Find the Elk on the PCT

The elk is somewhere in there

8-27

I saw a male elk in the morning. The rack didn't seem that big so I'm guessing it was a younger buck. I wasn't moving fast today so I got in less miles than normal. But, oh well, I'm gonna make it, eventually. It's just so nice being out on the trail. I really don't care how fast I'm going as long as I'm feeling good and having fun. I'll make it to Canada. No thru hikers again today. It's not too bad though. Solitude is nice. Also, I'm seeing plenty of day and section hikers that I can have chats with to keep me from going insane. One of those chats were with some guys hiking to a lake. Very cool people. No rain today, just nice cloud cover. 

Back on the PCT at White Pass, WA

8-26

Got a good meal then said my goodbyes, and I was back on the trail. Thanks again Mom and Dad for coming out and spoiling me. The rain was on and off all day. I didn't see any thru hikers but I did see a bit of section hikers. I got a good spot on the ridge then hit the hay. I was tired. 

White Pass, WA, Mile 2300

I was looking for a Double Black Diamond and the Trick Park.

8-25
White Pass, WA 
Mile 2300
I woke up to a clear view of Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens. There was a little climbing to get to the pass of Old Snowy Mountain. The views were amazing today up on the crest. Mt. Rainer looks so close and is covered in snow. That's a big mountain. It started to rain a little but wasn't all that bad since I was climbing and it kept me cool. 20 miles later I was at the top of the ski run, so I decided to take the shortcut. It would have been a lot shorter if there was snow on the ground and I had some skis. I followed the chairlift to the bottom where I had a slice of pizza and a shower, thanks to Back Up who had a room at the lodge. Then, I met up with my parents and they whisked me away to a camp spot with a good view of Rainer, although the weather prevented us from having a complete view. I gotta say bye to my parents tomorrow. It sure was nice having them follow along. What swell folks. 

Goat Rocks Wilderness, WA

  8-24
Goat Rocks Wilderness, WA

I woke up to a great breakfast and coffee with Mom and Dad, then I organized and hit the trail. The first half of the day wasn't too exciting in terms of views. When I hit the first pass, that's when the view punched me in the face. The huckleberries were all over the place today, easy pickin. When I got up a little bit, I started running into a bunch of people. I can see why this place is so popular though. It's amazing. The marmots came out again. These aren't as friendly as the Sierra marmots though. They make a loud whistle as a warning to other marmots. I've got a great camping spot right before the high pass, so I have a great view. It is cloudy in spots, but in a certain direction I can see for a while. 

Happy Bithday, Dad

     Foggy morning

8-23
I got up and going at about 5:30am. The morning was a little dark but it got light enough to see after about 15 mins. The morning was a climb but it was very foggy out, which made for easy climbing. I saw about 20 elk and chased them down the trail a bit. I was feeling good thanks to the cool weather and having not much in my pack, just a bit of food, and no tent or sleeping bag. 25 miles were done before I knew it when I ran into Band Leader and be helped me knock out the last 8 miles. Also, Dad met me for his birthday with about 2 miles left on trail. Then, we went back to camp for a drink and some good eatin. Great day. The scenery was amazing. And, happy birthday Dad. 

Mt. Adams, WA

Giving the legs a break at Mosquito Lake, WA

8-22

Mt. Adams, WA
The miles this morning were great. I had less weight so I flew the 10 miles to where I was meeting with my Mom and Dad. Also, I had the podcasts blazing. We met up and decided to meet another 5 miles down the road at Mosquito Lake. I had no pack, just a liter of water, but Band Leader still set the pace. That 5 miles went so fast, I almost passed the road where I was supposed to stop at. I had a "My day is done" beer, then did some kayaking. We went into town [Trout Lake] to eat and do other shannanigans. I called my tent company, Big Agnes, and told them about my tent problems, so they are gonna send out what I need to the next stop. Great company and very helpful, Big Agnes. We headed to our stop next to the PCT at Mosquito Lake and had a nice dinner, a few beers, and berries: blueberry and huckleberry, picked at the campground. Great day! Tomorrow should be the entrance of the good part of WA that supposedly starts after Mt. Adams. 
   

Upper: Pacman and Butters

Lower: Band Leader and SoulShine

Near Surprise Lake. Surprise! We couldn't find the lake!

Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA and the PCT

You might not even be able to see the goats. They are pretty much dead middle

8-21

After a good breakfast I departed to the trail. There were a lot of good views of Mt. Adams for the hike. It was a little smokey from a fire off in the distance somewhere. That kinda blocked all the stuff that was possibly further away. At least it was nice and cool all day, or not too hot at least. It made for easy hiking. We got back to some actual climbing but it wasn't too bad. Our bodies are in such good shape for hiking right now. It's like my legs don't even get sore anymore. Actually, they don't ever get sore anymore. I pulled into the lake at about 6 and made my dinner thinking I might go on but there was a small crew assembled around the corner so I decided to call it for the day. We spotted some goats across the lake climbing up on a steep ledge. They were pretty far away but it reminded me of the National Geographic pics of mountain goats standing in what looks to be like impossible places. 

    Sasquatch in our hot tub!!!

Causing Traffic and Sasquatch

We caused some traffic.

8-20

I had about 10 miles in the morning to the meet up with my parents. The miles were good, can't complain. I had my talk show podcasts going pretty much the entire morning since I knew I could get a charge later that day. I got to the road and sat for a couple of minutes when my Dad came walking up. Uh oh. The truck still was having brake problems so we started walking back when we got a hitch the other way to town where Dad handled the situation at the mechanic shop and I handled the beer situation at the gas station. We got back to the campsite where I stuffed my face then watched the truck get towed away. We had a jump in the Wind River, which was mighty cold. As usual, I got a little sleepy and had a great siesta. The topic of conversation for the night was Sasquatch. I mean we are in the Pacific Northwest. Sasquatch must be talked about while I'm up here. It was a great night. I set up my tent inches from Mommy and Daddy's, so the Squatch doesn't get me.
 

Washington PCT!!!

                 Sasquash!!!

8-19
Washington!!!
I had a great night sleep on the cabin couch. I woke up to a great breakfast cooked by Ma, then hopped in the hot tub for a nice soak. After a grocery run, I got back on the trail in WA. There is a good climb out of this valley. Nowhere to go but up when you're that close to sea level. I loaded a few podcasts on my I pod, so I got to listen to some of those. One was a techno dubstep mix. It went pretty fast for the 2 songs that lasted 15 mins and by the time that was over, I was sweating like a fool. I had a great sammich and leftovers from last night so that fueled me up the hill. I took a good siesta at a creek that was easy to lose track of time at. My spot for the night isn't the best of the trip but it'll have to do. I was on a ridge for a while past 7pm so I settled for a not so good spot. 

Tunnel Falls near Cascade Locks, Oregon

Can you spot all three mountains? Left to right: Mt. St. Helen's (blown off top), Mt. Rainer, and Mt. Adams
8-18
Cascade Locks
I got up today with 10 miles downhill to go and about a waterfall every mile. The first few waterfalls were good size, maybe 20-50 foot drops. Then, I got to Tunnel Falls where I got to walk along the trail that had a straight drop and walked through a tunnel behind the waterfall. The fall was pretty high too, maybe 100 feet. The next one was Punchbowl Falls that it looked like if you fell in, it would be hard if not impossible to get out. Later I ran across people that had scuba gear and were going to explore that pool. All these falls were on Eagle Creek on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge. I guess it's one of the most popular hiking trails in Oregon. I was seeing groups of people every minute or so. It was Sunday. I got to town where I saw my parents then had a burger. They were having truck problems so we hung out in town while Dad tried to fix it. We ended up getting a cabin on the Columbia River in Silverton, WA with a hot tub. Very nice!!! Great relaxing night. 

     Tunnel Falls. You walk behind it.

Waterfall Near Casade Locks on the Columbia River

8-17
Near Cascade Locks
I saw a bunch of people on the other side of the creek this morning. At least 20 or so. The falls was a good way to start the morning, and two creek crossings where I had to balance my way over logs. I saw a few more section hikers and crossed paths with Tracks and Sweet Jesus most of the day. There was a dry 15 miles during the day. It was all shaded with dense trees though, so I did it on a liter. I think that's about the last of not having water for long stretches. My pinkey toes are bothering me. They seemed to have twisted themselves sideways and are now developing a rash. My socks are pretty dirty so that's probably the issue. I get two new sets of socks tomorrow though. It's hard to wash socks when you only have one pair made out of mismatched socks. Tomorrow I have 13 miles to town where my parents will be meeting me. Also there are a handful of scenic waterfalls on the way. 

Timberline Lodge, Mt Hood, Oregon

The international Timberline Lodge during hiking season, and ski and board season. The Shining was filmed here, or something like that. 

8-16 
About a hundred feet from my tent was a cache of beer set out by a trail angel. It would have been great last night, but at 6am this morning I couldn't gather the courage to drink one. I had a stuff-yourself-filling of Mac-n-Cheese to loosen up my stomach muscles. Then at 9:30am, I chugged 3 liters of warm water to loosen them up even more. I'm ready for the buffet. Maverick, Lodge Pole, Tracks (hadn't seen him since mile 90,) and I chowed down. It was a very good buffet too: prime rib, ham, good dessert. I ate. I ate so much it hurt, and I also gave the little boys room a hurting when I was done. The lodge was a fun place to be. A very interesting place. It was kinda pricey though, so I decided to move on and not rack up a bill. The 17$ buffet was well worth it. I even snagged a few trail cookies! The miles today were amazing. The valleys of Mt. Hood are deep and there are waterfalls all over the place. Today was one of my favorite so far. I ended the day with a glacier creek bath. I was getting bad, no shower since Crater Lake, so I had a bath. I had to sing at the top of my lungs to keep myself from feeling the cold. I'm clean though, at least for the night.

View of Mt Hood

           Mt Hood

8-15

I slept great on my padded carpet floor last night. I woke up ready to go. There were a good amount of Oregon section hikers today. When I pulled into my lunch area on the lake, I found a hammock all set up. Now that's luxury. I took a good siesta in that thing. Padded floor, then a hammock. I'm good to go. There was a little pond-sized spring called Little Crater Lake. Pretty cool. It looked pretty deep and was gushing out spring water. Mt Hood appeared out of the trees and had clouds going over it in a pretty cool way. AYCE buffet at Timberline Lodge tomorrow!!!

PCT Snow Walking in Oregon

Snow walking. It's been a bit.
8-14
Last night I concluded that I had gone the wrong way through a tricky meadow that had game trails that looked similar to the PCT. Also, there were a bunch of people with no packs walking around my site. That confused me, also, because there were no roads around. I heard people walking in the middle of the night. Last night was supposed to be a good meteor shower. I woke up at 1am and looked for about 5 mins and saw nothing before I fell back asleep. I got going back down the hill and Lodge Pole said it actually was the trail. I got up and over the pass, which had a bit of snow on it. That thought lingered all day: What were all those people doing? At Olallie Lake store, I had good muffins and soda. I started feeling like a young man again and did a solid last half of the day. I got a good soft spot to sleep. It's like I'm sleeping on a super thick carpet. Definitely sleeping in on this. 

 

Huckleberries

Huckleberries

8-13
I met up with Maverick and Lodge Pole and they showed me all the berries I can eat. There are dwarf blueberries, dwarf huckleberries, and normal huckleberries. It's fun to see a bush that has a few, get a few handfuls, and go at it. I probably ate a couple hundred today. They are supposed to get thicker in a bit too. We walked right along Mt. Jefferson. It's a big old mountain. Peanut butter and Nutella and berry sammich time!!!

Three Findered Jack

Three Fingered Jack, OR

8-12

I thought I had a mile or two to the first water, but all that walking over lava last night must have slowed me down. So, I guess it was about 8 miles to the water. The water was at a Christian youth camp that's hiker friendly. I kept on going into a good amount of burn area. It's not as bad as the SoCal burn areas though. I got a trail angel beer at one of the road crossings. Good Oregon beer, too. That called for a good break, so I sprawled everything out and got dry. I had a lot of good food today: 6 good size English muffin sandwiches with ranch, good cheese, salami, and avocado. Also, I had cereal!!! It was so good. I did carnation milk and peanut butter puffs. The oatmeal needed a break, so I went to healthy cereal and one sugar cereal. It's a day of feasting. 

Sisters, Oregon

       Don't touch the lava!!!
8-11
Sisters, OR
I got the day started with Obsidian Falls. As the name suggests, there is obsidian all over the place. It's very cool stuff. I can get some of the cracks pretty sharp. I know them Indians did. I decided to go into Sisters and stock up on food. I got in and out of town in about 3 hours, so I didn't lose much time on the day. Now I have good food, and lots of it. I went to the recommended burger joint and got a double bacon cheese burger with onion rings and a large shake. I ate that in about a minute, I know you're supposed to savor your food, and enjoy it, but I was a hungry boy. The end of the day was walking over lava fields. This is the worst walking by far. It's all crunchy and you can't sit, or something will rip. However, it's amazing in terms of everything else. One of the coolest places on the trail. I did a side trail to the lava lookout and there was lava tunnels and stuff. Very cool, it had a good view of the lava rivers running down the North Sister and a pool of lava in the valley. 

Elk Lake Resort, OR

      

          Fire
8-9
Elk Lake Resort, OR
I got up early today, about 6am. I wanted to get the miles in to the resort early. I did em all and wound up with a coke, burger, and a beer. I got all my stuff organized and headed off. About 5 minutes in, it starts raining, 5 more, and it's thundering within a mile. I went back to the lodge and waited it out and had a beer, or two. I got back on trail and got a little lost in the Oregon woods. Confused. It only made me backtrack 10 mins, or so. I got about 4 miles up the PCT and I saw smoke up the hill about 30 meters away. I thought it had to be a lightning strike fire, so I took a pic and headed on down the trail. I ran into Maverick and Lodge Pole. They had a phone and called the lodge, so we figured that they got it under control. It was pretty small, 10 meters by 10. And, it was wet around the area. Also, a spy plane for fires was buzzing around. 

Pacman Rocks!

            Pacman!
8-8
Had another good sleep in. The walking here goes fast in the day and I never break a sweat, so it's easier to keep going. I did about 26 miles today. It seems like 23-27 miles is the perfect amount for me around this part of town. I went by lots of lakes today. There's about 100-200 lakes on every page of my maps. I got a thunderstorm going on while I write this. It's off in the distance but I feel like it is gonna come on over here in a bit. I should use this opportunity for a shower; that would be goin homeless. I need one though. Great walking today. I don't think I even broke a sweat. There's another resort tomorrow, and many more lakes. 

Mile 1912, Shelter Cove, OR

Shelter Cove, OR
8-7
Had an easy 5 miles to the store where I had a hot dog and soda. I wasn't too hungry because I ate a huge breakfast. I had a hiker box surprise breakfast and it was delicious and filling. I think it was for two people. It was overcast most of the time hanging out. Shelter Cove was a great place and nice stop, however these Oregon resorts get pricey if you hang around too long. So, I got going with Maverick and Lodge Pole on the trail. I did about 10 miles in the afternoon with a little bit of rain getting me. Also, there was a t-storm last night that got right over us. Pretty fun hour in the middle of the night. Also, there was a small fire across the lake of the resort. It's suppose to be not great weather over the next couple days. I kinda like rain though. It's very peaceful walking in rain. Sleeping in rain when everything is wet though, no bueno. I plan on being pretty rain proof when I hit the WA border. 

Crescent Lake and Diamond Peak, Oregon

Crescent Lake and Diamond Peak

8-6
Crescent Lake, OR
I slept in well today and only got 5 miles done by 10am. It was worth it though. Nothing like a great nights sleep. My body has felt great lately and I've been eating tons to make up for the lack of eating a week ago. I am constantly hungry again and I have plenty of food to stuff down my belly. Also, I'm not doing big days so I have more time for eating. A hiker's mileage is suppose to go up in Oregon because of how flat it is, but all the eating I'm doing, the mileage has gone down. Oh, well. I'm still on pace for a finish before Sept 15, which is the date where the bad weather for WA gets possible. I met two couples today who are doing just Oregon. Not a bad pick, I say. I like Oregon. There are lakes everyday to jump in, and the tree cover keeps me shaded all day pretty much. I can get by drinking less water between sources. I got to Crescent Lake and there was a sandy beach, and Maverick and Lodge Pole. That was an easy pit stop. Did the last little bit to a lake that overlooks the big mountain around here, Diamond Peak. 

Oregonian Woods, Mile 1870

Oregonian woods. Oregonian is a real word. 
8-5
Mile 1870
Got going with no water this morning. I passed a road that apparently had some sort of ordeal happen to where the maintained water cache was destroyed. Also, I heard Cowgirl and Midnight Chocolate put a cooler out with beer and stuff since they have a cabin close by. They are taking a bit of time off somewhere down the road. That supply wasn't there either. I don't know who would be so adamant about stopping this supply. It seems kinda silly. Oh, well. There was a gallon of water that was snuck in a bit further down, so I took a quarter liter to slowly drink over the next 6 miles. I got to the creek and met a southbounder, Vogue, and had a good food break and chat with him. Funny guy. When I got going into the next 16 miles of no water, my 2 liter water bladder broke, so it's 1.5 liters to make it that next 16 miles. I guess I cameled up (chugged as much as you can) at the creek well enough because I only drank a half a liter that stretch. There is so much tree cover, the sun is never on me out here in the woods. Oh, ya. When I found out my bladder was leaking, I chugged that 2 liters also. I had so much water in me. I thought of a Crater Lake employee warning me about drinking too much water. It made me laugh, then it made my stomach hurt. I got to the final destination and saw Maverick and Lodge Pole. Always nice to see them. Good dinner, tea, then good dessert. There's a few lakes tomorrow. One even says it has an amazing beach in the map notes. 

The Rim of Crater Lake, OR

               Blue?
8-4
I got going pretty late today. I was feeling lazy and needed to get hydrated because of the 27 miles of no water coming up. I left at about 1pm and walked along the rim of Crater Lake. There were a decent amount of ups and downs, but the views were great of the lake. I did the half mile hike up to the watch tower with no pack. It's nice not carrying anything. There were day hikers and tourists all over the place. I wonder what percentage of them knew I was just a hiker and which ones thought I was a scary bearded homeless man. I got out of the frenzy and became enlightened by podcasts. I realized I can get em for free, so I downloaded a few. I'm hooked and am probably gonna be listening to a lot of podcast for a week, or so. There are a lot of good ones out there, too. And music. All I had was Bob Marley on my music and it was getting old. Bob Marley is my favorite, but it's nice to hear something else. Made it 15 miles in, so I'll have another 15 tomorrow on a liter of water. I wish I was back in the Sierras. I'd probably have a creek next to me and a couple streams. This Oregon part is very deserty. No water. Yippee!!!

Twister!!! Mazama Village and Crater Lake, OR

    The photo of the day. It beats the Crater Lake photo (not yet posted). And, I'll have better ones soon of the lake. Look closely for the wind tunnel. 

8/3/13 Saturday
Crater Lake, OR
I got going and went on a side trail in error, but it had water and I was running low, so it worked out. It was shorter than the PCT, I think. I got back on PCT and saw some dust stirring about off in the distance. I thought it was just some tractor, or car, or something, but I noticed nothing was under it. I got a little closer and realized it was a little twister. I dropped my pack and sprinted towards it. I was gonna throw my hat in, then jump in. Well, it fizzled out in the trees before I could get there. That was the most exciting thing on the PCT so far. It was nuts! There was a wind tunnel going up to a cloud and it was full on making a mess out of sand. I got about 50 yards from it. I had dropped my pack off trail, so it took me about 30 mins to find it among the trees. Oh well. It was definitely worth it. I got to the Mazama Village and had a burger. Then, I headed to the hiker store for a good hiker box scrounging and to pick up my food box that I sent from Ashland. And beer. I got a ride up to the Crater Lake and sat around that restaurant for a sec. The Crater Lake is amazing. It's so blue and it goes down pretty far. An employee asked if I wanted to stay at the employee dorm, so I went for it. They were awesome. I got a shower, laundry, Internet, and beer. The Taiwanese that were there saw that I was hungry, and cooked me up an amazing meal. It was a very college like night in the employee dorm. I was kinda famous, also. Everyone had heard that there was a PCT hiker in the dorm, so I just started to go with it and went around and met a lot of funny and cool people. I was introducing myself by saying, "I'm the famous PCT hiker." The funny thing is that they were always saying, "Oh. I heard about you at work today." Then, a barrage of PCT questions. 'Twas a good night. 

Before Crater Lake

8-2
Before Crater Lake, OR
The morning miles were pretty cold so just walking was good to stay warm. Great morning hiking weather. I had my morning business meeting in the woods, and on the return, it took me some extra time to find my pack and the trail. It's easy to get confused out here in these Oregon woods. There are trees everywhere and no way of seeing anything but the trees directly around you. Well, it took me about 30 minutes to find my pack after the business deal was done. I wandered around off trail thinking that I had no idea where the trail was for about 15 mins, then hit the trail and didn't know which way to walk. So, I went to the right, turned around for about a half mile, turned around again, then did almost a full mile back to my pack. At least I didn't get caught just wandering around with tp saying, "I was just lookin' for the best spot." Oh boy. It was nice to get up on a ridge where I could see. Shasta is still monsterous towering over everything. Hadn't seen that for a while. 15ish to Crater Lake tomorrow, should be great. 

August 2013!!! (117 Days) Mile 1780.5 Fish Lake Resort, OR

             
           An old lava river covered in fog

August 1
Fish Lake Resort, OR
We got going into the fog this morning but all of us seemed to like it. Fog is perfect hiking weather. It got pretty thick at times, to where we could only see a few trees away. Also, the trees are even more dense than normal, so it was kinda spooky, scary movie spooky. We got to break and I made some of the best trail food yet. It was a burrito with cheese and Taco Bell sauce. It was soooo good. I had 3 good size burritos. My feet started cramping up around the end of the day, so I did about 15 minutes barefoot. It felt good. I didn't make it far, maybe a couple hundred yards, but it felt good. All the fog and rain did knock most of the smoke out of the air from the fire, which is nice. Great day. I like fog since I grew up with it. And we don't get much fog on the crest so it was a good change of pace to have thick fog. 

Shelter in Oregon

        The Shelter

July 31
I got up at about 9 today and didn't get out of camp till 10:30am. It was great. I slept in and it was perfect. Also, I was clean from the hot shower last night. I had my breakfast then decided I was still hungry, so I made 2 bean burritos that were delicious. In addition, I had 3 pouches of oatmeal and a builder bar, so I was ready to start the day. I ran into Eli and Gabby at the water and they said they just got going too. We did most of the day together and got about 20 or so miles in. It was a nice, easy day. It started to look cloudy and we got to our shelter, which was a legit hut. It started to drizzle and thunder off in the distance, so we decided that we might as well just sleep in the shelter. It was great because it did rain a bit and thunder. I slept great inside. There was an old school well that was pretty fun too. We had to pump it a few times to get it going. 

     More Oregonian Rolling Hills

Fog Smog in Southern Oregon

                          The fog smog blocking a good view of a cool looking rock. 

July 30
20 miles out of Ashland, OR
We got going and I quickly realized I couldn't do a 30 mile day and hold these guys pace so I fell back. I was feeling a lot better but I had a campground with hot showers in mind 20 miles away. Perfect. I got a few breaks, a good siesta, and took off a mile or so on a shortcut, thanks to Double It. It was a good day. The smoke was kinda a downer, but oh well. It's pretty thick and is definitely adding to the not feeling well. I call it fog-in-LA-smog. Fog smog. Also, it's making it so we can't see Shasta. I know it's out there, but the smoke is way too thick to see it. Well, the day ended with a hot shower, and I got to sit down during the shower! Now that's luxury. 

Ashland, Oregon

July 28 and 29
Ashland, OR
The zero day went well. I got everything accomplished that I needed to. I had some good Oregonian beer, some good food, and good rest. The morning of my way out of town it was pretty smoggy from a fire that's nearby. That, along with walking the hot streets while doing my resupply, made me not feel too great. So, it wasn't a pretty exit from Ashland for me, but it happened. I got on the trail and ate my sammich, drank lots of water, and didn't walk very far, maybe a mile. You can tell how smokey it is just by looking at a tree 50 yards away. I need to get out of it. 

      Smokey the Doug

PCT info and Daily Updates

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