PCT Day 156

Hopkins Lake to CANADA! – 6 miles (10km) + 8 miles to Manning Park – 2653 miles total.

It is T-0. Today is the day I reach Canada. We had a bit of a sleep in, but we all get up so early that we don’t really sleep in anymore, so we got ready and started hiking. F and Z, didn’t camp with us last night and we weren’t sure where they were.

The 6 miles to the border were all down hill and took no time at all, before I knew it we were at the border celebrating 🥳. F and Z had camped 4 miles before the border and were already there.

Made it! 2653 miles

The weather was perfect. There were some clouds when we woke up, but they lifted by the time we made it to the border and we had blue skies for our photos. We hung out at the border for about an hour, taking photos, writing in the book and drinking our celebratory drinks. F and R had packed out a little bottle of Fireball for me and I had a glass bottle of cider that I had packed out from Stehekin. It was like carrying a bear canister in weight, but the reward for carrying the weight was so much higher.

Eventually we hiked out. 4 miles uphill (thanks Canada) then all downhill to Manning Park, the closest town in Canada. The sun was now out and blazing. It was hotter in Canada then Washington ever was. As we rounded a corner I saw Z and S before me stopped. There were moose on the trail. It was an awesome welcome to Canada, sun and moose.

At Manning Park we grabbed lunch at the restaurant. I had my first try of Canada’s famous poutine. It was great! Then we caught the bus to Vancouver, where we are all going to chill for a day or two, before the others fly home and I road trip the South west of Canada.

Today I am thankful for the journey that was the PCT.