended up becoming one of my life’s major investments of time. I look back now in wonder at all that’s happened: the beautiful places seen, the incredible people encountered, and the life lessons accumulated- all via primitive foot travel. 

Small town cemetery prep for Memorial Day
Found money, volume 2. Running total: 67 cents. Need some ideas for how to spend all this loot when I reach the end of the trail
“Play a train song” (T. Snider)
It must have taken serious effort to relocate those box springs up there
Another Cottonwood blizzard
Green as far as the eye…
or brown…
Your move, bruv
Different day, more bullets

My heartfelt thanks to each of you for joining in and being a part of this long, strange trip. Here’s to the many more miles ahead together! Yours, in stride. Max

From a distance these signs looked unsettlingly similar to swastikas
Water source, piped from a lake
The car and I are the same age, both showing the miles
Sunset, my tent and I90
Break time: as a Brit might say, my feet were buggered
A great childhood memory: watching Mean Gene interview Bobby Heenan, Jesse the Body, etc.
“Ah, nice marmot.” (J. Lebowski)
It was a “the first step’s a doozy” kinda situation
Thanks for the well-placed bench and RIP Steve, we were clearly brothers
Washington
Idaho

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