Oregon
Mid-September: I jump back on the trail at Callahan’s lodge in southern Oregon. No one is out here. I occasionally pass a few solo southbound PCTers headed to Mexico. When we pass each other we stop to chat for ~15 minutes, we all want company.
I make it to Crater Lake and spend a few days at the park. I meet some former Appalachian Trail thru-hikers who work at the Crater Lake Lodge. They hook me up with free dinner and drinks. We hang out late into the night.
The design of Crater Lake National Park caters to visitors with cars. There isn’t much for me to do. There is a bus but its schedule is disorganized and it’s never on time.
A nice older couple from Seattle/Ohio gives me a ride from Manzama Village up to the lake in their new BMW. They’re bewildered when I tell them that I walked here from California. I enjoy their “ooooos” and “ahhhhs” when I answer their questions about living in a tent and going the bathroom in the woods. The husband gets it, the wife tries to hide her laughter… I think. They ask if they can follow my trip. I show them my substack and a few days later I see they’ve subscribed.
I hike ~100 miles from Crater Lake to Shelter Cove, a small resort on Odell Lake. I run into some hikers that I had met previously at PCT Trail Days and while hiking Mt Whitney. They’ve flipped and are now heading southbound. They’re enjoying life and having a midday siesta. They get hammered and then hike 20 miles in the afternoon. Animals. I chat with Lynyrd Skynyrd, a smart and adventurous hiker. We joke about hopping trains, which he plans to do after the PCT. I had previously met him on Mt Whitney after his eyeballs had been sunburned by the large snowfields — he didn’t have proper eye protection. I call him Lynyrd Skynyrd because of his Floridian mannerisms, cowboy hat, and long hair.
The next ~60 miles northbound are closed due to the Pete’s Lake wildfire. I go around this section and pass through Bend, OR. I hang out in Bend for a few too many days. It’s very smoky outside so I don’t feel rushed to start hiking again, but I do feel that I’m wasting time.
I get back on the trail near Sisters, OR and immediately notice the change in temperature and season. It’s now fall and the weather is soon going to become a challenge.
Sept 24 - 26: I hike 90 miles over 3 days to get to the Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood. It rains, it’s windy, it’s gray the entire time. Temperatures hover in the low-to-mid 40s. The area is being hit by a “bomb cyclone”, whatever that means. Classic Pacific Northwest weather. I missed the California sun.
The excitement of getting to the Timberline Lodge keeps me going. The lodge had been featured in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining as The Overlook Hotel. It was rumored to have a legendary breakfast buffet and an interesting history. The lodge was built using local lumber and stone by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.
Prior to the 90-mile push, I had considered taking a few days to wait out the upcoming rain at Breitenbush Hot Springs, a unique retreat/pseudo-cult that was 14 miles off the PCT, down a nearby forest road. It provided rustic living quarters, no Wi-Fi or cell service (intentionally), and at times followed a no-talking policy for a completely silent experience. It had been recommended by a friend and seemed like a unique place to rest and recover. I was worn out from being wet and cold, and was tired of packing up my soaked tent every morning. At the same time, I knew that the more I rested the harder it’d be to get back on trail. I told myself I’d go Breitenbush once I was finally done with the PCT, it’d be a good place for a proper recovery.
After a particularly cold and wet morning I take an hour to rest at an off-the-grid general store at Olallie Lake — a wooden cabin with no heat/no electricity. I know that hiking isn’t always fun but the last few days have sucked. Following the Seattle maxim, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes,” I realize I need to change a few things to improve my on-trail comfort. I try wearing my backpack over my poncho, which allows for better wind protection. This requires buying a separate rain cover for my backpack. I also get a pair of gallon freezer bags to wear over my hands for wind and rain protection. I already have gloves but they wet-out in the heavy rain and are ineffective. These small changes are a game-changer and I continue on the trail.
Sept 26/27: The Timberline Lodge does not disappoint. Hiking up the backside of Mt Hood — the lodge is halfway up the mountain — is an ominous experience that matches the tone of The Shining. The lights of the lodge faintly appear through the thick fog and rain. I am alone and haven’t seen anyone the entire day. The trail winds around steep slopes that drop hundreds of feet down volcanic scree. Upon arrival, the staff inform me that it’s the off-season and the lodge is mostly empty. They give me a PCT discount plus a $50 food voucher. I ask for room #237 and the attendant tells me the room does not exist. I’m not the first person to make this request. I end up staying in room #5.
The next morning I gorge on the breakfast buffet and French toast. Great French toast. Afterwards, I wander around the massive hotel and learn about its history. The walls are adorned with wood carvings and paintings from a few well-known local artists of the early 1900s (e.g. C.S. Price). There is a small museum that includes an informative video. I come away inspired by New Deal America’s ambition and ability.
I only stay one night at the lodge and it’s difficult to leave the next day. As I ready myself to walk back into the rain, I hear some guests whisper, “that’s a PCT hiker!” Thinking I might look cool, I put my freezer bags over my hands, throw open the door, and walk into the storm showing no hesitation. That afternoon I hike 10 miles before setting up camp.
Sept 29: I am 40 miles from Cascade Locks, a small town on the Columbia River/the Oregon-Washington border. I’ve been on the trail for almost 100 days but haven’t had a day where I’ve really pushed it mileage-wise. A friend had told me he did 63 miles in 24 hours in the desert of Southern California. An impressive feat. I want a similar challenge but am also cautious about getting injured beyond a reasonable degree. I want to be able to walk pain-free at least a few days after the challenge and I frequently get overuse injuries from long-distance events. I decide that 40 miles in a single day is a respectable and doable goal. This would put me at Cascade Locks where I could enjoy restaurant food and a hotel room. I go to bed thinking I’ll go for it the next day.
The next morning I wake at 6am. I decide to sleep until 10am. Then I watch tv until 11am — I had downloaded a few episodes on my phone. A breakdown of discipline. It’s still raining and I had spilled a liter of water in my tent the previous night. I don’t feel like getting up/dealing with it. It’s noon when I finally pack up my wet stuff and am ready to go.
I start hiking. The forest is dark and quiet. I pass an old man collecting mushrooms. He’s wearing a large rubber yellow rain jacket and carrying, with both hands, a large woven basket overflowing with mushrooms. They’re Queen Boletes. They look meaty and each one is bigger than my hand.
I feel good as I continue hiking and decide to go for the 40 miles. Due to my late start, I reckon I’ll have to hike through most of the night, until about 4am. An intriguing challenge. I have yet to night-hike for more than two consecutive hours and am curious what it will be like.
The first few hours are spooky but uneventful. It’s very dark, the trees are tall and create a dense canopy that blocks the light from the night sky. I walk through many long sections of mist and fog where visibility is limited to 10-20 feet. I use only the red light in my headlamp in order to preserve my night vision, and also because I’ll run out of battery if I switch to the more powerful white light. Periodically, I look behind to see if anything is following me but there is never an issue.
I get used to the dark environment and listen to the new Elon Musk biography audiobook for a few hours. This is surprisingly helpful. Thinking about physics erases any irrational fears of supernatural creatures in the dark forest. It sounds silly but I had been unsure of what would go through my mind while hiking alone in the dark for hours.
Over the course of the night my eyes adjust significantly to the low light but I find that I’m still hiking slower than I do during the day. I think it’s because it takes me a half-second longer to read the upcoming terrain in the low light. I make it to Cascade Locks at 6am and check into the Best Western hotel. 18 hours, 40 miles, and a few snack breaks. A slower pace than my friend’s day in the desert, but that doesn’t bother me. It feels great to put my backpack down and be inside. I stretch, change clothes, and meet up with Earlybird for breakfast — she had already been in Cascade Locks. We go to the Bridgeside diner and sit by a window overlooking the famed Bridge of the Gods.
The next day I am able walk with no pain, no injuries. Success. I spend a few hours exploring the nearby town of Hood River.
October 1: I’m not sure when I’ll be done with the PCT but it feels like the end is near. While hiking through Oregon I had convinced myself that Cascade Locks was the “finish line” in order to push through the bad weather. This had been my first time hiking in Oregon and it was rewarding to make it through the state. In fact, the less-than-ideal weather and fewer people seemed to make it a more meaningful experience
Having previously lived in Seattle, I’m less excited about Washington state. The weather is getting worse, the days are getting shorter, and there are other things I need to do in October.
I’d like to make it past 100 days, I think I’m currently around 97. I’d also like to see the northern terminus in Canada, even if it means driving up there and doing the last miles over a few days.
P.S. While in Bend I tried flying. After hiking hundreds of miles, I had started to fantasize about cars and planes. I signed up for a lesson at a nearby flight school. I flew a Cessna 172 for an hour. The instructor did the take-off and landing, and let me take the controls in-between. I enjoyed learning how the plane worked and some basic concepts of flight.
Steven and I just covered 50 miles (by car) reading all your posts as our audiobook. Amazing adventures and love the writing! Stay safe and see you soon.
-Ale and Steven
Wow! You packed a lot of adventure into Oregon. Thought hiking in the rain and cold was enough, then came the night hiking and then the flying! Great photos, enjoy seeing your indoor accommodations and meals - Luv Mom