Section F. McKenzie Pass to Barlow Pass—Aug. 29—Sept. 2, 2008
On August 29th, my early morning AMTRAK Coast Starlight was on time with a 1 PM arrival at the Eugene AMTRAK Station. The information kiosk representative showed me where to catch the bus which would take me 50 miles out of town on Highway 126 toward McKenzie Pass on Highway 242.
Before getting on the bus to the intersection of Highway 126 and Highway 242 the road to McKenzie Pass, I had a big lunch. The bus was a commuter-type bus that only started its runs after 4 PM. By the time I got to this intersection around 5:30 PM, there were almost no cars going across this little-used pass to Sisters, OR.
I decided to stealth camp just off the Highway 242 intersection and try hitching in the morning. While in my sleeping bag, I heard very few cars drive by and most were heading west to Eugene.
On August 30th, I got back on the road about daybreak and saw that only about 2 cars passed by every 10 minutes. After about 45 minutes I got a hitch from a sporting goods salesman who was making the rounds to stores in Sisters and Bend, Oregon. He was intrigued with my lightweight gear, especially when I showed him my cat can alcohol stove, dirtygirl gaiters, and Gossamer Gear G4 backpack.
He let me off at the summit and the heavy fog prevented me from seeing the top of the Belknap Crater at an elevation of 6,872 ft which rose about 1,500 feet above the McKenzie Pass Summit or Mt. Washington, the elevation of 7,677 ft.
I began walking in this lava-filled area that more resembled what you would find on the moon rather than on earth. I think some of the astronauts practiced walking around this 65-square mile area in their moon suits to get a feel for what they would experience.
I quickly came to the burn area of 2006 and I saw the few green plants that were emerging from the ashes and burnt trees.
It was not until I got past Mt. Washington when the fog began to clear that I saw it through the burnt forest.
Looking back I enjoyed seeing Mt. Washington which I could not see in the fog as it receded as I continued hiking north on the PCT.
The next mountain that came into view as I continued north was Three Fingered Jack Mountain. The trail came up to it on the west side and then the PCT rounded it to my camp for the night near Wasco Lake where I got my first glimpse of Mt. Jefferson. I hiked 28 miles in 13 hours.
On August 31st, I woke up to a very foggy, frosty morning with the burnt trees glazed with frost. I headed toward the unseen Mt. Jefferson.
I dropped down from the burnt area and entered the forest and when I came to an open area, I got my first glimpse of Mt. Jefferson as I continued on past Shale Lake.
Milk Creek lived up to its name with its glacier silt waters.
I then came to the popular Jefferson Park where I met up with a number of Labor Day hikers who were also surprised by this unexpected snowstorm. When it came, so did the fog as I entered the snow-filled Hood National Forest.
It was still foggy so I ended up navigating the Park Ridge snowfall by following the footsteps in the snow and luckily it connected with the trail some quarter-mile below. The trail was snow-free after this snowfield as I continued on to Ollalie Lake where I spent the night. I hiked 34 miles in 18 hours.
On September 1st, I was now in the forest on a fairly level path, but clouds of mosquitos followed me so much that I ended up wearing my mosquito head net, long sleeve shirt, and long pants. I ended my long day hike at Crater Creek. I hiked 37 miles in 20 hours.
On September 2nd, I woke up early and got my first full view of Mt. Jefferson behind me.
Section G. Barlow Pass to Bridge of the Gods—Sept. 3—4, 2008
As I hiked toward the Timberline Lodge at Mt Hood, I enjoy the views of Mt. Hood. I was looking forward to staying at this historic lodge and enjoying the big buffets. I hiked 14 miles in 6 hours.
On September 3rd, after a big breakfast and comfortable stay at the Timberline Lodge, I began to make my way down the PCT to the Columbia River and the end of my PCT adventure.
The mountain was out as I began my descent and soon came to the Zig Zag River. It ended up being a night hike as I easily dropped down below the timberline to a forest trail with infrequent views.
I was so eager to end this adventure that I walked through the night and missed the cutoff to the alternative trail that goes under the Ramona Falls.
On August 4th, I got my first view of the Columbia River around 6 AM. In the next two hours, I arrived at the signpost that I had been to back on August 7, 2004. I hiked 50 miles in 25 hours.
I made my way to the Bridgeside Cafe where I had a big loaded omelet, hash browns, a side of bacon, and coffee. After breakfast, I went to the overlook and an Asian-American woman came up to me and asked if I was a thru-hiker. I told her I had done it in sections and that this was my finish. She said that she had completed a thru-hike the previous year dodging forest fires along the way.
She ended up giving me a ride to the Portland AMTRAK station in time to take the morning Cascade train which got me to Seattle by noon. From there I walked to our downtown Seattle Condo.
Although it was a 2,660-mile wilderness hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, I enjoyed staying at 19 hotels, and 2 private homes trail angels opened up to me.
In addition to 5 AMTRAK rides, I flew 3 times, took buses and shuttles 4 times, boats 3 times, and hitchhikes 17 times. Whenever I stopped in trail towns to resupply, I made sure to eat up at restaurants finding myself eating much more than normal.
After a hot shower, I weighed in at 171 lbs so I had lost about 20 lbs in 36 days of hiking during this 2008 portion of the PCT which covered 795 miles for an average of 22 miles per day.
Here is what I normally carry in my pack and what I wear.
Here are some useful websites for you to check out in case you do some of the PCT or other long-distance hikes:
1. With this website, you can create different hiking speed and resupply scenarios on the PCT, but it is currently closed because of COVID-19.
2. You go to this site to apply for a “thru-hiker permit” so you do not have to register with every National Forest and National Park along the way. I think you have to tell them you plan to do at least 500 miles. It is free, but right now they are not issued thru-hike permits but do allow long hikes where you do not need to resupply to protect the trail communities from COVID 19.
3. Although I do not use this, many hikers do use this smartphone app to navigate the trail. I use paper maps from the PCT guide books and a compass. Halfmile has worked with National Geographic and you can now go to the PCTA website to purchase these maps along with apps to use on smartphones
4. This site which is updated frequently tells you where to look for water which is a big concern on some portions of the PCT—-carrying 6 liters of water is no fun.
5. This site contains hiker journals from several long-distance trails where you can check out the trail conditions of those that have gone before you. Plus you get their ramblings about gear, places to see and stay, etc.
6. Yogi puts out good information on trail towns and what they have to offer, resupply tips, and some trail tips as well. Her store also has links to vendors as well as information on the gear she uses. She is one of the legends in the hiking community.
7. These are my favorite items after a good bandana. These lightweight gaiters keep out much of the dirt and gravel from your trail runners plus they come in fantastic colors.
8. This site has a link to most of the long-distance trails plus other information and past newsletters issues. They have an annual gathering where hikers share their experiences on various trails around the world in pictures and videos. Throughout the year they sponsor "Rucks" around the Western states to educate hikers on gear, lightweight hiking, food choices, and general sharing of information They also award the Triple Crown to those who have completed the PCT, AT, and Continental Divide Trail (CDT).
http://aldhawest.org
9. If you live in Washington State, you may want to check out the Washington Trails Association website. It is filled with hiking information including trail reports provided by member hikers. They also sponsor trail maintenance opportunities with day or one-week work trips. My daughter and I have volunteered for both day work crews and one-week crews. It is a lot of fun with like-minded people who are doing some payback for the pleasures they have had on the trails.
9. If you live in Washington State, you may want to check out the Washington Trails Association website. It is filled with hiking information including trail reports provided by member hikers. They also sponsor trail maintenance opportunities with day or one-week work trips. My daughter and I have volunteered for both day work crews and one-week crews. It is a lot of fun with like-minded people who are doing some payback for the pleasures they have had on the trails.
This concludes my Pacific Crest Trail adventure started after my recovery from a torn meniscus in 2001 when I set a goal of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
I have recently uploaded all of my travel videos to YouTube now that they allow longer uploads and you may want to see my travel adventures there. That link is
https://www.youtube.com/c/huntforgold.
If you do go there, please subscribe to my video channel since it will help me eventually get some income there and help with my future travels. Fewer people are using DVDs so I am transitioning to streaming my travels on my YouTube channel.
No comments:
Post a Comment