Pacific Crest Trail Marathon, north from Lolo Pass
With some clouds rolling in and weather breaking into the string of sunny hikes, I still headed out for a long run on the PCT.
Starting from the trailhead on Lolo Pass I headed north on the Pacific Crest Trail, seeing the thick layer of cloud above me, and filling the valley below Lolo Pass. Around Sentinel Peak the cloud started to condense on me as ran past blooming lupines, similarly encased in a coating of droplets. Things got foggy and windy, and along the narrow ridge north of Blue Lake, just shy of 9 miles out I debated turning back but decided to stick with it and pushed through the viewless expanse of clouds on the rocky slopes of Indian Mountain. Finally, at the Junction with the Indian mountain trail a little past 13 miles I turned back, determined to return soon with better weather for the views. The return journey seemed to blow by with the constant movement enough to stay warm despite being soaked through. Things started to clear during the last few miles, and I could see out towards the powerlines along Lolo Pass before reemerging down on the road, 26.6 miles total.