150 Homes, Part 12: The End

Mile 2407 to 2659

This is the final chapter in the increasingly inaccurate 150 Homes series. Thanks to hard work, immense good luck and the constant support of our teammates, Arry and Calzone were able to reach the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail on September 30th, 2017. These are the pictures of our final camp sites.

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Night 151, Mile 2425.3: We got to Waptus Creek after a fairly easy 19-miler and set up on a patch of inch-thick dirt on top of a huge rock slab. Free-standing tents are a godsend when you don't have a lot of soil for your tent stakes, but we were still forced to tie extra guy lines to some big rocks in order to stay stable. We were both exhausted after our late night at Spectacle Lake, so we were asleep by 8pm. #pctclassof2017 #pct2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Sep 17, 2017 at 6:21pm PDT

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Night 152, Mile 2447.7: Glacier Lake lies to the north of Piper Pass and is in perpetual shadow in the afternoon due to the steep valley walls. Cal, Arry and Rescue Bird shared a tent site with a couple of surly section hikers who doubtless hoped they would have the place to themselves. Sorry, my dudes. #pctclassof2017 #pct2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Sep 17, 2017 at 6:34pm PDT

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Night 153 & 154, Mile 2461.7: We took a zero in Leavenworth, a Bavarian-themed town in Washington that takes its kitsch very seriously. Even the Starbucks sported a fancy frontage and teutonic fonts. The beer in this town was good, as one would bloody well expect. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Sep 17, 2017 at 6:36pm PDT

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Night 155, mile 2465.2: our first night out of Leavenworth saw us camping in increasingly poor conditions. There was constant drizzle, and snow was expected the next day. We cooked in our tents as the dusk gloamed around us. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 9:53am PDT

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Night 156, mile 2484.2: on the second day out of Leavenworth, the snow started coming down. We quickly realised that our clothes were barely adequate, and it was touch-and-go whether we should turn around. In the middle of the night, the weight of snow caused our tent roof to cave in on us. Luckily there was no permanent damage. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 9:57am PDT

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Night 157, mile 2497.7: we stopped at Reflection Pond after a cold and damp day, and hurried to set up the tent as the sleet started flying. We cooked in our vestibule and shivered through the night. The morning saw our site covered in snow. We had wet gloves, numb hands and frozen trek poles. This was a challenging day. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 10:08am PDT

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Night 158, mile 2518.3: we arrived at Mica Lake after a hard slog through winter conditions. The weather was warming up again, but we still cooked in our tents that night. Morale would have been low had we not been given some of the most stunning views on the whole PCT that day. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 10:24am PDT

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Night 159, mile 2541.9: forget the bears – mice have been our prime nemeses on the trail. They were the bane of this site next to the Suiattle river. One ate through our mesh and landed on Arry's chest in the middle of the night; it then proceeded to ravage DJ's and Rescue Bird's tents as well. Even an empty candy wrapper was enough to prompt larceny. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 10:31am PDT

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Night 160, mile 2564.3: this was described as the "Hilton of Campsites" which means that it had some sitting logs and a pit to poop in. Admittedly, the box toilet was a cut above the norm, with a freshly sanded seat and a nice view. Next day was Town Day, and we were all giddy with anticipation of burgers and beers. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 10:52am PDT

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Night 161, mile 2569.4: The remaining PCT thru-hikers converged on Stehekin, the last resupply stop before the end. Accessible only by boat or plane, Stehekin is a place where visitors are encouraged to disconnect. The quality of the wifi certainly helps with this. We enjoyed some lovely reunions with friends we thought we would never see again; for many of them, this really would be the last time spent together. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 11:03am PDT

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Night 162, mile 2569.4: the Stehekin shuttle took us the 8 miles back to the trailhead, where we set up our quilts in one of the very few shelters on the PCT. It felt just like the Appalachian Trail. We hung out at the picnic table, reminiscing and listening to music until the wee hours (7:30pm). #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 12:42pm PDT

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Night 163, mile 2590.6: Rescue Bird, Pencil, Badass, Arry and Cal stopped for the night at a little hidden tent site by Porcupine Creek. We had been warned about the mice here, and indeed Pencil woke up to find a mouse-sized hole in his tent wall. The little buggers are unstoppable. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 2:31pm PDT

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Night 164, mile 2609.6: the top of Glacier Pass was wooded and secluded. The lack of water deterred most other hikers from camping here; we were forced to carry an extra two liters each up from the creek three miles back. The nights had started drawing in, which meant that the photos were getting more and more grainy. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 2:36pm PDT

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Night 165, mile 2630.5: our penultimate night on trail was spent with Rescue Bird, Flame and Olivier. We reminisced about the trail and listened to some sweet folk music in our phones. Everyone was a little melancholic, but the weather was too nice for concerted grumpiness. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 2:45pm PDT

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Night 166, mile 2650.1: our final tent site, just past the Northern Terminus on the Canadian side of the border. Various shell-shocked hikers set up around us. Some would continue for another eight miles to Manning Park, there to hitch to Vancouver or Seattle. Those who weren't able to cross the border would have to hike 30 miles back to Hart's Pass. It was an intensely emotional night for all of us. There were many tears, both happy and sad. We will miss our little silnylon house: it served us well. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on Oct 2, 2017 at 2:55pm PDT

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