2021 Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hike

Aug

2021

Day 110

August 3, 2021 PCT mile 2229.9 - 2250.2 PCT miles 20.3 We decided to push to complete the 66 miles to White Pass in 2.5 days of hiking because of the rain forecast for Friday. We slept in a bit and then grabbed coffee and oatmeal at the lovely Trout Lake Valley Inn (highly recommend!) before heading out. We couldn’t ride their bikes back into town, so we walked the mile back to the grocery store to catch the 8:00 AM Trail Angel shuttle up to the trailhead, 13 miles along a forest service road. We really appreciated the transportation. We walked passed a field of beautiful cows - several looked to have hearts painted on their foreheads. Trout Lake is a nice small town. We saw Magnet, his beautiful dog Lupin, Australian Shepherd, Bumfoot and Tails waiting for the shuttle. Chris scored more KT tape from the grocery store clerk who had just one roll left behind the counter. KT tape seems to be magic - no knee issues. Old knees might be just fine without the tape, but don’t want to chance it because we have a few long days of serious climbing ahead ~ 6000 feet up and almost the same in descent - several times. While exiting the shuttle and grabbing our packs, we heard, “Hey, is that Chris and Rick??” We turned around and saw Astro sitting at the trailhead waiting for the ride back into Trout Lake. Wow! Never thought we’d see him again. He is a speedy hiker we met early on in this hike in the Southern California section and last saw on the top of Forester Pass. Picture provided. We chatted for a few minutes and learned how our paths had somehow met again. He had been taking 3-4 days off every couple of weeks since Northern California whenever his wife could catch him for a visit. He hikes so fast and so many miles a day -30+! This explains it. As we are now just 20 miles ahead (maybe), we know he will pass us in the morning or we will see him up at White Pass. Nice guy - always smiling. Hope we see him again. Morning hike was up through a burn zone with white sky haze hanging above us from the fires. Then we entered the wildflowers galore section. So many! So beautiful. Really spectacular. After a few more miles we hiked behind Mt. Adams and saw the glacier. Impressive, but would undoubtedly be more beautiful if the sky was blue, not white. We also knew fording the Adams River was ahead of us this day, but surprised by the strength of flow and…lack of crossing areas. No fun. Chris let out her customary wimped when approaching big river crossings. After hunting and looking at footprints from other hikers, we found some wet logs above the raging river to cross. Chris wasn’t having it. Rick danced across effortlessly, while Chris considered options. Fording was a no-go because of the depth and speed of the muddy water. So, she sat on the slippery log teetering four feet above the flow and scooted herself (and pack) across. No injures, just glad it wasn’t videoed…not one bit pretty. While hiking, minds drift and we sometimes say to each other ‘you know what would be great right now?’ Rick usually mentions food/ice cream/lemonade. Chris - animals to pet! Today’s hike continued behind Mt. Adams and Chris’ ‘what would be great right now’ became a reality! In this remote area we came across four beautiful horses and riders and one woman holding a puppy. What?! Riding with a puppy? Chris was delighted! Horses and a puppy with us on this trail. We hadn’t seen anyone in miles. The woman holding the 8-week old Australian Shepherd puppy stopped and handed the pup down to Chris to smell puppy breath and kiss. So soft, so sweet. Australian Shepherds seem to dominate the trail. Mosquito swarms were truly terrible, today. Stopped after about 20 miles when we saw a tent site large enough for our tent and clear water in a close stream. Mosquitoes were ready to feed, so we pitched the tent quickly and then ran to stream to clean. Mosquitoes followed us along with black flies. Not pleasant. The water in this stream was so cold we could submerge our feet for a count of ..2! Crazy cold snow melt. Coldest yet. Made for great drinking water and difficult cleaning water. Other hikers pitched nearby after we were safe in the tent and ready for bed. They lit a citronella candle - ahhh. Think it may have helped lower number of bugs.

Aug

2021

Day 109

August 2, 2021 PCT 2209.3 - 2229.9 PCT miles 20.6 + 2 for failed sunglasses retrieval. Up at 4:15 AM this morning to race the 20 + miles to the cutoff (FS23) to the town of Trout Lake. The fly swarm experienced yesterday at Bear Lake was replaced overnight with mosquitoes. We moved fast. Morning sunrise was hazy from fires north of us, but haze provides lovely red glow. After about an hour of hiking Chris spotted some large tracks in the trail that were unfamiliar. Then we noticed that a section of the dry trail was very wet (pee from a large animal?) Next we heard water splashing and thought it was a waterfall not noted on the map. Then, through the trees a few hundred feet below the trail we saw a herd of about 20 Elk (huge and young) splashing in a small pond. We watched them for a minute or two and Chris described their antics as ‘frolicking’, while Rick thought they were fleeing. Yet, not until Chris started speaking while videoing did the herd rush out of the pond to the trees being - clearly frolicking! Hands down. Soon it was quiet again and we returned to the early morning smooth, efficient miles. Then, mosquitoes re-emerged with a vengeance. They seemed to be on our heels all day wanting to feast. Saw Bumfoot and Tails again while Rick waited as Chris ran back a mile or two to look for her dropped sunglasses - no luck. She thinks the excitement of frolicking elk had something to do with lost sunglasses. Chris scored the last available room at the Trout Lake Valley Inn and was determined to get there to enjoy the shower, maybe even two showers. We reached the trailhead at noon having averaged 3 mph for 7 hrs even with the 30 minute sunglasses delay. The thought of showers can do that. Within minutes of arriving at the road Chris Yogi’d a ride from someone dropping off section hikers. By 2 PM we had shopped at the grocery store, picked up our resupply (filled with delightfully unexpected gluten-free pastries from Alec!), and been offered a ride to our hotel by another friendly local. Trout Lake has proven to be the model of efficiency for PCT hikers. They even have bikes available to guests to use to ride back to town for supplies. We did and thoroughly enjoyed the town and people we met. Time to replace some calories - eat those pastries! Yummm

Aug

2021

Day 108

August 1, 2021 PCT miles 2184 - 2209.3 PCT miles - 25.3 Woke early because we have a long hike ahead. We took a side detour to see Panther Falls. We were not disappointed! Really gorgeous - much better than photos. Wish we could have explored the area more, but we knew we had a 4000 ft. climb ahead and weather is predicted to be unseasonably hot and humid (per locals) again… We met Bumfoot and Tails today, both NOBO thru hikers. We exchanged notes about the trail and origin of our trail names. Bumfoot = Bumfoot from poorly fitting shoes. Tails because she told a tail about catching a fish - a funny story. We made it up to Blue Lake - pretty, but decided to push on to Bear Lake a few miles farther. When we arrived and Rick saw it, he instantly dropped his pack and dove in for a swim. This lake would be great if there weren’t so many flies. Wow. Feels like a horse camp. Chris found a gorgeous tent site on a peninsula (mentioned in Guthook), but there was a prominent sign posted on a tree stating ‘No Camping’. However, we did see plenty of evidence of recent camping and were sure other thru-hikers would use the site tonight (they did), but Chris wouldn’t do it. Stickler for rules. We hiked around the lake and found an ok site near the water in the shade. Biggest problem with this lake are the flies. Everywhere! Why? Make it stop! We pulled out our head-nets - first time needed. Set up tent quickly and climbed inside for relief. A few ducks and ducklings swam in front of our tent site for our evening entertainment. We weren’t venturing outside unnecessarily.

Jul

2021

Day 107

July 31, 2021 PCT miles 2167-2184 PCT miles - 17 Rock Creek to Panther Creek Woke early and exited as quietly as we could from the campsite. By 5:00 AM the day was hot and humid. We knew it would be a short hiking day because we are shooting for Panther Creek with lots of campsites, but we still wanted to hike when the weather would be less harsh. We hiked up and down hills in a green tunnel that was just plain humid and hot. (98 degrees and 65% humidity). Nothing much to see. Few photos taken. It feels hotter the farther north we hike. Not what we expected. We arrived at the Panther Creek site and checked out the adjacent campground. Decided to snag a large flat site by the trail and creek rather than camp in a busy campground. It’s summer! Campers out enjoying Washington. A SOBO hiker arrived about 8:00 after we’d gone to bed and set up his tent next to ours. Chris thinks he was a SOBO hiker he because his equipment was so clean - and we have not met him previously…we remember people by their tents.

Jul

2021

Day 106 - Washington!

July 30, 2021 Bus from Hood River to Cascade Locks PCT mile 2148 -2167 (19) We caught an early bus (still only 1$! Wow) from Hood River to Cascade Locks. We hiked back up to the PCT trailhead and across the Bridge of the Gods into Washington. We were so early that there was little traffic on the bridge, but we can imagine it’s a bit stressful during busy commute hours. The few cars that passed us were certainly not going 15 mph - posted speed limit. There’s no pedestrian walkway, just a sign instructing PCT hikers to face the oncoming traffic. The bridge is a metal grill that allows viewing of the water ~100 feet below. It was a fun start to our last PCT section hike in Washington. Remainder of the day was far less fun! The weather was hot and humid and the first five miles of the trail was overgrown with poison oak! A dance to avoid. Hot and miserable. We met the hiker ‘wrong way’ again - this time going the right way. Last time we saw him was after we the Forrester Pass in the Sierras. He said Viking and Sunrise are a bit ahead of us. We would love to cross Pass with those two again. We also met several SOBO hikers, which we are getting used to now. South-bound PCT hikers generally start their hike from the Canadian border terminus in late June or early July. They all look so healthy and clean! We passed a 500 mile (remaining for NOBOs, completed for SOBOs) marker on the side of the trail. We camped on a small hill above Rock Creek. Water was so cold it ached and it was clear! Delicious. Saw a few fish and bright green rocks (what are they?) everywhere. Very glad we arrived early and snagged the site. All other sites were quickly taken. Several weekend backpackers already settled in (it’s Friday night and easy access from nearby trailhead/parking lot) and only 5:00 PM, but we expect a few more SOBOS to show up. Yes, two more came up the hill to our tent site area - one hammock and one squeezed in 3 feet away. Tough finding a place when so few sites are available near a water source.

Jul

2021

Day 103

July 27, 2021 PCT Mile 2211 to 2237.4 PCT miles 25.6 This hiking day came in three distinct segments. The first involved a long high ridge walk where hundreds of huge trees had been all blown across the trail due to a wind storm. The western side the Mt. Hood National Forest suffered extensive and severe damage as a result of the historic 2020 Labor Day windstorm that brought down tens of thousands of trees and fueled wildfires across the Cascades. Crews had just recently been in the area working and managed to open the trail through hundreds of trees. A huge effort!! Only about 2-3 dozen trees required scrambling. As it was we were very tired and dirty after climbing up/down/under/over many enormous logs. We were rewarded with ripe blueberries lining the trail and return of beautiful wildflowers. The second part of today’s hike was along a side trail (Eagle Creek) to avoid the worst of blown down trees. Prior to starting this section we met a couple of SOBO hikers who warned us about the blow downs ahead - “Take the alternate!” We did. The Eagle Creek hike was a very steep downhill through yet another burn zone. After hiking on the PCT for so many miles we realized that we had taken it for granted. It is generally very nicely graded. On this side trail hike (non-PCT) we had to stop numerous times to re-tighten shoe laces because our toes were hitting the end of our shoes. Rarely have we had to tighten shoe laces on the PCT - Sierra section excepted. The final hiking of the day was through the Eagle Creek Gorge. It was thrilling (and a bit strange after so much heat and dry hiking miles) to see, hear and feel so much water rushing through the gorge and out to the Columbia River. Tunnel Falls was amazing! A must see. Chris walked into and out of the tunnel a few times because she said it felt like a shower… We passed the first listed campsite in Guthook and saw it was already filled with several tents - thru-hikers . Kept hiking a few more miles and spotted a beauty - a flat site that could fit our 4-person tent right next to the river. And no one was there! Best way to end the day. Break out the tequila!

Jul

2021

Day 102

July 26, 2021 PCT mile 2096.6 - 2111 PCT miles 14.4 We packed up and left Timberline Lodge about 7:30 AM - a late start. As we were leaving we met a PCT hiker (again, easy to spot) sitting outside the back of the lodge waiting for the buffet breakfast to open. He (trail name ‘KD’) had just completed a 24-hour challenge - hiked 70 miles in 24 hours! Goodness!! Other than his legs coated in black ash from the fire zone, he looked no worse for wear. Nice timing just before the buffet opened. KD remembered meeting us months ago at a angel spot (excellent tacos) at Ebbetts Pass. We have learned that the younger hikers challenge each other to 24-hour straight hiking, e.g., 40 mile LA Aqueduct challenge. We would not easily recover from such abuse. Wow. Met a SOBO hiker named Spec from France. He was headed into Government Camp to catch the bus to Bend to get around the PCT closure. We asked about the trail ahead and he said he had some issues with snow in Northern Washington, but he was hiking through the area north of Stevens Pass just before the Cedar Creek Fire started, so no smoke or fire concerns. Saw Mt. St Helen’s for the first time today - looked like Mt Fuji - top blown off. We came across ‘Bearbait’ resting along the side of the trail with his dog. The dog did NOT look like he was enjoying the hike one bit. Sad fellow. Bearbait said he was taking it slow because the dog is older and overweight. Chris was happy to hear he was adjusting his schedule to meet dog’s needs. We hadn’t seen Bearbait (or Siesta who hiked with a the dog who WAS thoroughly enjoying the adventure) since we were at Shelter Cove a couple of weeks ago. Nice to catch up with Bearbait again. He said he took time to do some fishing at Elk Lake, but that he had not yet discharged his fire arm (good news). He still had his enormous external frame pack, but he had swapped his heavy boots for light-weight trail runners a size larger than he usually wears and now wears darn tough socks. He said he is very, very happy with the change. Beautiful trail! More than 5 miles of hiking today was through fields thick with huge Rhododendrons - everywhere!! Looked like we missed the flower show by about 3 weeks. Can imagine this hike is spectacular and hope to return someday earlier in the season to view. We have never seen so many healthy big Rhododendrons in one place. Must come back and visit Rhododendron, OR (!) earlier in the Summer. We took the Ramona Falls off-trail loop to see the falls. Worth the extra miles. Roaring falls reminded us both of Kauai. The hike from the falls along the creek was reminiscent of a botanical garden tour. We have been surprised that our hike through Oregon has brought up so many thoughts of Hawaii - black lava fields followed by lush deep green forests, huge foliage, ferns and beautiful flowers. The hike down to Sandy River was through deep, soft, white beach sand. What?! Sandy River (aptly named) was fast moving, roaring and deeper than we expected. Chris swapped out her shoes and forded carefully and Rick log - rock hopped easily across. Chris reported that the water was ice cold, but felt great! We continued hiking to Muddy Creek (also aptly named) and found a campsite off trail with a clear, cold spring nearby. No other level sites to be found within miles - at least nothing large enough for our tent. We were mighty lucky to find this site hidden a few feet off trail. This section of the PCT trail is accessible from a parking lot at a local trailhead a few miles away, so it’s busy with weekend campers and day hikers. Competition for campsites!

Jul

2021

Day 97

July 18, 2021 PCT miles 1976.2 -2000.9 PCT miles 24.7 We arranged for a Trail Angel to pick us up at the pass and drive us into Bend to spend a couple of days getting equipment repaired and resupplying before catching a bus around the closed section of the Oregon PCT. We woke early (4 AM) to ensure we would be on time (1:30 PM) for pickup. The hike today was so cool and beautiful in the morning, but then became quite warm (Rick = hot!) during the afternoon hike through lava fields. The day’s hike was through gorgeous flowering meadows, a burn zone and finally over those harsh, warm/hot lava fields. Today’s hike included much of what the PCT through Oregon has to offer! Love it. Chris spent the first part of the day ogling over the variety of wildflowers and stopping at each new collection to take photos. We hiked passed the Obsidian Falls and then over trails filled with more obsidian than either of us have ever seen. The trail glistened in the morning light. A sight worth a visit. After hiking through lava fields we arrived at the pass and were treated to trail angel magic. Local trail angels had left an ice-filled cooler with drinks and snacks. Perfect location and much appreciated. Thank you, Trail Angels! We next arrived at the agreed-upon pickup location. We were worried we wouldn’t know which car Brian (Trail Angel) would arrive in, but worry was unnecessary. The vehicle was hard to miss, as it was brightly colored with “PCT transport” painted on the sides. And…prior to Brian’s arrival a couple of day hikers/bikers offered us a ride into Bend - unsolicited. This is an easy hitch spot. Guess PCT hikers are easy to spot = dirty. Brian is an interesting, kind fellow who grew up in Oregon and told us that he contracted polio as a child. We talked about his polio, his upbringing and medical treatments during the hour long drive into Bend. The time flew by. Brian dropped us at Safeway in Bend where we met the Trail Angels, Greg and Tanya, who shared their home and two sweet dogs with us for the night. Greg and his nephew hiked the PCT in 2016. We certainly hope they will come visit us (with pups) in Nevada City. Enjoyed our stay. Shout out to Greg’s sister who pointed us to Greg when her house was full. Off to a boring hotel tomorrow.

Jul

2021

Day 96

July 17, 2021 PCT miles 1947.8 - 1976.2 PCT miles 28.4 We slept in a bit today because we knew Elk Lake Restaurant wasn’t open until 9:00 for breakfast. We arrived about 8:00 and sat watching more fat squirrels playing along the lake and swallows on their nest on the beam above us. We were the first in line for breakfast! It was delicious! However, the waitress informed us that the bar (!) was open, but that ice cream wasn’t available until 11:00. What?!? Rick was upset that cocktails were available for breakfast, but milkshakes were not. The resort is popular with families from Bend and we were there on a Saturday, so it was getting crowded fast. We left soon after breakfast and ran into Chai and Workhorse coming into the resort. They said they were picking up resupply and would try to meet us up trail. Hiking was easy and we made it to a lovely campsite above a creek. After we set up our tent, Chai and Workhorse showed up and camped nearby. We chatted and learned they planned to exit the trail at the next road junction and head to Sisters. Their son will pick them up and drive them to Cascade Locks (the beginning of the Washington section). The remainder of Oregon is a bit of a logistical nightmare due to the closed section of the PCT. Exit and re-joining is not simple and requires bussing and hotel/hostel stays. We are sorry to hear about the closed section ahead because the hike today was beautiful - again - past fields of wildflowers and streams and views of Mt. Jefferson in the distance. We have heard that part of the closed section is the most lovely PCT section in Oregon. Perhaps we will return one day.

Jul

2021

Day 95

July 16, 2021 PCT miles 1925.1 -1947.8 PCT miles 22.7 Cool weather and easy terrain. We arrived at our planned destination (Dumbbell Lake) by 12:30. The day began with a short hike through an older fire zone and we then entered the ‘green tunnel’ and passed by at least eight glistening lakes. Water was clear as glass. Because we reached our planned stopping point so early in the day we were tempted to keep hiking and head into Elk Resort for dinner (not freeze dried) because it’s only 6 miles up trail, but we decided against it. We found another gorgeous campsite on Dumbbell Lake instead. We are a day ahead of schedule for our hotel (with real Wi-Fi) in Bend on the 19th. Most hotels are fully booked again, so we have to keep our current reservation. We are competing for rooms with the many summer vacationers. Camped on the end of a peninsula at the lake. Beautiful! There were very few mosquitoes. So many complaints about mosquitoes on Guthook, but we’ve been very lucky so far. Unfortunately there’s very little local wildlife for entertainment on this lake - except for a single fat squirrel. He is quite bold going after our food and has clearly been successful in the past. We had hoped Chai and Workhorse would show up, but they must have stopped at another lovely lake. Lots of lakes to choose from in this section of Oregon. Perhaps we will see them at Elk Lake Resort when we stop in for breakfast.

Jul

2021

Day 94

July 15, 2021 PCT mile 1908.1 - 1925.1 PCT miles 17.1 We were dropped off at the PCT trailhead about 9:00 AM so we knew it would be a short day. Hiking was easy; not much elevation gain/loss and no downed trees today. We passed by so many lakes - each a little prettier than the last. We arrived at Charlton Lake where we met a couple of day hikers - a woman and her grandson with a 1 yr old boxer. We had a nice conversation about hiking (she section-hiked Oregon) and, of course, boxers. The lake is close to dayuse trailheads, so we saw several other day hikers. We selected a beautiful tent site near the water and Rick went for a swim! His first on the trail so far. Water wasn’t too cold and the mosquitoes were not bothering us. We saw Chai and Workhorse again and they decided to stop hiking for the day and camp on an adjacent point nearby. Nice couple from Washington who used to own a farm. They had a lot of questions about our tent and we provided another tour. Nice site. Minimal mosquitoes even in the evening. Very nice to be back on trail!

Jul

2021

Day 93

July 14, 2021 Airbnb - mistake. Wish we had just kept hiking…

Jul

2021

Day 92

July 13, 2021 PCT miles 1890.1 - 1908.1 (Shelter Cove Resupply) PCT miles 18 Today was the ‘Spanish Moss’ day - so much dripping from the trees! Interesting stuff. The trail into Shelter Cove Resort on Odell Lake is gorgeous. The trail winds along several pretty small lakes and followed Trapper Creek until we entered the resort. Wow! Shelter Cove Resort is lovely with a marina and A+ showers (soap and towels). Such a luxury. Picked up our resupply that included Chris’ new hiking shoes (same as current), but she thinks it’s too early and is reluctant to give up her current pair because they are so comfortable. Current pair are still great after 600 miles. Hoka Speedgoat! We chatted with other hikers while we waited for our Airbnb host to pick us up. We thought a shower would be needed (not) and a place near the lakes would be nice for the night (not). LOTHAR (laser physicist) was there and he and Rick chatted about…lasers - and Chris helped Siesta and Bearbait with their supplies. As usual, we packed too much in our box, so they both enjoyed the overflow. Bearbait would not give up much weight, though. Handgun and bear spray remained! Why? Our ride to the Airbnb arrived at Shelter Cove and our experience began. Rough day and a half. No useful Wi-Fi - no car and a hot, very, very rustic cabin with no nearby store. Felt a bit trapped. Mistake - sure wish we had just continued on hiking.

Jul

2021

Day 91

July 12, 2021 PCT Miles 1866 - 1890.1 PCT miles 25.1 (0.8 off trail) We left Maidu Lake and hiked back up to the PCT where we met Siesta and Bearbait. Siesta is hiking with a friendly dog named Vachi - cute 8 year old (looks much younger) Australian Shepherd mix. They are section hiking Oregon. Bearbait is going old-school with a 60 pound external frame pack full of everything one needs to live in the Alaskan wilderness!! Our packs are 20-30 pounds depending on food and water. Funny guy - about 20 years old. The first 13 miles of today’s hike was through a burn zone that had no reliable water sources, but when we reached Windigo pass we found that trail angels had left hundreds of gallons of water, hand sanitizer and even charging bricks for our phones. Sweet and very thoughtful trail angels! Wow. We took the old PCT to the Whitefish Horse camp. The trail was longer and more exposed than we expected. We decided to take this trail rather than a new route because of the awesome camp hosts (PCT hiker friendly) noted in Guthook. We arrived and saw no horses and learned from another hiker (Rabbi, not Rabbit) that the camp hosts had left for the store several hours away. They would not return until late. We set up our tent, cleaned feet, replenished our water and watched the birds at their bird feeder - for hours. A bird with the green beak was curious and quite comfortable around humans. Fun. The shade around their camp was nice and a cool breeze came up in the evening. Ahhh. The hosts of the horse camp returned about 8:30 and we had a brief conversation with them before heading to bed. Bummed that we didn’t have more time with these nice folks, but we were beat. We confirmed that the pretty bird with the lime green beak is an Evening Grosbeak, as Rick had guessed.

Jul

2021

Day 90

July 11, 2021 PCT miles (Rim Trail) 1838.1 -1866 PCT miles - 26.9 (0.8 off trail) The previous night Chris emailed a trail Angel, Dwight Pfeffer, and asked if he is an early riser and, if so, could he drive us up to the Rim Trail (not PCT) so we could see the sunrise over Crater Lake and then continue on the PCT. It was going to be a long day and we could not fit in the hike up to the rim and the miles we needed to cover unless we got a ride. Dwight was up for it and picked us up in front of Annie’s at 5:15 AM! He had two large cups of delicious coffee and two hot cups of gluten free oatmeal. What??? We were floored by his thoughtfulness and generosity. The day was a memorable experience that we will never forget because of our meeting with Dwight. The sunrise over the lake was beautiful and the sun looked bright red (sadly, from fire/smoke to the east). It’s a gorgeous lake. There are no rivers flowing into or out of the lake; the evaporation is compensated for by rain and snowfall at a rate such that the total amount of water is replaced every 250 years. It’s the deepest lake (1949 ft) in the United States. Dwight is one interesting man (professional volleyball player!) with a colorful and unique life history - we started laughing when we got in his car and didn’t stop until we said our goodbyes. He drove us to the rim and showed us the sites and told us all about Crater Lake. Amazing human. It’s 3:30 now, we are at our campsite at Maidu Lake and I’m looking over a lovely lake watching damselflies and ducklings. No one else is around. No other campers. Rick is napping and I’m struck by all that happened in a single day on this trail. We woke in a crowded campground in the dark and made our way quietly over to wait in front of a restaurant - not knowing who Dwight was or if he’d really show up so early. He sure did. His stories touched us and were all we talked about as we hiked. The miles flew by. Special day and we ended it at a gorgeous lake. Rick said it reminded him of lakes in New Hampshire.

Jul

2021

Day 89

July 10, 2021 PCT mile 1799.3 - 1821.7 PCT miles 22.4 + 1.6 off trail Long hike to the Crater Lake campground with no water sources. Wow. The weather was very hot (Rick) and warm (Chris). Hiked through green tunnels and dusty, ashy burn zones. The ash-covered trails are not fun to hike on. The ash is like fine talcum powder that gets on and into everything. It’s also hard to remove. Our faces are streaked black at the end of the day. We are headed to Annie’s Creek Restaurant in The Village at Crater Lake for water today. We read on Guthook that the restaurant closed at 2:00 and opened again at 5:00. Rick had his heart set on the endless fountain drinks (lemonade) with ice so we hurried and made the 24 miles by about 1:30. As we were making our way there we passed Chai and Workhorse who we met at Kennedy Meadows South! Still amazes us when we run into people we haven’t seen in more than two months. When we arrived at Annie’s we cleaned up as best we could in the ‘real’ bathrooms in the gift shop area and we both enjoyed three large glasses of lemonade! Delicious. We soon learned they were open until 3:00, not 2:00…Oh well. As the day progressed the smell of a fire burning to the east of Crater Lake increased and made it tough to breathe at points, so the lemonade really hit the spot. We hoped that there may be an opening at the Crater Lake Lodge up on the rim thinking the nearby fire and smoke may have led to a few cancellations. Both of us needed and wanted a shower. When we heard another hiker’s (Rabbit) wife secured him a room for him that morning, Chris sat on hold for 45 minutes, but no luck - no other cancellations. It was a long shot - Saturday in July. We picked up our resupply box (woohoo!) and headed to the designated PCT camping area to set up our tent. We again provided tours to the PCT hikers who had never seen such a large tent and then headed to the bathrooms where we continued to wash the dust and ash off as best we could before heading back to the restaurant for dinner. We are dirty hikers. Met up with Magnet (photographer) and Jigsaw (optometrist). Had dinner with the two and Rabbit stopped by. We looked carefully at water sources for the next morning and saw a 19 mile section with no water sources that would be tough to cover if smokey. Learned the fire we saw was the Jack Fire - now the Bootleg Fire (?).

Jul

2021

Day 88

July 9, 2021 PCT mile 1773.8 - 1799.3 PCT miles 25.5 Easy hiking morning again. We met ‘G’ and Meltdown (chocolate, not temperament) at the first water source. Later in the day we met a father and son (?) from Oregon who are section hiking and clearing the trail as they hike. Son (Magnet, a talented photographer!) hiked the southern section and wants to thru-hike someday. Honestly, neither of us can imagine repeating the southern section of the PCT ever again. Impressed he is so committed to the ‘thru-hike’ concept. Father (Jigsaw) is an Optometrist from UC Berkeley who graduated two years earlier than Chris. We saw Twig relaxing next to the trail and realized he was one of the hikers we met back at Callahan’s Lodge. After chatting with Twig, the Oregon PCT finally presented us with some climbing in exposed sunny and dry areas to the top of Devils Peak. We passed through a large burn area with downed trees across the trail. Trail was still fairly well maintained. We would have been beautiful views if not for the smoke from a new fire near Crater Lake. We are headed into the Crater Lake campground tomorrow and will find out more about this fire. Sadly, we learned from Guthook that the showers at the Crater Lake campground are closed. Chris is not happy about that news. We camped on a ledge above a small creek with a lovely view. The last photo is at 9:00 PM - lots of daylight.

Jul

2021

Day 87

July 8, 2021 PCT mile 1750.5 - 1773.8 PCT miles 23.8 Another lovely day hiking in Oregon. Today is the first day we encountered Spanish Moss growing on the fir and pine trees (much more up trail). Although we are too early in the season to enjoy the berries along the trail we are treated to lovely fragrant flowers every so often. Beautiful! We entered our first lava field today - know more of this is up ahead also. We came across a shelter that other PCT hikers who have hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) have said reminded them of the many shelters along the AT. It was a nice spot for a short break. Quiet day on the trail. We only met a father and daughter team section hiking Oregon. We found a nice tent site by a cool stream. Only a few mosquitoes bothered us. ?

Jul

2021

Day 86

July 7, 2021 PCT mile 1728.2 - 1750.0 PCT miles - 22.4 Reluctantly we packed up to leave Bambi’s Meadow and began hiking north. A few hundred yards from our campsite Chris thought she saw a Fox scampering across a log. The light was still dim, but then she saw two figures run straight up a tree. We took a few more steps and saw the smallest baby black bears we have ever seen climbing to the very top of a large fir tree. The babies were no more than 18” from nose to tail and looked like stuffed toys. We heard a twig snap at the bottom of the Meadow and thought momma bear was coming to check on her babies. We moved along the trail chatting loudly, but never saw mom. We next saw a huge Osprey fly from a big nest teetering on the top of a dead tree. Looked precarious. Two large pileated woodpeckers were working on trees across the trail. We’ve never seen two on the same tree before. We continued through lovely green forests and had views back to Mt. Ashland and the city of Ashland below. The day was very easy hiking - at about 10:00 AM we were at about 14 miles with only about 9 miles to our selected camp site. The Guthook app suggested a side trip to Hyatt Reservoir for food and supplies and provided a number to call for transport, so we decided to give it a try. We passed by the pretty dam below Hyatt Reservoir and when we reached the junction Chris called and asked for a ride. Within 5 minutes the owner’s grandson arrived in a pickup truck. We rode in the pickup bed, which is legal in Oregon - therefore not as thrilling. We were dropped off at the restaurant and had a very nice egg breakfast, charged our devices and used a real bathroom. Friendly staff. The young man then asked if we wanted a ride back to the trail. We were back hiking the trail in less than an hour. Very efficient (!) with the unexpected bonus of fresh delicious breakfast. We arrived at Howard Prairie campground mid-afternoon. The campground is currently closed, but the management is kind enough to leave the showers (hot water!) and bathrooms open for PCT hikers. Amazing. Chris’ vacationed here 50+ years ago with her family and recalled how easy it was to catch a rainbow trout - a BIG trout. She said she and her Dad and brother would catch the limit before breakfast. It ruined her for future fishing trips. No fish within 30 minutes, she’s done.. Sad, but the lake was not what she remembered - not deep, not blue. The lake is so very low (drought) it is more pond than lake and area around the campground is so overgrown due to Covid closure. We are the only hikers camped in this enormous campground tonight. Reminds us of Tuolumne Meadows backpackers campground in Yosemite. Eerie. Hiking in Oregon has been such a pleasure. Only two days in, but we are impressed with the trail maintenance, healthy forests and the temperature has been very comfortable. Rick said Oregon even has the best livestock gates! They are nice. We know we have some days of hiking through old burn areas ahead, but loving it so far.

Jul

2021

Day 85

July 6, 2021 PCT mile 1709 - 1728.2 PCT miles - 19.8 miles Left Callahan’s Lodge after waiting for coffee in the lobby (no coffee in room) and chatted with other PCT hikers headed into Ashland for resupply. We realized we may get to Crater Lake before our resupply arrives, so we are not rushing ahead too quickly. Very (!) easy hiking today after previous sections. Tempting to try for 30 + mile days. We hiked back south up toward the Mt. Ashland Ski Area to rejoin the PCT and take in views of blue skies and green forests. Lovely. Soothing. Wonderful. Hiking in Oregon is often described as hiking in ‘the green tunnel’. True, but every few miles we were also treated to nice distant views. At one point looking south we saw the smoke engulfing the eastern side of Mt. Shasta. The Oregon green tunnel was so comfortable and the temperature was at least 10 degrees cooler in the shade. We are both happy with our decision to skip fire and smoke zone. Chris almost stepped on a 4+ foot long gopher snake lounging across the trail. A gentle nudge with the treking pole and he was on his way. The trail is lined with every kind of berry (we are too early in the season to try - not ripe) and wild cucumbers. We were told that when hiking the Oregon PCT in August miles will drop significantly because it’s impossible to pass by the berries and not stop to pick/eat along the way. Met a few young PCT hikers headed north and a young woman headed south. We warned her about the fires and smoke and she said she had planned to skip. This section has only a couple of viable water sources, so we decided to stop at a reliable spring today. We arrived about 2:00 and looked at Guthook for other sites further on. Not many in the next 15 miles, so we decided to snag the pretty campsite near the spring. Campsite is secluded and cool beneath a few cedar trees. Unexpected nice breeze this afternoon. Lazy day. This campsite has become one of our favorite. Chris calls it ‘Bambi’s Meadow’ because our site looks over a lovely Meadow visited by so many butterflies, some bunnies, birds, bumblebees, deer and even baby black bears (next morning). Yellow, orange, blue, and white (pale swallowtails) danced around our tent all afternoon. Bunnies hopped down the trail in front of us, birds sang beautiful songs and chubby bumblebees buzzed around the flowers. In addition to that fun entertainment we enjoyed unexpected cool weather and occasional light breezes - a very pleasant first hiking and camping day in Oregon. Our thoughts go out to fellow hikers suffering high heat and smoke in the Burney area today.

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chris-and-rick

Pacific Crest Trail

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