50-Miler Day 2

The second day started out with a long level stretch followed by a long climb of about 2,000 feet. Deep in the valley, we noticed a lot of damage from bark beetles.
We took a long break at Methow Pass. In the distance, between the trees, you can see the switchbacks we would climb later in the day (you might have to double-click on the image to see the switchbacks, above the trail).
Climbing those same switchbacks. That pack is not for the faint of heart.
This is the second time that I have camped in this exact spot at Cutthroat Pass.
As the sun set and the moon rose, we could see the haze from a forest fire that we heard was about 40 miles north of us.
We hiked 13.3 miles with 3,200 feet elevation gain on this, the second day.