Pacific Crest Trail

I was just shy of having hiked 200 miles through Oregon. I was exhausted and mentally bruised and had some decisions to make.

Hiking through Three Sisters Wilderness was a day full of lava rock, obsidian, and mountain views.

I had walked over 150 miles of Oregon by my twelfth day on the PCT and I was headed for one of the most beautiful sections of the state – the Three Sisters.

After ten days on trail I was dusty, dirty and bruised. It was time to get out of the woods and enjoy some luxuries in a nearby trail town.

Ten days of hiking leaves the body & mind weary. I had more snow to slog through & miles of burnt forest. My reward was the beauty of an old volcano.

Hiking around Mount Jefferson was beautiful and challenging. Over my 17 miles I faced snow fields, a glacial creek ford and a total elevation gain and loss of nearly 3,000 feet.

I had a much more casual day following my 24-mile day. I had a short hike to the shores of Olallie Lake where I relaxed and socialized with other thru-hikers.

One week into my PCT adventure and I was pretty sure I’d figured Oregon out – it’s a whole lot of nothing (forest) between somethings (mountains or lakes.) The best way to get to the somethings is to travel as efficiently as possible through the nothing. Which is precisely what I did for my seventh day on trail.

My fifth day on trail in Oregon saw me travelling along a small segment of the old Oregon Trail, walking soft and easy forest paths, and ending with a pair of beautiful lakes and a perfect campsite.

All that lay between me and a gourmet breakfast buffet at Timberline Lodge was a handful of miles and some suprisingly challenging elevation gain.