11.8 miles, 4100' gain, 3300' descent

This was our hardest day, in both total mileage and elevation gain. It consists of a Big Up, Big Down, then another Big Up.

The trail switchbacks upward through forest, then straightens out as it ascends a ridgeline and views open up, including behind us to the Gobblers Knob fire lookout. Into the subalpine of St. Andrews Park, a lunch stop at the stupendously beautiful St. Andrews Lake, then a relatively level traverse across to Klapatche Park and its predictably dried-up-by-September water source, Aurora Lake.

Now down, down, down a series of steep switchbacks to the North Puyallup River, with periodic views of dramatic rock spires above us. But what is this: stonework so deep in the wilderness? North Puyallup Camp is where construction ended when the attempt to connect the Westside Road through to Mowich Lake was abandoned, so these stone bulwarks have been growing moss for nearly a century now.

The second climb of the day is a sneaky one. It starts gently through rich forest, so I was moving fast and feeling good. But it gets steeper. And steeper. I was no longer feeling so strong... Fortunately there were many delicious huckleberries (technically blueberries, but huckleberry is the local name for mountain blueberries) along this section of trail, so I stopped to snack often.

Eventually the forest opens into the unusual landscape of Sunset Park. Fall foliage colors make a stark contrast with the bright white skeletons of dead trees, bleached by the weather after an old fire, as Her Highness Tahoma The Great overlooks it all.

Near bear encounter #1: shortly after Meg and I passed through this area, Sasha and Tanner met a bear along the trail, and Mike saw one in the same place later that evening. We must have walked right by it.

Golden Lakes is a beautiful campsite. The lake is pretty although muddy and far from my favorite water source, but the sunset viewpoint above camp more than makes up for that. Mike joined us here, having hiked in from Mowich Lake.

For dinner I tried my first ramen bomb, a recipe that Sasha and Tanner told me about. Take spicy instant ramen, cook them with more water than usual, then stir in a packet of instant mashed potatoes. And lo, it was good. It is essential that this meal ONLY EVER be eaten after a long day on the trail, however :-)

This got me thinking. A problem with freeze dried dinners is that if you include enough water to avoid crunchy non-rehydrated bits, everything inevitably ends up too soupy. Could that be fixed by turning all meals into mini-bombs? Wait until they are fully rehydrated and then add just enough instant potato powder to soak up excess moisture. This warrants further investigation.