Woke up with a wet tent. The storm got within about a mile from us, but all was well. Once again we opted to having breakfast up at a vista, and ate near Rose Cliffs (but further back in the woods because the wind was whipping so much).

I had a lot of angst today because today was the big water crossing that we were nervous about. There were several rock scrambles up and down, but then we happened upon the moss laden staircase portage, and Rose Falls.

It was like being in an enchanted forest.

I can see why proposals happen here.

After we left that highlight, my spirit dipped as nutrition was running low, and the anxiety of what laid ahead was in full labor. I grew close to God in this section as I prayed so hard that He would be with us. I thought of my daughter, and husband and longed to be back home with them.

We eventually made our way down to West Rose campsite, and with the skies glooming and extremely large bear prints in abundance it was a haunting sight, but we had lunch here anyways. I kept my eyes peeled for the bruin that was notorious for stealing hikers lunches right from them, and ate fast.

The thought of the Israelites in Passover came to mind, as they were fully dressed, eating quickly, ready to go at any time.

After we left the non-eventful campsite, we walked through East Rose campsite (where we were going to spend the night) and soon we were on the Long Portage. Less than 2 miles to our destiny. The treck on the long portage was a treat. Hard packed gravel, about 2.5 feet across? Yes please. Portages really are like super-highways.

Finally, we came upon the beaver ponds, and gulped. I instantly wanted to try to bushwhack, and we tried, but my rain suit kept ripping (NEVER hike with Frogg Toggs, because they rip so easily), and it looked like we would have to get way off trail, and potentially lost, so we relegated to going through the water.

Ugh, here goes nothing. We stripped down to shorts & sports bras, donned sandles instead of trail runners, hiked up our packs high, and started the treck into the cold icy waters.

Immediately my breath had been taken away and the searing pain of skin exposed to near frozen water forced me to cry out, and yell, “I don’t want this… I don’t like it…” and my body automatically forced me to begin sobbing. I wanted to quit so much, but now half way, there was no way out but through it. I got to a point near the middle where when I would place my tracking pole in front of me to judge how deep it was, it kept going under the water. I was stuck, and couldn’t find the bottom, or how long this part would be. Bre quickly came up near me, as she is taller, and determined it would be about an 8 foot section up over the hips, and about bottom of the ribs…

I prayed so hard, and thought of Jason & K.

Soon enough we were out, and threw on our rain gear to temporarily warm up before we had another flooded section to cross, this time even with a tree to cross over in the middle of it! I didn’t cry this time, but the water was just as cold, and the section, nearly just as long.

We got out and determined we were through it all. That sucked beyond measure. I do not recommend in October, and heed the warning of others to wear your PDF especially in the shoulder months. The temp of the water is no joke! Immediate, searing pain.

We put our clothes back on and luckily the terrain started going uphill towards Rove & Clearwater… up, up up we went, and slowly grew warmer.

We arrived finally to the W. Clearwater campsite after an epic climb up, and steep decent into the campsite. This is a place we had winter camped back in 2017. The campsite was as we remembered sans snow. We quickly ate dinner which for me was Camp Chow Broccoli, Pork & Cheese. The dehydrated broccoli turned out really nice as there were nice big chunks in there (ah, finally, vegetables!)

We honestly should have started a fire, but instead we relegated to our tent. I shivered in my sleeping bag, I think mostly due to an emotional response, because when I remembered diaphragmatic breathing (four counts in, hold, eight counts out) the shivering slowly slowed. I was in my sleeping bag liner this time, with hand warmers in my groin and arm pits to warm me.

That night I had an amazing dream we made it through the trip, and I had wrapped myself in a Pendleton blanket, resting in my Tempurpedic mattress next to my husband. But slowly the realization that we never camped at our last two campsites reeled me back to reality and I woke up at 4 a.m., staring at the ceiling of our tent, still at Clearwater Campsite…