Blankie and I at the eastern terminus of the PNT, which is also a CDT alternate terminus at Chief Mountain Customs on the USA/CAN border. The PNT lacks an official terminus monument at either end. | 7/1/21 Mile 0.0 5,329' Glacier National Park, Montana

Blankie crosses a fine bridge over the Belly River. | 7/1/21 Mile 6.1 4,640' Glacier National Park, Montana

Blankie, never one to take a candid photo. Here he takes a break up Stoney Indian Pass. | 7/2/21 Mile 15.2 5,675' Glacier National Park, Montana

Blankie begins the long walk up Forest Road 376, part of a 12 mile roadwalk to the next stretch of trail. Shortly after this photo was taken Blankie backtracked to Polebridge and took the next 300 miles off due to illness (not COVID, thankfully). | 7/5/21 Mile 59.3 3,937' Rocky Mountains, Montana

Skeeter and Sparky prepare camp in what would be the worst mosquito swarm of the entire hike. We built a fire to try to keep them at bay, Sparky even tried wearing shoes on his hands, but to no avail. A day or so later, fire restrictions went into effect and would remain so for the rest of the season. | 7/5/21 Mile 75.9 6,012' Rocky Mountains, Montana

The 2017 Gibralter fire burned 13,000 acres on the PNT along the Whitefish Divide. Here the damage is visible on the north face of Mt. Locke. | 7/6/21 Mile 88.0 7,005' Rocky Mountains, Montana

The US/Canada border swath. On the Mexican border they put up a wall to keep people out, but the Candians are so nice they make it even easier for you to cross! The PNT follows the border as closely as possible for most of the route. | 7/8/21 Mile 122.1 5,510' Rocky Mountains, Montana

Blankie and I did some tub laundry to avoid the unnecessary cost of the laundromat next door. | 7/8/21 Mile 133.5 2,676' Eureka, Montana

Noisy waits for her taco soup to rehydrate while scouting the next days route from the summit of Northwest Peak. | 7/11/21 Mile 214.7 7,705' Purcell Mountains, Montana

Noisy sets off once again following a break on Davis Mountain. | 7/12/21 Mile 216.8 7,583' Purcell Mountains, Montana

Lower Priest Lake as seen from Lookout Mountain. | 7/15/21 Mile 291.3 6,787' Selkirk Mountains, Idaho

Blankie had to get off trail around 300 miles back thanks to a nasty bug he caught, thankfully not COVID. Gandalf and Snickers, old pals of mine from the AT, volunteered immediately to host him in their home in Spokane until I made it to Metaline Falls where Blankie could rejoin me. Thanks to these truly lovely people, Blankie was able to stay in the woods another day and we are forever grateful for their friendship! | 7/18/21 Mile 355.0 2,059' Metaline Falls, WA

Nooch holds on for dear life during a hitch up to the next forest road on route. | 7/19/21 Mile 355.0 2,059' Selkirk Mountains, Washington

Blankie inflates his sleeping pad at the "Deer Creek Forest Camp". We were expecting something a bit greener, but it all burned down a few years back. | 7/22/21 Mile 444.7 4,602' Kettle River Range, Washington

I was convinced to buy these hilariously short orange shorts for the hike, and I have to say the short short game is the one I want to be playing from now on. Just check out that tan line! | 7/24/21 Mile 474.6 5,587' Republic, Washington

Blankie enjoys the gentle grade of Forest Service Road 600 after a steep and thick bushwhack down the shoulder of Edds Mountain. | 7/25/21 Mile 485.8 4,025' Kettle River Range, Washington

Blankie, stoked to be horizontal after a hot, steep climb to camp. | 7/27/21 Mile 431.5 4,910' Okanogan Highlands, Washington

Blankie takes advantage of his extra-wide sleeping pad and goes for a float on Lake Bonaparte. Less than a week later, a fire burned most of the circumference of the lake and surrounding mountains. | 7/28/21 Mile 549.7 3,551' Okanogan Highlands, Washington

Blankie scrambles up a rock covered in deadfall on a bushwhack I devised to avoid a 1,200' pointless up down. As Blankie said, "that's a nice boulder". | 7/29/21 Mile 555.6 5,804' Okanogan Highlands, Washington

Hot, exhausted and sick of the smoke, we found a bench on the side of the road and just had to take a sit. Can't you see how excited we are? | 7/29/21 Mile 556.8 3,604' Okanogan Highlands, Washington

What would have been a stellar view across the Similkameen River Valley into the Pasayten Wilderness was completely obstructed by smoke. | 7/30/21 Mile 581.2 990' Okanogan Highlands, Washington

Grouse Bite and Nooch, with whom I walked for several hundred miles and in the process got quite chummy with. | 8/1/21 Mile 640.2 2,102' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

Blanke and I finished dinner and chores, but it was still light out so we filled the time making double exposures. | 8/1/21 Mile 640.2 2,102' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

Boundary Trail 533 was the primary route through the Pasayten on the PNT. It was unrelenting with its alpine meadows and crumbly peaks, and better yet, it was nearly smoke free! | 8/2/21 Mile 658.6 6,650' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

More damage from the 2017 Diamond Creek Fire. | 8/3/21 Mile 672.1 6,595' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

Looking a couple of miles north into Canada at a pair of fires while being surrounded by recent burn scars. Historically poor land management means they're only likely to get worse. | 8/3/21 Mile 679.6 7,169' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

Blankie stretches out in the fading warmth of yet another excellent day in the mountains. | 8/4/21 Mile 700.3 6,520' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

The PNT follows the PCT for 14 miles between Castle Pass and Holman Pass. I was confused the whole time on the PCT why I didn't see any nobos finishing their hike. Because of the Cub Creek Fire, those that still chose to hike in the smoke were mostly rereouted around Ross Lake, thus missing the magical final stretch of PCT. | 8/5/21 Mile 715.1 5,250' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

At long last, true PNW conditions! | 8/6/21 Mile 727.3 6,982' Pasayten Wilderness, Washington

Noisy and Blankie drunkenly wait for a potential hitch to pass, thanks to a local mountain dweller who gave us the rest of his bag of wine. He also claimed to have stashed Canadian whiskey all over North Cascades National Park. | 8/6/21 Mile 746.4 1,698' North Cascades, Washington

Hikers raid the Marblemount gas station in the rain. | 8/6/21 Mile 746.4 1,698' Marblemount, Washington

Blankie, Sparky, Skeeter and Noisy play cards in the rain while stalling on making our next move. | 8/7/21 Mile 746.4 1,698' Marblemount, Washington

Noisy being her usual photogenic self as she warms in the sun following a glacial river dunk. | 8/9/21 Mile 777.7 2,979' North Cascades, Washington

Skeeter, Blankie and I enjoy the suns dying rays. | 8/9/21 Mile 777.7 2,979' North Cascades, Washington

Skeeter and Blankie cross the Chilliwack River via cable car, which makes for a much safer crossing when flow is high. | 8/10/21 Mile 786.8 2,624' North Cascades, Washington

My shirt underwent some prolonged unplanned disassembly, so it had to be retired. | 8/10/21 Mile 797.1 3,010' North Cascades, Washington

Mt. Baker hot spring in the smoky morning light. We wanted to soak the night before, but we were asked not to until morning so a couple could have a "spiritual experience" in them for their anniversary. That was fine by me, given that when Blankie and I first arrived we got caught between two other fellas arguing over who sent who to jail, just after shots were fired. | 8/12/21 Mile 822.1 1,256' North Cascades, Washington

Thick smoke rolled in out of nowhere overnight, terrible in every way other than what it did to the light. | 8/12/21 Mile 822.1 1,256' North Cascades, Washington

A hikers interpretation of the painting "The Last Supper", recreated with double exposure. | 8/14/21 Mile 856.0 3,364' North Cascades, Washington

Skeeter, Hog Momma (Bjorn, as seen on past expeditions) and Sparky pose in some nice light on Anderson Mountain. Bjorn parked his car near the end of the PNT, biked on gravel roads to Bellingham unsuccessfully looking for me, then continued east until running into me at Baker Lake, 200 miles from where he started. He then hiked another 300 miles with us back to his car. | 8/17/21 Mile 918.8 2,820' North Cascades, Washington

At long last, the Pacific Ocean came into view! Well, actually, the Puget Sound. Still, salt water! | 8/17/21 Mile 922.9 2,810' North Cascades, Washington

Skeeter and Lucas apprehensively wait to turn on to Highway 20, the most highly trafficked portion of our bike route alternate. The PNT primary walks mostly roads for 80 miles from Bellingham to the Coupeville ferry, which sounded awful so we biked instead! Thanks to Lucas for wrangling up some wheels and pedaling with us! | 8/20/21 Mile 957.0 4' Puget Sound, Washington

The PNT primary route takes the Coupeville Ferry across the sound to Port Townsend. Easiest six miles of forward progress I've ever made! | 8/20/21 Mile 1014.2 0' Puget Sound, Washington

Skeeter keeps a keen eye out for Port Townsend. | 8/20/21 Mile 1014.2 0' Puget Sound, Washington

There was no shortage of quality pranks at the tail end of the hike, here during a break Hog Mamma tied a rock to Noisy's pack that she didn't notice until she started walking again. | 8/24/21 Mile 1,070.0 5,890' Olympic Mountains, Washington

Noisy happened to sit in the perfect sunset spotlight, fitting since the campsite was called Sunnybrook! | 8/24/21 Mile 1,077.2 5,011' Olympic Mountains, Washington

Skeeter and Noisy, lost in the setting sun. | 8/24/21 Mile 1,077.2 5,011' Olympic Mountains, Washington

Hog Mamma paces around camp waiting for the sun to set. | 8/25/21 Mile 1,094.5 5,760' Olympic Mountains, Washington

Hog Mamma loiters outside while waiting for everyone else to pack up. Being out in the open was also safer, since he could make sure nobody slipped the 5 oz bath bomb we'd been shuffling around into his pack. Mileage discrepancy due to alternate routes. | 8/27/21 Mile 1,069.5 47' Port Angeles, Washington

Hog Mamma sneakily pushes rocks into other peoples packs. | 8/30/21 Mile 1,206.4 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

Noisy muches on her usual nasty taco soup concoction. | 8/30/21 Mile 1,206.4 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

A long awaited Pacific sunset. | 8/30/21 Mile 1,206.4 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

Noisy digs out her rain jacket after getting back on solid ground. Due to a one foot tide restriction, we had to make the crossing around Diamond Rocks at 1:00am. | 8/31/21 Mile 1,207.4 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

Hog Mamma climbs a rope step ladder up to camp after a midnight tidal crossing. | Mile 1,208.0 157' Olympic Coast, Washington

Hog Mamma, temporarily marooned by the incoming tide. | 8/31/21 Mile 1,213.2 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

We managed to hit Toleak Point at low tide, exposing tidal pools and lots of horrendous smells. | 8/31/21 Mile 1,215.6 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

Possibly my favorite hang ever, who'd have thought you could hammock on the beach? | 8/31/21 Mile 1,220.6 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

After kindly dropping us on the north bank of the Quillayute River, the Harbor Master heads back to work. The PNT primary route requires going to the La Push Marina to arrange a ride across the river with a local fisherman. | 9/1/21 Mile 1,225.6 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

Happy it's done, not at all happy it's over. Cape Alava is the westernmost point in the Lower 48. | 9/2/21 Mile 1,246.2 0' Olympic Coast, Washington

Even though Blankie was only able to make it for half the hike, he was an excellent companion and I'm so glad he was able to come play in the mountains for the summer. | 9/2/21 Mile 1,246.2 0' Olympic Coast, Washington