Twig Adventures

Tag: Oregon

2025 SOBO PCT Days 35-42: Willamette Pass to Ashland

Pacific Crest Trail

Day 35, Sunday, Aug 17th, 2025, 1730-1900. Bend.5.5 mi from HWY 58 / Lake Odell to Hidden Lake, mm 752, 1100’up\380’down, elevation 5840′. Jill and Robert graciously treated us to their specialty pancakes in the morning, then drove us into town to do some grocery shopping at Trader Joes and Costco. I didn’t really need much but it was fun hanging out. The other hiker (sorry I can’t remember her name now) and I bought Costco shakes and a large pizza to share with our hosts, a small token of our appreciation. They dropped us off at REI, where we were to meet our respective rides back to trail. After a miscommunication with the Trail Angel that had offered to[…]

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2025 Pacific Crest Trail Days: Back to Cascade Locks

Pacific Crest Trail

PCT Days, Thursday-Saturday, Aug 14th-16th, Cascade Locks OR. Day 1, Thursday Aug 14th: Trail Angel and friend Otzi (Randy), who I stayed with while I was hiking the San Diego Trans County Trail, reached out to say he could give me a ride to Trail Days this year. He was driving all the way from San Diego, and even offered to pick me up at Shelter Cove. But I figured I could easily hitch to Eugene instead, saving him a 3 hour side trip. So in the morning, 2 other hikers and I posted up at the highway, thumbs pointed west. It took a surprising hour and a half to catch a ride, but I was in no hurry since[…]

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2025 SOBO PCT Days 25-34: Cascade Locks to Shelter Cove Oregon

Pacific Crest Trail

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[…]

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Pacific Crest Trail 2025, Round 2

Desert Winter Thru Hike, Pacific Crest Trail

This summer I hope to complete the remaining 3 sections that I have left in hiking the PCT a 2nd time. This has been a goal since my first thru-hike in 2018. Initially, I envisioned that I would thru-hike the entire trail again, but over time, the goal morphed into completing the trail as a series of section hikes. This was mainly because in 2023, I hiked nearly all of the Northern California section as a way of connecting the Oregon Coast and Bigfoot Trails to the Tahoe Rim Trail. After that stint, I couldn’t really see myself hiking NoCal a 3rd time (it’s my least favorite section), thus my focus shifted to just completing the remaining sections in the[…]

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PCBCRT Halftime Report

Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail, Pacific Crest Trail

Thursday, Aug 17th to Monday, Aug 21, 2023 In past years, I was always pretty motivated to keep moving during my thru-hikes. If I even took a double zero, it was only to let some severe weather pass or recover from an illness (like norovirus on the Grand Enchantment trail). I only took 5 zeros total on the PCT and 4 on the AT. This year was quite the exception. I took a lot of zeros on the Hayduke and even a week off to go back to do some hikes around Escalante. So many down days were somewhat needed, but also kind of messed with the momentum and motivation I felt for the hike. This thru-hike had a similar[…]

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PCBCRT Day 32: Along the Border

Bigfoot Trail, Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail

Saturday, Aug 5th, 2023, 0620-2000Poker Flats to Azalea Lake, BFT mm 10330 miles, Gain 5690′, Loss 5325′, elevation 5400′ Those dang deer really gave me the business overnight. I kept waking with a start whenever they passed by close. One even knocked my full water bottle off the picnic table. I should have brought everything inside my tent so I didn’t worry about things. I hung my second trekking pole in a tree and even then I was concerned they might pull it down. They will chew the grips and run off with any clothing items, including socks. I was even worried about my shoes, but unfortunately I have a strict rule about not putting those in my tent because[…]

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PCBCRT Day 22: Into California and Kayaking on the Smith River

Oregon Coast Trail, Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail

Wednesday, July 26th, 2023, 1500-1940Harris Beach State Park to Tolowa Dunes10 miles, Gain 20′, Loss 20′, elevation 10′ There was a lot to do this day. I needed to buy some things in town, namely a fuel canister, finish the OCT at the OR\CA border, then meet with a kayak guide, Carl, to get a ride across the Smith River. I’d read the tip about his services from Buck30’s blog. He and Steady had finished the OCT and continued to hike about 100 miles of the California Coast Trail. To stay on the beach and avoid a long road walk around the Smith River, they rented a kayak to ferry across. Since the next section of my hike, the Bigfoot[…]

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PCBCRT Day 21: Samuel Boardman Corridor

Oregon Coast Trail, Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail

Tuesday, July 24th, 2023, 0630-1630Crook Point to Harris Beach State Park20 miles, Gain 3000′, Loss 2800′, elevation 150′ It was a good call to stay where I did. Not only was it a fantastic site but it set me up well for a 3 mile walk on HWY 101 first thing. There’s usually no better time than the early morning. Even still, there were a surprising number of commercial trucks going by…but it makes sense that professional drivers enjoy the light traffic in the mornings, as well. The highway at least had a pretty wide shoulder and also some passing lanes at regular intervals. Oddly, only a few vehicles gave me the courtesy of moving over into the left lane[…]

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PCBCRT Day 19: Gold Beach

Oregon Coast Trail, Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail

Sunday, July 23rd, 2023, 0600-2000Humbug State Park to Gold Beach23 miles, Gain 1000′, Loss 1000′, elevation 340′ I departed early, eager to get a head-start on the traffic. I had the second longest HWY 101 road walk coming up at nearly 5 miles. My timing was perfect, as it doesn’t get quieter than a Sunday morning. I had my breakfast at a day use area in Humbug State Park, happy to find flush toilets, but no sink or tap water. I’d sort of been counting on water being there, since it was listed in the guidebook. Luckily there was a pretty little stream, so I just filtered water from it. The guidebook said not to trust any surface water and[…]

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PCBCRT Day 18: Agate Hunting

Oregon Coast Trail, Pacific Coast Bigfoot Crest Rim Trail

Saturday, July 22nd, 2023, 0600-2000Sixes River to Humbug State Park Dry Run Creek17 miles, Gain 1500′, Loss 1500′, elevation 170′ This was one of my favorite campsites, so I was not excited about leaving just to ford a cold river right off the batt. It was still foggy and the wind blowing, though not as bad. I could see quite a difference in the river level but I was still about 3 hours before the low, so I think the water level was about +3′. The current was ripping at the outflow onto the beach, the swiftest I’d seen of any water crossing on the coast yet. I went for it anyway and the water only came up to my[…]

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