Day 136: Slow morning getting up and going just because it’s so nice to enjoy the morning with everyone and stay warm in my sleeping bag! The morning started with a nice 2,300ft climb right out of the gates. Nothing gets you warm like a good uphill! So far Washington looks like Oregon in the sense that I’m still just walking in the forest. But a green lush forest it is!!! But it did for a bit finally open a little to a nice ridge. Which is my favorite. I love being able to see endless mountains looking like the ocean. Not knowing when it stops makes me feel so free. The good part of Washington is that we finally have access to a lot of fresh spring water again! Instead of the gross lake/pond water from Oregon. The trail crossed a lot of dirt roads and creeks today. Rock Creek, Snag Creek, Trout Creek and a lot of smaller streams were crossed. Lots of ups and downs today, literally. And this is how WA will be. Today was a total of about 6,000 feet elevation gain and loss. I didn’t stop for lunch until I hiked 25 miles! I wanted to make it to Wind River and I was just feeling damn good. So the morning was cruisey. I made it there around 3pm and sat and relaxed, I only had a few more miles for the day. I swam a little and did laundry. Ate a nice lunch, then napped on and off while reading. At times I’d see a hiker walk across the bridge above me getting over the river, then go back to just doing nothing basically. Never saw anyone from my group so got up and kept going. I found a camp spot near the road to Panther Creek Campground. It was a nice site next to the creek. And I saw Rick there! And we ended up camping near each other, and later the rest of my group made it! Before, when it was just Rick and I, 2 women were out on the trail. At first just offering us fresh baked cookies. That were still warm and freaking amazing! And then that turned into them wanting to talk to us about God. I quickly left and went to do my own thing. I was grateful, but No thanks. Now I get to enjoy another night of cowboy camping with my peeps. Cowboy camping is not using a tent, you just set your sleeping bag out and go to sleep. And that’s all I did in Washington! Never set my tent up! I have peaked into the trail tomorrow and we get to go by lots of lakes!!! Yay for swim time!