PCT trail angels

Day 117: Washington Trail Magic

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August 12, 2017

Total daily miles: 28.3 miles

Total PCT miles: 1819.6

Start:  Green Lake (mile 2198.1)

End: mile 2226.5

Total elevation gain/loss: 4021.7/4432.1 ft

Just as I was falling asleep last night, I was woken by the light pitter patter of rain droplets.  Then flashes of light and the rumble of thunder.  I quickly closed my vestibule and went back to sleep.  I was pleasantly surprised to wake up this morning to find that the rain was over and my tent was nice and dry.  Yay for minor miracles!

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Green Lake first thing in the morning.

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Day 116: Green Tunnel

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August 11, 2017

Total daily miles: 24 miles

Total PCT miles: 1791.2

Start:  Trout Creek (mile 2174.1)

End: Green Lake (mile 2198.1)

Total elevation gain/loss: 5405.5/2339.6ft

I slept great last night with the sound of the creek in the background and the best part is that we woke up to no condensation!  We set off this morning at the same exact time as Sam and Tam.  It was almost as though we had planned it!  I chatted with them for a bit and then let them pass ahead as I stopped to take some photos.

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Day 113: Cascade Locks!

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August 8, 2017

Total daily miles: 14.8 miles

Total PCT miles: 1737.5

Start: mile 2129.6

End: Cascade Locks (mile 2144.4)

Total elevation gain/loss: 1495.4/5537.4 ft

After yesterday’s unexpected long day, we treated ourselves this morning and “slept in” until about 6am.  It’s a town day — only 15 miles to Cascade Locks!  Even better was the prospect that most of it was downhill.  Dreams of a town lunch danced in my head as I packed up camp.

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Most of today’s hike kept us tucked away in the trees, although we did hit a few areas of open ridge line early in the morning.  Unfortunately, the haze is even worse today than it was yesterday so our views were obscured. Continue reading →

Day 110: 32 Miles!

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August 5, 2017

Total daily miles: 31.9 miles

Total PCT miles: 1677.1

Start: mile 2052.1

End: mile 2084

Total elevation gain/loss: 3613.2/4064 ft

A record day for us!  Almost 32 miles!  I guess the pull of an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet is a strong one.

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This morning’s hike was relatively quiet, with few hikers crossing our path.  I guess everyone stayed at Olallie Lake last night hoping for trail magic.  It felt like we spent most of the morning in the trees, with a few patches of open grasslands dispersed in between.  It was a great morning for cruising, with only a couple minor climbs that were relatively well graded.  I hiked with determination, knowing that we only had 42 miles to hike before arriving at the Timberline Lodge and its legendary breakfast buffet. Continue reading →

Day 109: Finishing the Mt. Jefferson Reroute

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August 4, 2017

Total daily miles: 25.8 miles (15.1 miles PCT; 8.7 miles Hwy 22; 2 miles FR 4220)

Total PCT miles: 1645.2

Start: Whispering Falls Campground/Woodpecker Ridge Trail (mile 2026.8)

End: mile 2052.1

Total elevation gain/loss: 1366.8/2597.4 ft (PCT section only)

Today we faced the difficult decision of what to do about the fire reroute.  But first, figuring out what the fire reroute is after yesterday’s news that the entire Mt. Jefferson Wilderness is being (has been?) closed.  Easier said than done.

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Our morning view.

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Day 108: Too Close to the Fire

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August 3, 2017

Total daily miles: 26.7 miles

Total PCT miles: 1619.9

Start: Rockpile Lake (mile 2012.3)

End: Whispering Falls Campground/Woodpecker Ridge Trail (mile 2026.8)

Total elevation gain/loss: 1935.7/3869.8 ft (PCT section only)

What a day!  Today did not go as planned.  Trying to get around the fire in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness has left me physically and emotionally exhausted.  It’s one of the few days on trail where I feel like I could cry at the end of it.  This is a long one…

We got up extra early this morning with the hope of getting out of the smoke and on the fire alternate as quickly as possible.  The air was clearer this morning then it was last night.  I hoped that was a good sign of things to come.

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Day 107: Smokey Santiam Pass

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August 2, 2017

Total daily miles: 13.9 miles

Total PCT miles: 1605.4

Start: Santiam Pass (mile 1998.4)

End: Rockpile Lake (mile 2012.3)

Total elevation gain/loss: 2910.4/1450.1 ft

I’ve learned enough by now to know that getting out of town is never fast and today was no different.  We said goodbye to Renee, who has been an awesome host.  She’s been so nice and full of energy, it’s been great to get to know her a bit.  Again, future hikers should definitely check out Recharge, especially if you’re in town during beer yoga!

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Playtime with a dog makes Michael’s day.

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Day 105: Bend Trail Magic

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July 31, 2017

Total daily miles: 16.7 miles

Total PCT miles: 1291.5

Start: mile 1981.7

End: Santiam Pass (mile 1998.4)

Total elevation gain/loss: 1961/2371.4 ft

Despite being near the highway, I slept really well last night.  The best part was that my feet felt much better as we got going this morning than they did last night!  Which was a good thing, since we started with a stretch over more lava rock.

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The other good news this morning is that the lava section was much shorter than I had feared.  Based on our map, it looked like we’d spend several miles walking over lava, but it ended up being a much shorter stint with much smaller lava rock than the end of the day yesterday.  It was still a slow start to the day and I was definitely happy to have waited, but it was over within a couple of miles and we largely stayed in the shade. Continue reading →

Days 96-97: Klamath River Zeros

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July 22-23, 2017

What a great trail-cation we had! I feel so lucky to have people in my life that are willing to go so far out of their way to treat us to a great weekend away from the trail!

My home for two nights!


I slept in on Saturday until 6:30! Crazy that I consider that to be sleeping in these days. We had a fun filled day with lots of food (including a faro and veggie salad that really hit the spot for this veggie-deprived hiker) and games! Continue reading →