It’s 0545 again and I’m up. My sleep just ok. Get out of the sleeping bag and get dressed. My clothes are dry, cold and I stink. I pack all my “need to stay dry” gear into my dry bag. Put on my shoes and I’m out of the tent. Get my food bag off the bear pole and start on another 4 star breakfast. Maple & brown sugar oatmeal and a Carnation Breakfast Essentials Powder. Let that soak and I’ll drink my breakfast on the trail. Take down the tent and pack the rest of my gear.

North Puyallup River Group Camp to Mowich Lake Walk-in Camp. This looks like a 14 mile walk and I will be able to get my second food cache. The first 12 miles are easy. Nothing too big, nothing too long, nothing too steep. The South Mowich River has a reroute for the half log footbridge. The reroute follows multiple log crossings. Be careful on 8/20/2020 a guy fell in and went missing. After that you gain 2,300 feet in the last 1.75 miles.

You know that you are getting to Mowich Lake when you run into people/day hikers. I even run into a SFD Lt. walking with his wife. I find my “tent site” & set up on a gravel pad. Note: I was unable to pound my stakes into the ground ( improvise, adapt and overcome). Thank God for free standing tents. Now I’m off to find the Wilderness Patrol Cabin and my food. On the way back to my tent I run into some “good old boys”. After talking to them for 25 min I’m handed a few cold beers and I’m on my way back to the tent. When I get back to my tent I hand out beers like Santa Claus on Christmas day.

Then it started to rain.

14.92 Miles, 4,236 Elev Gain, 3,038 Elev Loss, 8:05 time