Twig Adventures

August 13th, 2018 Ski Shelter mm 1914.5 to Diamond View Lake, Oregon Skyline Trail Alt. Distance: 8 PCT miles, 2 miles to SC, 5 miles on Alt trail; 15 total 0620-1700 Suvi and I walked the 10 miles into Shelter Cove in the morning. I was looking forward to my new pair of shoes the whole way. I had done nearly 800 miles in my first pair and it was time to replace them. Suvi was lamenting that her right shoe had either shrunk in the hot lava of previous days or her foot had expanded, or both. But her foot was really hurting. My shoes were just full of holes and without cushioning, but not killing my feet. I[…]

August 12th, 2018 Horseshoe Lake mm 1943 to Ski Shelter mm 1914.5 Distance: 28.5 miles 0640-1800 It got pretty cold overnight and I had the hardest time getting moving in the morning. For the first time in awhile, my tent had condensation. No wonder, the way the lakes were all steaming. Once I was hiking, I concluded that it was perfect weather. Since mid-morning the day before, the haze was gone and the nice clear views were back. Too bad it was mostly in the trees today. I went through one burn section, which was quite pleasant for a change. I had stopped early for lunch, taking an hour to cook an extra meal and dry my tent. Then around[…]

August 11th, 2018 Mm 1976.5 to Horseshoe Lake mm 1943 Distance: 33.5 miles 0515-1900 I was on the trail super early and did a record day in record time. I got my earliest start yet by skipping breakfast and coffee and packing everything in 20 minutes. I can be fast when need be. Usually I take about an hour when I take the time to eat and caffeinate. It was almost still too dark to hike. But I was walking through more open lava areas. The dim lighting and primal landscapes made me feel like I was on Mars. It was really surreal. I thought about going off-trail to climb a ridge and watch the sunrise but a cold wind[…]

August 10th, 2018 HWY 242 mm 1984 to mm 1976.5 Distance: 8.5 miles I needed more sleep than I got last night but I don’t sleep all that well indoors anymore. My best sleep is outside now. My aches and pains were bothering me all night but I felt pretty rested when I got up at 0700. I had breakfast while updating the blog and didn’t leave the hostel until nearly 11. I walked straight to the library to get some time with a computer. The store fronts and main street were very nice, as was the library. The town had a very vibrant, young, outdoorsy feel to it. I daresay it is hip. Kayaks adorn half the car roofs[…]

August 9th, 2018 Rockpile Lake mm 2015 to HWY 242 mm 1984, then ride to Sisters and Bend, OR Distance: 31 miles 0600-1800 What a long and tough day but I did it! I made it all the way to Bend. It was an ambitious goal, given the miles, high temps, lack of water, terrain, climbs and logistics of getting to town. It might have been the toughest day yet. I made good time through mostly burned areas and up to the ridge bellow Three Fingered Jack Mt. I was down to Hwy 20 by 1030 and found a cooler of trailer magic with beers and coke. Since I have walked over 2000 miles on other trails, I helped myself[…]

August 8th, 2018 Cigar lake mm 2044 to Rockpile Lake mm 2015 Distance: 29 miles 0600-1830 On today’s agenda: walking around Mt Jefferson, another volcano. I love it! I had first spied it from the slopes of Mt Hood 3 days prior and now it loomed large. Incidentally, back at Timberline lodge, I observed a father pointing at it and telling his son, “see, that’s Mt. St Helens!” Ok, for starters, Helens is the only volcano with a flat top and should be easily distinguishable from all the others. Furthermore, it lies 60 miles to the NW from Mt. Hood and is not even in Oregon, it’s in Washington. Wrong state, wrong direction, wrong mountain, Dad! Let’s hope Jr. has[…]

August 7th, 2018 Mm 2071 to Cigar Lake mm 2044 Distance: 27 miles Today started out as a bust but ended in a bang. My campsite was one of the most unremarkable but it did the trick. Something was making a weird barking sound all night…I suspect it was an elk or deer. I had a hard time falling asleep. I was on trail at 0615 and surprised to see a NOBO within 15 minutes. Quite a few more followed early in the morning. By lunch time, I had picked out a nice creek from the map. But when I got there, Lemiti creek turned out to be dry, or nearly so. I walked a few meters up the bed[…]

August 6th, 2018 Timberline Lodge mm 2097 to mm 2071 Distance: 26 miles I was packed and down at the lodge when it opened at 0600, to maximize phone charging time. I was amazed to see hundreds of people showing up to go skiing and snowboarding. They run summer camps, so most were kids. All the action is taking place on a tiny patch of glacier that they groom throughout the season. Maybe I’m a ski snob but I’d rather wait for real snow in the winter. Summer is for tramping around mountains. I wasn’t feeling in the mood for the infamous breakfast buffet so I went halfway on an overpriced bagal sandwich at the cafe. Then I got my[…]

August 5th, 2018 Indian Springs CG mm 2127.5 to Timberline Lodge mm 2097 Distance: 30.5 miles plus 2 miles I mistakenly walked on the Timberline Trail A popular belief on the trail is that it is flat through Oregon, at least relative to the relief found in WA and CA. This may be true for the most part but today was anything but flat. In 31 miles, I gained over 7000′ and lost over 5000′. And I set my record for longest distance hiked in one day, EVER! My watch says I actually did 33.6 miles and 71,584 steps, which accounts for a costly navigational error I made to the tune of 2 miles. It was also a fantastic day[…]

August 4th, 2018 Cascade Locks mm 2147 to Indian Springs CG mm 2127.5 Distance: 19.5 miles I woke at 0630, still with so much to do in the morning. I showered again and finished up my last minute details. Origionally the plan was to drive Spatz and me back to the trail but his foot was hurting and he needed to take another zero. So they made the trip just for me, and I felt bad about that. I had offered to take a bus but Shelly nixed that idea. Ray, Shelly, Skybird, and me The whole family was going to a wedding that night, then Skybird was going to hike with her sister and dad starting Sunday morning. Skybird[…]