The Knife’s Edge is a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington State. Here the trail has been blasted and carved into the top-most edge of the ridge.
As one heads north on the PCT the trail climbs through the colorful meadows of Snow Grass Flats, through the snow and on to rock and scree to reach a promontory on the side of Old Snowy.

From here the trail plunges down the Knife’s Edge towards Highway 12 and then on to Mount Rainier.

Early in the morning we hiked up to capture images and met Thirsty Boots. He was thru-hiking the PCT. I was surprised to see a thru-hiker so far north so early in the season (it was July 29th), but he explained that the snow level in the High Sierra in California was low this year making it possible to make good time.

I asked how long until he reached Manning Park and the end of the PCT in Canada, and he said he figured about 16 days.

We chatted for a few minutes, he seemed ready to go, but I distracted him by having him pose for more pictures while I plied him for info. All hikers going long distances pick up a nick-name, and his seemed to fit very well.

This was his second time thru-hiking the PCT (its 2,400 miles, end to end) and he told us that he’d already completed the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail (3,100 miles) making him a Triple Crown Thru-Hiker.

He was very friendly and certainly didn’t seem tired, stressed or over worked. In fact he looked and acted like someone out for a stroll on a nice Saturday afternoon.

But he did seem a bit antsy to keep walking….