Nomad Life - Day 129

With a new year starting today, I figured it was time for me to start heading east.  This might have been an unthinkable idea only a week ago (while I was having a ball on Whidbey Island) but actually lined up with my original plan for my Nomad Life.  One big reason was that I needed to be on the East Coast by the beginning of February.  I'd known about this possiblity when I started but had only half believed the schedule would hold.  Another reason, though, was that Eileen, who had indicated she would be in the Seattle area from December 27 to January 1, had never followed up with me to schedule a meet-up.  This wasn't really surprising, I guess, but her departure day marked a clean break (at least in my own mind) for any reason for me to remain nearby.  With all these thoughts in mind, I woke up at 0615 (no alarm set because of the holiday).  Outside, the temps were in the low 30s.  With the car fully packed and my business west of the Cascades completed, I left the Motel 6 (Issaquah) at 0720.  On the way out of town (0730), I filled up my gas tank at the Arco (next door to the hotel)  and then drove to a nearby McDonalds, hoping to get some breakfast.  Unfortunately, they had reduced holiday hours and I didn't want to wait until they opened at 0800.  Instead, I drove south into the old downtown area of Issaquah and explored a bit - I'd hoped to find a diner or something similar but was out of luck.  Undeterred, I got on I-90 and headed east.  When I reached the town of North Bend, I found a 24 hour McDonalds and got some breakfast there (0800).  After getting my food, I ended up eating it in the car while driving east to the Snoqualmie Pass.  Along the way, the temps dropped into the high 20s - fortunately, the conditions were still dry, overcast and clear.  The Interstate route provided great views of the Pass itself - wow!  At 0830, I parked (along WA-906) at Summit West of the Snoqualmie ski resort and started looking for the Pacific Crest Trail, which I'd noticed (on Google Maps) crossed under I-90 at this location.  While searching, I was surprised to learn that I was only at 3000 feet elevation!  As I'd been driving, I passed plenty of signs along the Interstate about chains... After walking around in several parking lots, I managed to locate the Lodge Lake Trailhead for the PCT.  Starting from there, I walked 0.5 miles north - I encountered plenty of treacherous ice and the snow was about two to three feet deep where the plows had been working.  After crossing under the Interstate, I had to follow a snowy trail into the woods.  Before long, I found a pit toilet for the USFS North Trailhead parking lot and got off the PCT at that point.  Instead of backtracking, I used the parking lot and USFS road to return to the Summit Lodge.  During my hike, I had noticed that the trails were tightly packed - almost like they'd been skied-on.  This hunch was confirmed when I encountered several folks who were apparently hoping to do some backwoods skiing on the trail.  I also met a few PCT day hikers like myself and chatted with them.  After reaching the ski area again, I explored and learned more about the amenities.  By the time I'd finished walking (0930), I'd logged two miles in the ice and snow.  Departing from Summit West, I followed WA-906 towards the south and passed Summit Central area.  This was a much busier area and I didn't stop.  Later, I passed the Silver Fir area (also didn't stop) and continued driving until I reached the town of Hyak.  Looking back, I guess I missed Summit East (I saw it later on my map).  Meanwhile, the temps continued dropping...  Also, for the third time in a month, I got a warning light about my tire pressure (dang).  Eventually, I got on I-90 again.  I'd hoped for a smooth ride all the way down the mountain but, unfortunately, some winter precipitation began and the conditions got nasty.  I was driving through mostly freezing rain and there was snow on the ground.  Had the weather been nicer, I might have stopped in a few places.  It occurred to me, though, that I'd only get stuck so I continued east instead.  As I drove carefully through the wintry weather, I noticed a few bridges over the Interstate that I suspected might be some of the famous "wildlife overpasses" I knew were in the area.  At the end of the day, I got this result from Google AI: "Yes, there are several significant wildlife crossings, including North America's largest wildlife overpass, on I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass, part of the major Snoqualmie Pass East Project connecting the north and south Cascades for animals like elk, deer, coyotes, and cougars. The most prominent is near Keechelus Lake (Mileposts 61-62), an overhead bridge and numerous underpasses designed to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity."  After what seemed like an eternity, I reached the town of Ellensburg (1030) and turned south on I-82.  During this window, I passed over a few 2.5K+ foot passes.  The weather was mostly horrible but it seemed to stop when I reached Yakima (1100).  The terrain near the Interstate was related to the Yakima Canyon, which I caught of brief glimpse of through the icy rain (apparently, though, the highway was built to avoid the natural wonder).  A bit later (1130), I stopped to visit the "Teapot Dome" gas station in Zillah.  By then, my car was almost completely coated in ice and the ground was like a skating rink.  Once back on I-82, I continued south until the Interstate bent east.  I passed the time with audiobooks.  Along the way, I passed close to the Hanford Reach National Monument without realizing it (wish I could have stopped for another notch in my National Park Unit belt).  Before long, I got on I-182 and drove into the town of Richland so I could visit the Manhattan Project (Hanford Unit) NHP  (1235).  Unfortunately, the Visitor Center was closed for the holiday but I figured out I could have taken a tour of the B Reactor on a normal day.  In the parking lot, I was able to finally clear the ice off my windshield and clean my wipers (they weren't being very effective before that).  After getting back on I-182, I crossed the Columbia River and continued until I found myself on US-12.  This route kept me on the north side of the river - I was just about to cross some bridges when I noticed signs for Sacajawea State Park and took a detour.  The site was closed when I arrived (1315) but I was able to park outside the gate and walk around on the trails inside.  The park (which was completely deserted) was interesting because it was located at the intersection of the Snake and Columbia Rivers.  This was a crucial point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition of Discovery and there were several interesting historical signs.  It was raining throughout my visit but I logged another mile on the trails before departing (1350).  Next, I drove (on US-12) across the Snake River into Walla Walla County.  Passing by some lakes nearby, I saw hundreds of snowy egrets soaring and landing - the view was amazing!  Meanwhile, the rain continued but the temps crept back up towards 32 F.  Exiting US-12 (on to Old US-12) near the Frenchtown Historic Site, I drove through a busy Winery area - all of the establishments were closed for New Years Day.  Before long (1430), I located the Whitman Mission NHS, the target of my drive during the preceding hour.  By then, the rain was only intermittent and I was able to hike around on the trails and learn about the massacre(s) that took place in the area in the 1840s.  All of the historical signs were definitely slanted towards the Native American views (they admitted that they started the conflict but said they were only carrying out "justice").  Passing through the ruins of the old mission, I startled a beautiful Pheasant and heard a distant Great Horned Owl hooting.  In total, I logged another mile on the slippery/ice pathways before departing (1510).  After such a busy day, I had decided to stay in Walla Walla for the night and began trying to make reservations online.  Unfortunately, the internet would not cooperate and I gave up trying.  On the way to Walla Walla (on Old US-12), I saw an elk cross the road.  Before long, I located the Quality Inn Downtown and, after a frustrating period, managed to reserve a room there (1600).  Ten minutes later, I checked into my room and spent time setting up for a telework day on Friday.  For some reason, the internet was difficult to access but I eventually was able to make everything work.  At 1715, I walked across the street to a Mexican Restaurant called "El Sombrero" and ordered dinner (enchiladas) from the bar there.  To top off my meal, I also had a tasty margarita.  The food was good and I enjoyed talking with the staff.  After finishing my meal (1800), I walked back across the street to my hotel - the sidewalks were VERY icy.  In my room, I spent time reading, blogging, doing puzzles and watching movies for the rest of the evening.  Bedtime was at 2220.  Seems like I made a good call to start early - the winter weather in the mountains and plains will not be easy on my drive and I'll likely need all the extra time I have to make it to New England... Pacific Crest Trail Today =  0.5 miles / Grand Total PCT = 14.2 miles