Day 25, Monday, Aug 4th, 2025, 0600-2100. Cascade Locks & Eagle Creek.
8 mi, start at Bridge of the Gods WA to Skoonichuk Falls, Eagle Creek alt, OR, 1600’up\1000’down, elevation 670′. I had no problems stealth camping overnight and slipped out of my spot just before dawn. I walked down to the Carson General Store and waited a bit for it to open at 7 am. The employees were very friendly and I found some nice resupply items there, along with great coffee. I love buying from these small, local stores. Best of all, while sipping my coffee at the picnic Table 1 outside, I got to meet the Carson Coffee Social Club, consisting of Michael, Bob, and Maynard. These 3 guys were a riot and seemed to find me equally intriguing. Encounters like this are yet another example of why I love thru-hiking (plus sometimes deviating from the route) so much. You meet people from all over the world and from all walks of life, on a level that is so genuine and down-to-earth. From them, I got a taste of what daily life in Carson is like. After an hour or so of chatting, Michael offered to drive me to the bridge, so that I might resume my journey. It was fitting, since he was the designated driver for his 2 friends, as they both could no longer drive themselves. I bid them all farewell and eagerly jumped back on trail. I immediately met a NOBO on the bridge and we exchanged photo-taking duties. My first time across the bridge, I was too nervous to even take my phone out and simply walked across as fast as I could. This time, I flaunted the big trucks passing by and enjoyed the experience. The conditions were calm, so that helped.
In town, I went to get some more coffee and of course ran into lots of hikers. Jockstrap walked in and was immediately confused as to how I’d arrived so quickly. I laughed and fessed up to my cheating shortcuts…a theme for days to come. Then I got a text from SuperGlue, a friend I’d summited Baden Powell with earlier in the year. He was in town and we met at the Thunder Island Brewery to cash in on our free beer (patrons donate money to cover beers for PCT hikers). It was so great to see SuperGlue and hear about his adventures in the Sierra. All my friends that had gone through in early May had some harrowing tales! I also ran into Tony, my Seattle travel companion, who generously offered his hotel room so I could sneak in a shower. Meat Wagon and Jockstrap had also kindly offered their hotel floor to crash on, but as Foggy was already occupying part of that floor space, I politely declined. Nothing against any of the them, I just know better than to cram myself into a room with 3 hikertrash guys that haven’t bathed in nearly a month. I’ll take a quiet tent in the woods over that, thank you very much. But Tony’s offer was eagerly acted upon and it was nice to catch up with him. His section hikes had gone well, but he was contemplating going home or continuing on. He had a pretty seriously infected toenail that was probably going to require medical treatment. I felt bad for him but there wasn’t anything I could do. We went to a Mexican food truck for dinner, then I walked out of town in the early evening. The more I thru-hiked, the more I loved doing in & outs…it saves a lot of money!
Once again, I didn’t have much of a plan for where I’d end up for the night, but figured an opportunity would present. I was at least sure about taking the Eagle Creek alternate, which I’d missed in 2018 due to a fire closure. This is one of the most popular alternates on the PCT, so I was glad for the chance to finally see it. It’s shorter by about 5 miles, but the main advantage is getting to see the pretty waterfalls along the creek. I hoped there might be some nice camping spots as well, but was leery, given the immense popularity of this trail as a day hike. To take the alt, I walked a bike path along the Columbia River for a few miles, then turned onto the main access road up the creek. I’d rate my timing as very good, since it was pretty quiet on a Monday and my late start (after 7 pm) ensured that most of the day hikers had already gone home. I only encountered a few as I headed up the creek, which was good since some of the trail is really narrow and I can see those spots being a real bottleneck on the weekends. I passed on a few early marginal campsites, hiking well into the dark. I had to settle on a pretty lackluster spot, overly used and therefore very dusty, but it beat paying for a hotel.
Day 26, Tuesday, Aug 5th, 2025, 0630-1820. Mt Hood.
27 mi to Ramona Falls creek alt, mm 544, 6880’up\4550’down, elevation 3050′. I got an early start and enjoyed the trail entirely to myself all morning. I went through the famous Tunnel Falls, where the trail actually goes through a cut-out behind the falls. It was pretty cool. I really liked the Twister Falls, as well. I saw a few people camping and some of the upper campsites looked a lot nicer than the one I stayed at. Sadly, I saw some trash, TP, and way too many fire rings in the area, a sure sign of the close proximity to a big city (Portland). The reason for the fire closure in 2018 was because a teenager intentionally set a fire on the trail the year before, which burned over 48,000 acres and devastated the valley and trail. It also caused the evacuation of Cascade Locks and hundred of hikers. The teen was ordered to pay over $36 million in restoration damages…but…yeah right. While I still enjoyed the trail, all the surrounding burned areas were a constant reminder that I’d missed the chance to ever see the gorge in its pre-fire glory. Sad indeed.
I left the creek at the Tanner junction and began a huge climb out of the gorge, to connect to the PCT. I was glad to be doing it early and in the shade, before it got too hot. Notes described the trail as being in bad shape but it was fine, or at least I thought so. Back on the PCT, I rolled along the ridge at an easy pace, enjoying lovely views of Mt Hood all day. I ran into a ton of NOBOs, stopping to chat with some of them. I saw Shindig (Tom), a British guy that I hung out with in Tehachpi and who I shared a ride with from KMS to Bishop. We stopped for a nice break to catch up. It was fun to see him again. I also passed a few SOBOs, but didn’t recognize any of them. The area is quite popular for section hiking, overlapping some with the Timberline trail, so it was hard to say who was doing what. I found a water container that had slipped from someone’s pack and was unsure if I should grab it, as I might be carrying it in the wrong direction. Reluctant to leave gear on the trail, I decided to pick it up to put in the hikerbox at Timberline Lodge. But an hour later, I caught up to a couple I’d been hopscotching and asked if it might be theirs… it was! I was so happy to be able to return it to them. The rest of the afternoon was super chill. My timing and mileage worked out perfect for a finish close to Ramona Falls. I didn’t want to camp too close to the falls, figuring it would be crowded, so I pulled up short along the creek in a spot that was so primo. The stream had nice pools for soaking my feet and the sites were covered in spongy-soft pine duff. Best of all, I had it all to myself.
Day 27, Wednesday, Aug 6th, 2025, 0600-1930. Timberline Lodge.
17.5 mi to Barlow Trailhead, mm 561.2, 4380’up\3210’down, elevation 4160′. There was the tiniest bit of rain overnight, but my tent was dry in the morning. The forecast called for more rain throughout the day, so no more views of Mt. Hood for me. I did a quick fly-by of Ramona falls, where tons of people were camping, as I’d guessed. I was glad I pulled up short the night before. I crossed the braided Sandy river pretty easily, then began a massive 2k climb to the lodge. I crushed switchbacks in silence, working my way into the clouds and rain. Given the moody weather, I didn’t see anyone on trail for over an hour. I resisted putting my umbrella up for as long as I could, but even after I did, the huckleberry plants along the trail soaked me from the waist down. I actually got pretty cold, which helped keep my pace very fast on the climb. I had good reason to be going fast, as I had an important event to make by noon. Within 2 miles of the lodge, I started running into quite a few day hikers and a few disgruntled backpackers. It briefly stopped raining, but I could care less if it poured all day, as I planned an extended break.
I’d been remiss in partaking of the infamous Timberline Lodge breakfast buffet in 2018, an oversight I intended to fully rectify this time around. But I’m not a big fan of a huge breakfast, so my timing actually worked out perfectly for the lunch buffet, instead. It was also the perfect excuse to escape the weather for awhile. Making 11 miles before 11 am, I had just enough time to get cleaned up and dry off before the feasting began. I also found a nice selection of items in the hikerbox, more than enough to get me 1.5 days to Olallie Lake. The exertion, cold and rain really worked up an appetite. I paced just outside the dining hall for the 15 minutes prior to opening, like a hungry wolf. I met a section hiker and invited her to share a table. I regret I can’t remember her name, but it was nice to have company while I shoved food down my pie hole. I’m proud to say that in about 2 hours, I managed to put down 3.5 plates. I went for the high value items like the steak and fruit, but also hit the pastries pretty hard…a few might have escaped for-laters in my skirt pockets, true to hikertrash fashion. I’m sure the lodge managers tolerate and expect a reasonable degree of this, as more than half their patrons are hikers. Not surprisingly, I could barely move after the meal, so I collapse into a chair in the lobby for the rest of the afternoon. All the employees were super nice and accommodating, which is surprising for a higher-end establishment. We hikertrash certainly stood out among the nicely dressed lodge guests…yet another quirky and amusing scenario in which thru-hiking intersects with main-stream society. Yet so many guests engaged with me and cheered me on in my journey. I did do my best to be clean and respectful. Highest praises to the historic and beautiful Timberline Lodge for their hospitality and excellent buffets! I hope it continues!
It was obviously very hard to break away at the end of the day, returning to the cold, wind and rain. But at least I had a number of things going my way: I was dry and warm, all my gear was dry, I had my umbrella, and I was looking forward to a 2K’ drop in elevation for my destination for the night. I dragged me feet as long as I could, donned all my rain gear, and faced the music. I passed a number of tents in the nearby campsite, which looked so cold and wet. I camped there in 2018, but was so glad to continue downhill this time. The weather greatly improved after a few miles and I easily made it to a protected spot in the woods, just past HWY 35. It was a great day, even with the weather.
Day 28, Thursday, Aug 7th, 2025, 0620-2010. OR Mix.
30.5 mi to north Pinhead, mm 591.7, 3670’up\3540’down, elevation 3870′. I slept well, despite music blaring from a nearby van-lifer who arrived late and apparently had no idea that people were camped nearby…such are the pitfalls of being too close to a road. I woke to a pretty wet floor, as water had seeped between my ground tarp and tent…a stupid oversight on my part. No biggie, as the forecast called for clearing by noon. I could take a nice lunch break to dry my gear. I walked easily and efficiently all morning, covering flat-ish terrain…the promised land that Oregon is so well-known for. I dropped my pack to take the side trail to Little Crater Lake. It was well-worth the diversion for the pretty views of the brilliantly clear lake. I also met a German couple that I’d last seen at Whitewater Preserve. Otherwise, the trail was very quiet.
I took a long break at Timothy Lake, drying all my stuff while I ate my hikerbox lunch. Then just as had happened before, I encountered mid-afternoon Trail Magic, offered by a friendly Trail Angel named Carbs. His specialty was in making toast with an egg in the hole, which really hit the spot (pun intended). He also had a fun hikerbox to sift though, with the oddest item being a pregnancy stick. It had been a 2-pack, so one was already missing and Carb was closely keeping track of the remaining one. I found the scenario pretty funny. It was a great diversion for the afternoon. With nothing else to distract me in the late afternoon, I crushed a lot of miles. This stretch was all the most gorgeous forest, lacking any burn scars for over 30 miles…a rarity these days. At a dirt road crossing, I saw movement in the corner of my eye, catching a small black bear running fast away. It was only my second bear sighting of the entire hike, 27 days after my first.
I made it to Warm Springs River in the evening, where I encountered tons of hikers camping. I immediately made the decision to grab water and head up the ridge for a more quiet spot. Then I heard someone call my name and was so delighted to see that it was Crib! He was one of my favorite friends from the desert, as I’d had the chance to enjoy quite a few attractions and town stops with him (Big Bear, Deep Creek hotsprings, Cajon Pass, and Wrightwood). We hiked and hopscotched all the way from Mission Creek to just past Baden Powell. I chatted with him for as long as I could, but still wanted to make a few more miles, as there wasn’t really any room left. I probably would have stayed and made space, but he was planning to go to Trail Days, so I figured I’d see him again soon. I went up a big hill for a few miles, not seeing many campsites until I got to a road crossing, where there were more tents. Even the dry campsites only mentioned in the notes were now filling, as the NOBO bubble was finally starting to hit. No problem, I went a bit further off-trail and planted my tent in a field of moss and duff…I can always make my own campsite. It was very quiet and private, just me and the bears.
Day 29, Friday, Aug 8th, 2025, 0640-2000. Olallie & Mt Jefferson
29.5 mi to Whitewater creek, mm 620.8, 5280’up\3860’down, elevation 5890′. It was surprisingly cold overnight, with a temp of 44 degrees in morning. But it quickly warmed up, especially since I started entering burns areas, the theme for the day. I hiked 15 miles to Olallie Lake, making it there just in time for lunch. I walked and talked with Emilie for a bit, a French woman I’d been hopscotching with since before the lodge. We were both very excited about picking huckleberries, her even more so since she was carrying hardly any food. She told me about how she’d fasted for the first 4 days when she started the PCT…what a way to get things rolling, starting at a deficit! Later I lent her money to buy some things at the store, as she was short on cash. Of course I never got the money back, but considered it a donation going towards making sure she didn’t starve to death.
I opted to walk a dirt road for the last 2 miles to the lake and store, and it was here that the overwhelming devastation of the 2020 Lionshead fire really became apparent. I knew there had been many bad fires impacting the PCT during the 20 & 21 seasons, but thus far had only experienced hiking through newly burned sections in Northern and Southern California. I was shocked to see the extent of this damage, which completely decimated the beautiful forests around the many picturesque lakes north of Mt Jefferson, most notably Lake Olallie. Hundreds of thousands of acres burned, which closed the PCT for 3 years through this section. It was all so very sad, especially compared to what I remember. Every year, more of the old PCT disappears, which is why I will probably never hike it in its entirety again. I’d rather hang onto my good memories, like the forest that once surrounded Olallie lake.
Thankfully, firefighters had managed to spare the small Olallie resort, which still looked the same and functioned as an important resupply stop, especially since I didn’t send boxes in OR. First, I found some good snacks and even a partial bag of wine in the hikerbox. Next, I bought about $50 worth of stuff in the store, which had a pretty good selection and fair prices. I’d fortunately read ahead of time that they only took cash, thus came prepared. I lingered for a few hours and was pleased to see Jockstrap arrive. He filled me in on our other 2 friends’ whereabouts. Meat Wagon had raced ahead, hiking past me when I was in a food coma at the lodge, as he was trying to meet a deadline with a friend at Santiam Pass. Foggy was well behind, as he’d come down with an illness in Cascade Locks, presumably norovirus. He’d puked all night in their hotel bathroom and even on the floor where he was sleeping…Jockstrap mentioned that he’d be kept awake for hours. See, I knew it was a wise decision not to stay with them! We had a laugh about the situation and then I resumed my solo shuffling along the burned trail, through the blazing sun.
It was hot enough that I put up my umbrella. I saw a NOBO with an umbrella up too…my brella brethren. The burn really sucked going past all the once beautiful little lakes. I suffered though 1400 feet up and over Park Pass, which had just a bit of snow left on the ridge. There were nice views of Mt Hood, Adams and Helens to the north, plus the amazing splendor of Jefferson and Jefferson Park. Going down the other side, my feet were really hurting from all the rocks…burn areas always equal rocks, as all the soft soil burns away. I stopped at Russel Lake to soak my feet, wash off the ash and collect some water. This was in a restricted camping zone that is for some reason off-limits to PCT hikers. A few weekend warriors with permits gave me the eye, which made me feel very unwelcome, like I was an outsider or someone to be looked down on. One guy even felt the need to comment on the permit situation and I was like jeez, yeah buddy I’m moving on, wouldn’t want to camp next to you elite permit holders anyway. It was weird and I still don’t know why it has to be that way. The restricted area is only about 4 miles long, but there are now massive burn areas on either end for miles, which makes camping pretty restricted and possibly even dangerous (falling trees) for PCT hikers. I think the forest service ought to reevaluate that policy. I had to go a bit further than I wanted to get out of the restricted zone, but found a spot in a meadow free of dead trees just before dark.
Day 30, Saturday, Aug 9th, 2025, 0610-2030. Three Finger Jack & Santiam pass.
34 mi to Santiam Pass, mm 654.2, 5000’up\6060’down, elevation 4810′. The burn zone continued most of the way around the west side of Mt. Jefferson in the morning. I passed a few tents situated in some pretty bad locations under dead trees…hikers that were probably forced to stop early and take a chance, given the restricted camping in Jefferson park. I was lucky to find an ok spot myself. I finally entered some unburned forest mid-morning, and it made such a difference. I gained a ridge near the southern flanks of Mt. Jeff and rode it the rest of the day. I passed hordes of NOBO hikers, whether they be thrus or sectioners wasn’t always clear. It was a weekend, which explained a few large boy scout trains. There were well over 120-150 hikers by days end. I recognized at least one NOBO, Derick Lugo / Mr. Fab, who is well known for his hiking memoirs and incredible dreadlocks. I noticed his purple color theme to his backpack and clothing, commenting that he was perfectly coordinated for huckleberry season. I couldn’t believe it when he told me he had yet to pick a huck, so I showed him how to identify them. There were some huge and juicy ones in the burn areas!
Water was a bit scarce along the ridge, and I knew it was about to get even worse through the upcoming lava fields. I took a lunch break and swim at Rockpile Lake, where Jockstrap caught up to me again, then slogged through some more burn areas. I finished this long day winding around 3 Finger Jack and down to Santiam Pass. The day ended on a high note when I caught up to some awesome rock climbing ladies, Sharona & Shauna. They’d just sumitted 3 Finger Jack, which I was so impressed with, as it looked pretty scary. We walked together and they shared what it was like climbing many of the other large valcanoes in the area, which was fascinating. At the trailhead, they invited me over to their vehicle to share a beer. They set up chairs in the parking lot and I enjoyed a comfy seat while I cooked my dinner. I loved making new friends and sharing in our diverse adventures. They had a long drive home and I still needed to find a place to camp, so I bid them farewell just as it was getting dark. I walked another mile south of the road and found a make-shift site, pretty poor but that would do for just one night.
Day 31, Sunday, Aug 10th, 2025, 0620-2030. Lava.
23 mi to Collier Cone, mm 677.7, 4090’up\2370’down, elevation 6520′. In the morning, I enjoyed a long awaited 2nd breakfast at Big Lake Youth Camp, only 4 miles down trail. I’d strategically planned to arrive before 8 am, as this was yet another stop I missed in 2018. The Christian camp is well known for its long-standing charity to PCT hikers…they even hold resupply boxes. First, I checked out the cool hiker hut that they dedicate to hikers. The hikerbox was lit… I scored 2 mountain house meals and a ton of home-made dehydrated items like granola. I also was able to shower and do my laundry, all before breakfast! Jockstrap again arrived just after me, a theme we’d both noted. He’d gotten to Santiam Pass when I did the day before, but hitched into Sisters for the night. He arrived so late that the grocery store was closed. Now his beef was that I kept raiding all the good stuff from the hiker boxes, leaving nothing for him. Valid point, actually. He’d also been missing his resupply boxes, as he kept arriving places well ahead of schedule…hey, it’s not my fault he was moving too fast! But he was short on food as a result, plus burning through many more calories than anticipated. Out of pity for my friend, I was about to give up some of my loot (which I kind of needed, not having any resupply boxes either). But then Meat Wagon arrived to save the day. He’d just been in town and had some extra stuff. He even gave me a delicious bagel that he said he’d brought just for me…though I didn’t believe him since he had no idea I’d be at the Youth Camp. He’s just a really nice guy.
The cafeteria-style breakfast at the camp was sweet, and I was felling quite stuffed by the time I got back on trail at 11 am. By then, I could have also stayed for lunch, but I couldn’t fit much more. Plus, I was already dreading the heat. In some poor timing, I’d saved the lava fields for the afternoon, boo! It was already hot and I had a long, dry 12 miles to go to McKenzie pass. Driving me on, a NOBO had told us about Trail Magic coolers there, so at least I had one thing to look forward to at the end of the day. I hiked past (lesser volcano) Mt Washington, through some nice meadows, then a blazing hot burn scar. Tha lava fields started just in time to head up an 800 ft hill. I decided to deploy my umbrella and when I did, I unknowingly dropped my visor (don’t worry, I got it back a week later at Trail Days). At the top of the climb, I met a NOBO section hiker that was really struggling. I encouraged her to keep going, as there was a small patch of trees not far away where she could get some relief from the sun. I also tried to give her water, but she figured she had enough. I was actually feeling pretty good, thanks to my own shade. The last few miles through the scalding lava were slow…my thermometer read 90 degrees, but finally I made it to the trailhead.
Thank the heavens, there were cold sodas, grapes, and oranges there! Jock and Meat arrived shortly after and we enjoyed a luxurious early dinner break in the shade, waiting for the heat to subside a little before continuing through more lava. I also met Moulder and Scully, a nice couple I’d previously camped with at Scissors Crossing. They were birders and helped me come to a monumental epiphany about nighthawks. The weird honking/scorching/coughing/barking sound I’d been hearing at dawn and dusk is caused when the birds dive after insects! It’s the sound of the air vibrating against their feathers! This was mind blowing to me, as not knowing what that sound was had been driving me crazy for years. I hiked out with Meat and Jock, but first we made an all-important pit stop at the port-a-potty near the lava castle. All the food this day had to go somewhere. Then we had to of course joke about our contributions for awhile after. Together we hiked another 7 miles, enjoying the coolness of the evening. I went for a swim in a small lake, rinsing off the sweat. Right at dusk, we found a perfect flat site just off trail, and just to ourselves. I really enjoyed the guys’ company, back in our fast-paced little SOBO tramily for a bit.
Day 32, Monday, Aug 11th, 2025, 0610-1950. Sisters Wilderness & Elk Lake.
31.5 mi to Dumbbell Lake, mm 707, 3820’up\4820’down, elevation 5520′. I hiked all day with the guys, which was a nice change in pace. We went past Obsidian Falls and the 3 Sisters volcanoes, an area that’s both scenic and a very easy stroll. It’s also an area heavily patrolled by rangers, the ONLY place I had my PCT permit checked in 2018. As before, numerous NOBOs told us there was a ranger checking permits, so to be ready. But then we never encountered one, which was kind of disappointing. I actually wanted to show off my permit, after going through the effort of getting one. We made a joke out of this, pretending to be alarmed every time we saw someone around a bend. “Ranger Danger!” we’d cry out. Jockstrap fell behind to collect some water and Meat Wagon convinced a NOBO woman to act official, asking him for his permit when she saw him. She actually took him up on his challenge, throwing Jockstrap for a loop.
And speaking of challenges, Meat and Jock had been leaving the most goofy challenges in the FarOut notes. I can’t even begin to describe them, but future PCT hikers might notice what I’m talking about…that is if they don’t get deleted by FarOut, which is notorious for censoring things. I came up with the Obsidian Challenge for this day, which was to swallow a piece of obsidian (dragonglass!), smuggle it past the rangers as contraband, then collect it later from your cathole. Hey, it was just what I came up with off the top of my head. Meat posted it and later sent me a screenshot from someone saying that was her favorite challenge. Mostly Meat’s posts got a lot of downvotes, and I guess if you didn’t know him well, I could see why. He also entertained us by greeting every NOBO with “What’s up Killer?” Maybe this sometimes came off as a trolling, but it also got a lot of smiles. He’s one of the most funny and entertaining guys I ever hiked with, plus genuinely nice. He reminded me of the happy, go-lucky days I spent hiking with Mud Lantern on the AT. I do enjoy being silly on the trail.
Just past noon, we came to a junction I’d been debating. I’d actually planned to summit South Sister, going so far as requesting the online day permit when I had wifi at the Youth Camp the day before. But when I went to submit the order, it suddenly said that all the permits were gone. I contemplated hiking without the permit, then thought better of it. It’s probably good that things didn’t work out, as I got to the junction half a day ahead of schedule. I would have either wasted the rest of the day waiting to hike the next morning, or stupidly attempted the summit this afternoon, in the 90 degree heat. Plus, by this time, I was reluctant to lose my hiking buddies for a second time. They’d come up with a much more enticing alternative plan: take the side hike to Elk Lake for a late afternoon swim, pizza and ice cream. Now that I could get down with! Note that we still managed a 31.5 mile day, even with this several hour-long side quest. That’s how fast we were moving in the afternoon, drooling about what awaited us in Elk Lake.
This was yet another stop I blew by last time. Yet as I was already 5 days ahead of my 2018 schedule (in fact, my August 11th day lines up almost exactly, due to my earlier start July 6th), I was doing pretty well to add in all these extra stops. The biggest difference was that I didn’t spend the night in as many towns this time around. The resort did not disappoint. There were a few good treats in the hikerbox (saltwater taffy?) and the pizza really hit the spot. The 3 of us shared a large, reminding me of the pizza I split with Suvi at Shelter Cove last time. Ice cream and a swim followed. It had been another roasting day, but the stop was just what we needed to bridge to the cool of the evening. We hiked another 7 miles until dusk, finding a nice campsite next to a lake, just 4 miles shy of where I camped before during a record setting day (that didn’t also include a stop for pizza).
Day 33, Tuesday, Aug 12th, 2025, 0600-1950. Maiden Peak Shelter.
31.5 mi to Maiden Peak Shelter, mm 740, 3900’up\3390’down, elevation 6040′. I actually didn’t record a single note for this day, so I’m just going off my now distant memories. The one thing I will never forget is the devastated burn area, just south of Waldo Lake rd / Irish – Taylor Lake. I’d hiked through probably close to a thousand miles of burn areas up to this point, but never seen one so completely barren. It was both fascinating and heartbreaking. There was just nothing left but a few charred stumps and scorched earth…sand really. Various comments called it a nuclear wasteland, the underworld and a charcoal desert. I didn’t even take a picture, just like I wouldn’t think to take a picture at a funeral. I think the area had already been burned from years before, then a very hot fire must have come through in 2020/21, maybe even more recently. The sand looked almost melted in places. Just crazy. Thankfully I’d taken a break just before the burn, going for a dip in Irish Lake. Jockstrap had followed my lead. The umbrella also got me through with no problem, but I still stopped for another break just past the burn, at lovely Charlton Lake. Jock and Meat were there, so it was fun to hang out, swimming and napping the heat of the afternoon away.
The rest of the day was mercifully through lovely forest. We hiked until dusk, stopping at the shelter where I’d previously stayed the night with my friend Suvi. This time I left it to the nice older couple that were already well-established inside, camping outside with Meat and Jock instead. It was a pretty uneventful day but we had a good laugh at the end, reading the shelter log. Meat Wagon had taken a break from calling everyone “Killer” this day and wouldn’t you know it, a NOBO had signed in earlier as Killer! He’d missed his opportunity to correctly guess someones trail name, go figure.
Day 34, Wednesday, Aug 13th, 2025, 0600-0930. Shelter Cove.
9 mi to Shelter Cove, mm 746.5, 580’up\1810’down, elevation 4800′. It was a quick morning down into Shelter Cove. I set off about 30 minutes after Jock and Meat, who were both in a hurry to do a quick in and out. Alas, I was once again losing my trail companions, as my plans were to retreat hundreds of miles in the wrong direction to attend PCT Days in Cascade Locks. After describing some of the silliness over these past few days, it’s a good time to add that these 2 guys are in their mid to late 30’s, and both have high level Department of Defense jobs. In fact, Jockstrap’s a Marine Corps helicopter pilot/instructor stationed at Camp Pendleton and Meat Wagon supervises teams with a defense contractor. Their antics and trail names were so laugh-out-loud ridiculous, it was hard to reconcile their very serious off-trail roles. It’s a great example of just how grounding the trail can be. I sure was going to miss these crazy characters I’d come to know and respect.
While walking past the beautiful Rosary Lakes, I ran into a familiar NOBO lady, Sweeping Beauty. She was such a sweetheart who I’d met first at Kristin’s place in Cabezon, then again later at the Deep Creek hotsprings. It was great see her again. This made me wish I’d continued a little further to camp near the pretty lakes, which had some fantastic tent sites and views, oh well. Getting to HWY 58, I looked at my map a little closer and devised a small short cut. I could walk the road straight to the resort, not really saving any miles, but I knew it would be a heck of a lot faster. As I bonus, I found huckleberries and strawberries all the way down. I might have hitched, had a single car passed me, but none did. It was still a great deviation. I even began to wonder if I might beat Jockstrap to the hikerbox, just this one last time. I suddenly quickened my pace and even took a shortcut directly through the campground, making a beeline for the hiker tent. I’d just sifted through the large hikerbox, again finding a lot of decent stuff, when Jockstrap and Meat Wagon rolled in. I broke out into laughter, seeing the look of shock and defeat on Jockstraps face, just priceless. This time I’d intentionally grabbed things just for him, as I was going to be visiting big towns and didn’t really need stuff for a resupply just yet. I handed it over to him, and he was grateful. His box was late in arriving, as usual, so he might need the extras to avoid a costly resupply from the store. I even offered to pick up his box to bounce ahead, should he decide not to wait for it.
I had all day to lounge around, as my ride to Trail Days wasn’t passing through until the next day. Meat Wagon left after only an hour, but Jockstrap hung out until his box arrived in the afternoon. Once they were both gone, I enjoyed talking to a whole bunch of NOBOs the rest of the day. I met a lady name Sas, who was friends with a guy I knew from the CDT, Samson The Bear. I also was happy to see Cameron / Rabbit/ Dirty Diaper, who I first met at KMS. We had a good chat about the Sierra. In another stroke of luck, a hiker left a pair of brand new Topo Traverse shoes on the table, which were exactly my size. I was still wearing the same pair of Topos I started in, which were really showing the wear after 765 miles. I venmo-ed the hiker her asking price of $80 (half of retail) and stashed them in my pack. I didn’t actually intend to switch out shoes then, as I’d planned to hike the entirety of WA and OR in my first pair, then switch to a new pair of Salomon Speed Cross for the Sierra. I probably should have switched, but then I would have ended up with a pair of partially used Topos and I hated to do that.
I took a shower and washed my laundry, then had a nice dinner from the store. It was great getting all my chores done before Trail Days. I also ended up with a ton of food, as Jockstrap didn’t need the extras and gave them all back. Several NOBOs also discarded their extras, and I figured there was no sense in letting it go to waste (back to the hikerbox, catch and release). I devised a plan to box the extra food for Crater Lake, hoping I might find a Trail Angel at the event who was going back that way and could just drop it off for me. If not, I’d just leave it for other hikers at Trail Days…clever. I pitched my tent for free in the woods behind the resort (the designated PCT site) and enjoyed a pretty quiet rest, despite the many other PCT hikers surrounding me. By this point, everyone was trail-tired and off to bed early.
Next up, a summary of PCT Days!