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Washington has been the ultimate challenge mentally. I had a 5 day hike from White Pass to Snoqualmie. I found myself taking my time in the beginning; taking breaks & camping early, yet I still found myself mentally exhausted. Yesterday, I had a breakdown coming down the mountain. I cried for over 2 hours… snot, tears, & sweat flowing. The trail in Washington has an INSANE amount of elevation gain & loss. By the time you make it to the top, you’ll be drenched in sweat, your calves with be throbbing, & you can expect that you’ll be going straight back down, experiencing some intense shin pain as you try your hardest not to slip from all the pebbles underneath your feet. You’ll be doing that fun hiking groove for the rest of the trail… up & down, up & down. I think one of the worst feelings of this section was not even being rewarded by any mountain top views. Yesterday, I only had 18 miles to hike to get into town by 12pm & found myself bawling. The terrain was an endless amount of jagged sharp rocks scattered around with large tree roots. EACH step felt like I was going to roll my ankle or trip & crack my knee. I was livid. Thankfully, I had my partner to call & talk to, or should I say “complain” to. Sometimes, it feels like that’s all that needs to happen. You just want to be heard & cry it out. Although, that in itself was challenging… wanting so badly to have someone to lean on; to be caressed, but even that felt out of reach. I talked to a hiker who happened to camp with me the night before & he expressed how it was time for him to end his journey because he was facing the mental challenge of it as well. He wasn’t happy anymore nor was he having fun. Ahh… finding the space to let go once again & take everything as it comes, even if it means slowing down just a little bit more. 👣🏔⛺️