Base Camp Juan

One of the reasons we purchased Owl Farm (above) was so we could have a comfortable base camp for our backcountry excursions. The property is located in "mountain central" in the North Cascades of Washington state.

The property is bordered by the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the south, the Glacier Peak Wilderness on the west and the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, North Cascades National Park and Pasayten Wilderness to the north. Last week was the litmus test, and by all accounts, the investment has been a success.

Departed Eugene for the eight-hour drive to Owl Farm on Monday, August 24. I decided to arrive a couple of days early so that I could prepare the place for my erstwhile hiking companions coming down the PCT from Canada.

Good thing, because Kelly Tjaden and Lupe Marroquin, along with their dog, Teo, put in a monster 22-mile day on Tuesday and arrived at Stevens Pass a full day earlier than planned. Got the call at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25: Kelly and Lupe were at Lake Valhalla, only two hours by foot on the PCT to Stevens Pass.

Motored up to the pass and picked them up at 8:15 p.m., two minutes after they had emerged from the hills. I mentioned to Kelly that -- if we hurry -- we could catch a pizza and a few brews at the Headwaters Inn at Lake Wenatchee before they closed at 10 p.m. 

"Let's go," he said, as he tossed his pack into the back of my rig. We hustled down Nason Creek and made it in plenty of time. The next day (Wednesday, August 26) would be a rest day at Owl Farm: trips to the beach, watching movies on my MacBook Pro, laundry in Plain and a junket to Leavenworth for supplies.

Friend and neighbor Frank Czubiak, another former Forest Service employee, arrived late on Wednesday in time for a grand reunion and potluck at the Owl Conservatory with some of our old backcountry buddies. On Friday, my long-awaited adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail was set to begin.