Back to Oregon

Day 129

10 miles

From Hwy 99 in Ashland to a shelter, first day going sobo

I am so grateful the rest of the driving went smoothly today. One of our group had contacted a trail angel to get a ride from the Medford airport (where we dropped the rental car) to the trail. It ended up being the same trail angel who had given us a ride from Shasta to Ashland around the fire originally, who also came and got us back to the trail to finish this section too. This felt full circle and she is such a wonderful person to reconnect with!

It was wild to think that this eight or nine hour driving journey covered the partial distance I have walked this summer! This feels like an accomplishment and quite the feat when I think of it that way!

It was great to get back on trail and feel the comfort and familiarity of Oregon and being back hiking. The air was clear. The skies were blue. And there was no fear of a fire popping over the ridge.

Im really excited for this section and for crossing the Oregon/California border tomorrow. I am hoping for no more fires for this section but we will see. It is fire season after all. Already the planning of getting back home, thinking about jobs, and having a place to live is creeping in and bringing a bit of stress. It is always a challenge to bring the beliefs that things will work out and we will be provided for from the trail to day to day life.

Steven’s Pass

Day 127

4.4 miles

Stayed at the Loge in Leavenworth

The overnight rain cleared the air so we could actually take deep breaths when we awoke and didn’t feel like choking. The down side was packing a wet tent. But breathing was a good trade off. Kevin and I began packing up and our tramily did too. We wanted to hike the last 4.4 miles out together because today was our last day hiking all together. As we were packing, Semi walked up. He has been a few miles behind us in this section. It was a reunion and a fun hike out to the ski lodge and Steven’s Pass.

Highway 2 is now closed towards Skykomish because of the fires so any chance of hitching was gone. We were a bit worried about how we were going to get to Leavenworth which is a 40 minute drive. Luckily, there was a local who was running a shuttle down to Leavenworth a few times a day for hikers. Sadly, he was doing this to make some money while evacuated from his house near Skykomish. We made sure to wish him and his house safety and tip well.

When we got into town, we had to face making a decision of whether to continue on the trail, stop our hiking journey, or continue to Northern California to hike the section we missed from the McKinny fire. After looking at air quality reports, weather reports, and fire maps, we decided to stop hiking in Washington.

Our journey north to Canada has found a stopping point. But our journey continues. The smoky conditions, wildfires, and closed trail has caused Kevin and I to give up the goal of making it to Canada this year. We hope to finish these 185 miles across Washington’s beautiful northern Cascade mountains in another season. We want to be able to see the amazing views when we hike through them. Right now we will go back to Northern California to part of the trail that has reopened after the fire earlier this year that caused us to skip up to Oregon. I am so grateful for our tramily, for trail workers and fire fighters, for the communities along this trail who believe there is still good in this world and offer kindness to others. I am beginning to see the end of this trail, it just looks different than I originally thought.

Day 123

7 miles – Nero out of Snoqualomine

Camped at mile 2401.3

The morning was very relaxing as we spent most of the day in town. We left the hotel at 11 am after watching some of the new Lord of the Rings show. There was a delicious little market with vegan and gluten free food called Laconia Market. They had great coffee and food. I think my positive mood in town was owing to that little shop! Our plan for the day was to take it easy and head out of town to make it to campsite by dinner time.

A friend, Gnome, we haven’t seen in many miles came into town today too and we hiked out together. It is fun to join back up with various people and hear about their parts of the journey as well.

We spent some time today planning and trying to figure out how to get a ride from Rainy pass into Seattle. We have a couple of options. Then we worked on figuring out some details of getting to Nor Cal to hike there after we finish what we can in Washington. We are also on the fence a bit of whether we even want to return to that section or consider 2435 ish miles enough of a thruhike.

First bear sighting!

Day 107

Hiked 21.5 miles

Camping in Warm Springs reservation

We awoke to a completely soaked tent, wet sleeping bags, and my shirt which was hanging up in the vestibule was damp and cold. The meadow depression we were camped in had collected all the wet moist air which is great for the fragile alpine plants but not great for us. Kevin hates packing a wet tent and was loathe to get up in the cold weather. It isn’t like I liked it either. But we knew we could dry our things out later in the day so we got a move on. So far, we have always been able to dry things out during the day and that has been a massive change and fortunate thing about this trail.

A couple miles into our morning, we both heard some rustling in the bushes across the gully and turned to see a bear headed toward us. Before I could finish my aggressive “hey bear” yell at it, it had turned tail and ran. It probably hasn’t seen people in a long time. This was our first bear sighting on the trail! I was afraid we would go the whole way without seeing one!

Do you think this is a dog or mountain lion?!

Nine miles into our day, we stopped at Lake Olallie. It is a USFS day use area with a great view of Mt Jefferson and a little store. I got some soda, a popsicle, and candy. We spread all our wet things out to dry in the warm sun and hung out for quite some time.

After hanging out for awhile, we made a plan for our miles to Timberline lodge! A giant hotel/restaurant built by the WPA (like the CCC, created by the New Deal during the depression) Their breakfast and lunch buffets are legends on the trail. Since we made our mileage plan a bit shorter, we only went 21 miles today and are going to bed early with the hopes of catching up on sleep!

Hiking through Lionshead

Day 106

Camped over the ridge from Mt Jefferson view

26.1 miles

Today we got to be one of the first thruhikers of this year to legally walk through the recently opened Lionshead fire closure from 2020. On Friday, the PCTA announced the Mt Hood wilderness area had reopened their section of the trail. The first time since the fire in 2020. We are very grateful to the firefighters, trail crews, and advocates who worked hard to get this part of the trail open.

The first part of the day was through a thick shaded fir forest with some ridge top sweeping views of Mount Jefferson. Then the burn area scars became more prevalent. Thankfully, the really exposed and hot sections weren’t too long. We did have one intense river crossing at the Russell Creek. This creek is formed from run off from two glaciers higher up Mount Jefferson. It goes through a narrow canyon so the water is faster and deeper than necessary. After rock stepping across we emerged with semi wet feet.

The last part of the day was a 3000 foot climb. It has been awhile since we have had to do that long of a climb. At the top of the ridge, the view of Mount Jefferson was phenomenal and we could see the crevices on the glacier. It was a big challenging to find a campsite on the other side of the ridge without dead trees or a wind tunnel. But finally I am warm in my sleeping bag and feeling sleep tug at my eyelids.

Lake Odell

Day 98

25? Miles

Second day hiking around the Windigo fire

Camped at Odell Lake Resort Campground

The group decided to hike out at 6:15am this morning. It was quite chilly though maybe not as near freezing point as yesterday. We started hiking pretty fast since we all were chilly. Today we planned to hike all together again to make sure no one got lost and we could all compare maps again. Pretty soon into the morning it became quite hot. The rest of the day it felt very warm and I was very grateful to have my sun umbrella still. Today on the two track roads we saw quite a few cars and ATVs. At lunch by a creek, a couple of gentlemen who were four wheeling stopped to talk with us about the fire and how we are getting around it. They even offered us a ride to the campground we were going to for dinner. In the end we turned them down since we are walking these miles as part of our journey to Canada.

As we walked, I finished listening to “Britt-Marie was here”. Another Fredrick Backman book! It was phenomenal as always. He is such a great author because he draws a reader into the story with real descriptions of emotions and feelings while being so realistic about life.

We finally made it to the resort and campground! About half way through our day we had looked up the menu for the restaurant here. This helped us walk a bit faster and steady through the afternoon. I don’t think this place gets a lot of PCT hikers since it isn’t a common resupply spot and not quite near the trail. But they seemed to know we were hikers and not dirty people just passing through. A few of the other people at the restaurant came over and talked to us about our journey. In the end, someone paid for all seven of our checks after we had a lovely meal there. We were all so grateful and that was so unexpected!

The view from the porch of the restaurant

Our original plan for post-dinner was to get to the highway and hitch hike up to the Willamette trailhead so we would have to road walk in the dark. That is dangerous. But after a happy meal, we decided to inquire about the campsites here and save the hitch for the morning. It ended up only being a few dollars a person to stay near the beautiful Lake Odell. The campsite is on the shore and the waves will sing us to sleep. Then in the morning for Kevin’s birthday we can go get some breakfast and warm coffee! This walk around the fire closure has been an adventure of a different kind and has really been a good change of pace for a bit.

Windigo fire walk around

Day 97

27? Miles

Hwy 138 to a few miles outside of Chemult

Hiking around the forest fire

Today is the first day of our two day walk around of the fire closure. We camped at the water cache at the two track we took around the closure boundary.

All seven of us decided to stick together while hiking today and tomorrow so we could compare maps and decipher the way to go. When the PCTA gave this reroute suggestion, they made it sound terrible, dry, hot, and used the phrases “you are on your own out there” and “expert backpacking experience and navigation required”. So we take that with a grain of salt but definitely downloaded our maps and did our research. Kevin has his topographical map app still so he routed a path on there and I downloaded google maps offline which still told me my location even in airplane mode. So we will be fine, it is also all within twenty miles of a highway so we can always bail if we need to.

As we all walked together, it was really fun to talk and share stories about our times on the trail so far. The morning was pretty chilly and Semi said his thermometer was just above freezing this morning. I had been quite cold last night so I might have to get a sleeping bag liner when we get to Washington. As the afternoon wore on, it got really hot. The one stream we crossed I fell off a log and got my feet wet. So my blisters came back by the end of the day unfortunately.

In the afternoon, we reached the highway and our eight mile road walk. The highway had a wide shoulder so we could be away from the traffic but the road was hot and the cars loud. We took a break at a roadside stop and got water there. Then continued on to the small town, a few gas stations, a campground, and restaurant. We got a bit more food at the Pilot station so we have enough food to get to Elk Lake where our next box is.

As some of our group walked past the restaurant, the owner came out and told us we could charge our phones there and get water. So after resupply we went there for food, drinks, and some electricity. Then we headed out of town. Since it is harder to decipher how many miles we have gone on our maps, we just decided to walk til 8pm and then stop for the night. We found a good spot for all five of our tents and fell right asleep.

Zero day in Ashland

Day 91

ZERO miles!

Ashland, OR

Beds are nice. Last night was a rush to get as many chores done as possible so we could sit around today. I had waffles and fruit for breakfast, veggies for lunch, and Thai curry for dinner. I had been craving fresh food and veggies for quite a few days. I will have to pack out some veggies for this next ration. Having an air bnb is really nice to be able to do a lot of laundry without paying for every load. We could also have a freezer for our ice cream!

Another goal we had for our zero day was to watch all the Lord of the Rings movies. They are quite fitting for a long hike and journey like we are on!

It was also great to catch up with family and some friends while having internet and service as well.

Our hiking group also did our best to make a plan for this next section. We are pushing miles a bit for a few days then probably hitching or hiking around the first fire closure. The closure is for around 60 miles of trail and there are some forest service roads we could walk around the closure area but we aren’t sure about that yet. We are excited to see Crater Lake in a few days though!

Castle Crags

Day 90

11 miles

Ended at mile 1501.1, I-5 outside of Dunsmuir and Mount Shasta

Stayed in an air bnb in Ashland, OR

At 4:15am our alarm went off. Our plan was to hike the Giard ridge to watch the sunrise over Mount Shasta and Castle Crags. It was our last morning hiking in California for now! We quickly packed up and then hiked to the ridge and got there for breakfast! It was a lovely view of the clouds in front of Mount Shasta and the sun soon reflected on the rocks of Castle Crags. The clouds were dark and the air smelled like rain but it never rained on us. After breakfast, we walked down to get to town and our ride to Ashland. When we arrived at the highway, another group of hikers were there, some of whom we hadn’t seen in awhile. We all discussed our various plans to get around the fire closures and desire to respect the closed areas of the trail.

At the road, a trail angel was refilling a box of trail magic! We met him and heard his story. He offered to shuttle hikers to Shasta (the town) and take several trips so we could all get there. This was very kind of him as there were probably 15 of us. This road is notorious for being difficult to hitch and the bus doesn’t run on the weekends so he makes sure to come out on the weekends to shuttle hikers. As he gave us a ride, he told his story. How when he was younger he went backpacking through South America and that experience changed his life. It changed his perspective on human connection and showed him how everyone needs each other. We don’t really exist separately but are helped and supported by those around us and vice versa. As hikers we really see this when we come into town. We rely on trail angels to get farther distances and hitches for groceries. We rely on trail organizations for information and trail updates. We rely on families to send us boxes and encouragement. We rely on each other between towns for check ins, emotional support, and cheerful laughs. No one is ever really out here alone or self sufficient. And it is a reminder to me that there is still good in humanity and I can be a part of that too. This is something I want to remember and hold on to for my whole life, like our shuttle driver, into late life and be part of the good in this world.

After a big breakfast in Mount Shasta, our group met up with a trail angel who brought us up to Ashland, OR. Driving (rather than walking) across the border wasn’t exactly what we had planned but here we are. I had been reading reviews of Ashland and it seemed reminiscent of when we lived in northern Cali so I was very excited to get here! Can’t wait to hit up the coffee shops and market tomorrow on our zero day!

Last full day in California

Day 89

22.4 miles

The first six miles of the trail this morning were a high stakes plant identification game. The high stakes were whether or not you ran into poison oak. Once we get down into the valleys, around 3500 feet, the poison oak has been rampant along the trail. I washed off at multiple streams along the way just to try and hopefully prevent any rashes.

We had two major climbs of about 2,000 feet today. The first one was over at mile twelve where our group sat for about three hours and tried to schedule a ride up to Ashland since we have to go around the fires. We had given up trying to find a ride and started packing up when a trail angel responded to Tadpoles’ call and said she could come pick us up! Hurray! Then we quickly booked an air bnb since the hostel was full and got back to hiking. The second climb of the day was a bit steeper but still passed by fairly well. I was happy to be at the top and finally eat dinner.

Tonight is our last night on trail in Northern California. This section has been full of varied terrain and different types of towns. It was a long section after the hype of the Sierras and sometimes felt like work to find something to look forward to each day. But I have come to really love the ridges, sidelining, tree covered hills that we have been in after the burn sections. Even those burnt parts were interesting to see how the trees and plants were resilient. It was also very sad to see the devastation of the burn and the impact that had on the communities. Every section of the trail has its challenges, surprises, and treats. I have loved all those parts of Northern California too. It is sad to be leaving it too early and prematurely because of the fires but most of all my heart hurts for the communities that have had to deal with the growing numbers of fire threats in this area. We made our choice with the information we had and a desire to not enter an area where we might take away from any relief effort for those who live there. Every hiker has to make their own decision of what their journey and priority will be .