Wednesday, Sept. 1

Yesterday's distance covered: 9 miles.

Last night's campsite: Echo Creek Trail Camp (elevation 3,500 feet).

Yesterday's weather: Mist and drizzle in the morning, and dry by mid-afternoon with random blue sky sightings.

Today's weather: Clear skies with a waxing half moon overhead at 6 a.m.; 31 degrees.

Happenings: Tim hits the trail early; I wait out the morning's moisture by talking trail with rangers. One of them spent Monday, despite lousy weather, running the park's 35-mile Northern Loop Trail. The Wonderland Trail even has its own speed record. A guy from Colorado holds the published record of 27 hours and 56 minutes, set in 1991, but rangers say that mark has since been broken. I catch a ride to Reflection Lake from Longmire at 2 p.m. Within a five minute span late in the afternoon, I sent a lens cap and filter rolling into a raging stream, then had my pack's right shoulder strap break. I said goodbye to one and fixed the other. The trail in Stevens Canyon is brushy. Berries are minimal.

Nice views: The 115-foot gorge at Box Canyon and the falls at Cowlitz River.

Thoughts: I wish I had my camera filter back. Is this shoulder strap going to hold?

Looking ahead: How bad is that new snow at Panhandle Gap?

Last night's dinner: Richmoor's Natural High beef enchilada ($6.50): Decent, but it had been in my garage too long.

Distance still to travel: 80 miles.

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