"You can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union," sings Woody Guthrie. He had witnessed exploitation of workers across the United States and participated in the union movement, especially singing at events to promote the organization of labor. Alone and as a member of The Almanac Singers, Woody sang at union meetings during the 1940's.

As Bonnie Christensen writes in Woody Guthrie, Poet of the People: "It was clear to Woody that the people needed a voice to speak for them, a voice to ask their questions. They needed someone who was not afraid of the bosses, someone who knew what it was like to be poor. Woody Guthrie became their voice, and songs were his way of speaking. 'I made up songs telling what I thought was wrong and how to make it right,' he said."

Teachers who read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck will get insights into what Woody knew about folks trying to organize as well as the problems they faced. 


I wonder what Woody would say today? Back to work. Another day fecked on the deck.

Stopped off at Freddie's on the way back and got a couple of items.

Dinner
And now what the fuck will I do?
 

Up I get and head out after a wee shower to K&E's.

I went by the office first to get a check to head down to the Union. Wasn't there. Bollix, time wasted on working on the deck.
Sad news came to us this morning. My friend and co-worker Vladimir had died last night. We worked together for about 7 years. In respect to his family I can tell you he died suddenly ans totally unexpected.

Worked on the deck and got more done than yesterday.

Home

Lazed the evening away.
Leo and Aurora came by for dinner. I hadn't seen Leo in ages. We had a great dinner and a great old laugh . Talked about all kinds of stuff in a "Waiting For Godot" kind of way.













 

The alarm went off at 4:40 am. I got the seven hours sleep in to this point.
My back is sore but a wee better than yesterday. The hike we plan today usually takes 2 to 4 days to complete. We will try and do it in one. It is known as "The Death March" and if you can do it you are "Superhuman"

We packed the backpacks and left the hotel by 5 am. Drove down to the Snow Creek Trailhead. We met our shuttle there. She drove us over to the Lake Stuart Trailhead. We got ready and headed off on this long journey at 5:58am.


We make it up to the foot bridge across the river at 6:34am


and to the Colchuck Lake turn of at 6:57am
Then down along the trail and across the little bridge


We make it into Colchuck at 8:05 am.




Then walked all the way down to the far end of it by 8:42am.


Here we decide we will give it a shot to go up Aasgard Pass. Time 8:45am.






This is less than a mile up with 2,200 elevation gain. The most we have ever done in our life. It was a long tiring climb all the way up. But we summited at 10:24am.




We have now ascended 4,400 feet from the trailhead to reach our high point of the day at 7,800 feet.

Colchuck is off down below us.

We
walk around for a bit and rest up at Tranquil Lake. We have lunch here. The Mountain Goats are a plenty here. A marmot comes out for a visit too.
















We now could go back down six the way we came or go on twelve more miles to the other end. I lay on a flat rock and stretch my back for a while. So after this lovely lunch stop with all the natural beauty we decide to go on and try for the other end. 33 minutes later at 11:11am we head off.



















We reach Inspiration Lake at 11:59am.




We cross the creek again


and mosey on down along to Perfection Lake at 12:20pm.





Prusik Peak off in the distance.


Then over to Sprite Lake by 12:40pm


Next up we make it to the lake named after the Irish Wee Folk. Leprechaun Lake. Here at 12:58pm


Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And a white owl's feather!

As we walk on towards the next lake we reach the half way mark of our trip.

Next lake we pass by is Lake Vivianne. We get there at 1:11pm





This marks the last lake in the Upper and Lower Enchantments.
 
Down below we can see Upper and Lower Snow Lakes.


We head down that direction at 1:16pm. It is a long treacherous steep drop all the way down.

One tiny slip and you would fall a long way and get badly injured and maybe even killed.

We get to the Upper Snow Lake at 2:29pm.


We cross the dam between the two lakes at 3:03pm


We take water in our boots along the dam wall.

We take another break to eat and stretch the back by the Lower Snow Lake 3:05pm.


At 3:18pm we begin the last 6.5 mile more to the journey to the end.

We see Nada Lake off at a distance at 3:27pm



We reach the Nada lake at 3:42pm. This is our last lake of the trip.



Walk along the lake and down along the trail through a series of switch backs.




across the bridge over the creek at 4:22pm


We reach the two more mile left to go area around 5:16pm

Around one mile left to go I finish the last of my nine pints of water.
The end is in sight way down the hill but it still is a long way off. We cross the first little bridge at 6:06pm



Then the last bridge at 6:10pm
After crossing we have to ascend about 50 feet up to the trailhead.
We end the hike of our life at 6:12pm.



We have traveled over some of the nicest scenery in the State of Washington and I would believe in the entire United States Of America. The photos don't really do it justice. The hike was 18 miles and it took us 12 hours and 14 minutes to complete. We are covered in dust, scratched up a wee tired,mainly from the heat of the sun but will take this memory all the way through our lives to the end. We are two of a tiny minority who will ever do this trip in one day in their lives.

Back to the hotel.
I bring our stuff up to 224 and then we head off over to Safeway to get a fe items. I give Barry and Joyce a call to let them know we are ok. They are the two people who cared for us on the trip. Maybe worried might be a better word.
Picked up a gwall of stuff and back to the 224.
Showered and ate a gwal of crap. I drank two bottles of Coke.

As I lay in the bed trying to get to sleep I was frustrated that I drank two bottles of Coke. What was I thinking. I took a sleeping pill that I got in Canada. Now the downer combats the upper. I nodded off and woke up for a very long time until finally the downer beat the upper.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ