“You’ll Never Make It!”

Ashland to Washington

It was a fresh start and I was determined to maintain unbroken footfalls all the way to Canada! Hitching out of Ashland was surprisingly easy and I was dropped off at the trailhead in the late morning. Each day I increased my mileage slightl, careful not to exceed 25. This is a difficult thing to do in Oregon as the trail is relatively flat. Ancient laval fields, now produce endless Lodgepole Pine forests. birds are scarce and the soil is sandy, not particularly rich. As Olivier and I neared Crater Lake, we began to see more Spruce, but still the terrain was flat.

It is amazing how hikers seem to collide in towns and at outposts. At Crater Lake, we ran into a sizable group of hikers, a “regular hiker-trash jamboree” as one hiker pointed out.

Even wreathed in haze from California’s fires, Crater Lake is a sight to behold. The cliffs of the once mammoth volcano crash hundreds of feet to the deep fjord-like like below. The trail around the lake, however, is difficult. There are many PUDs (pointless ups and downs) We could have walked the road that hugs the cliffs and had plenty of views.

After we left the rim, it was over 20 miles of flat pumice desert dotted with pines before water. At least it was flat, and Olivier and I, now accompanied by a third hiker, Forrest made excellent time to our early camp below Thielsen Peak

Days later, nearing McKenzie Pass, the weather began to turn. It began sprinkling in the evening and the three of us began looking for a camp. We passed several acceptable spots, but decided to continue. As the mist began to fall and blow harder we clambered up onto the lava rock path across the much less ancient lava field. One can feel every step on the sharp aa, Into the darkness we trudged. It would have been impossible to sleep on any of this terrain, but one of us, I can’t remember who spotted something, a structure. “We could always sleep in the public restroom at the pass”

We found something better. I would hazard to say that ANYTHING is better than sleeping in a public restroom however. But we found one of the most memorable camps of my entire hike. I didn’t see where Olivier and Forrest were going until we were on the stone path, circling upwards into lava ramparts. The McKenzie Pass Observatory. We hung our food to keep it away from rodents and huddled into the corners of the rock structure

It wasn’t exactly my most comfortable or warmest night, but we were well sheltered and it was fun to stay in such a structure. The early morning sunlight beamed through holes in the wall. WHile one could certainly fire arrows out of said holes, they were actually aligned to see surrounding mountains. Plaques on the wall said things like “Black Butte, elevation 7800 feet, 11.2 miles.” I don’t recall exact numbers, so please forgive the error if you happen to know it.

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“You’ll Never Make it!” was drawn in sharpie on the bottom of a sign warning hikers of the snow levels near Mt. Jefferson. And so five hikers ignored the sign, and I believe many more. Forrest and I, sans Olivier, were now accompanied by Disco, P.O.D. and Hearsay. The first 20 miles came easily, but as we crested the shoulders of Mount Jefferson, the snow became heavier. Fog rolled in obscuring all views. As evening descended we gave up looking for the trail and settled into a cluster of spruce for the evening.

In the morning, Forrest could be heard several hundred feet down the hill shouting “Found it!” Presently we were joined by two other hikers, Truant, and Sweetfish. The seven of us traversed the slope, downward and finally stood on trail. There wasn’t much of it, but we had found it. From here we were able to traverse downward. Eventually the trail was more defined and easy to follow... really all the way to the end. But I am not there yet. An epic glissade met us on the north side of The View, where both Jefferson and Hood could be seen. in the now cloudless conditions.

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Timberline Lodge was the setting for The Shining. The outside of the lodge might strike fear into some. It is a massive old ski lodge on the shoulders of Mount Hood, right at treeline. They have a very well known all you can eat breakfast buffet that hikers lust after for miles before and after. I got my 12 dollars worth in fresh juice alone! Forrest and I even shared a pizza before we staggered onward.

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THe PCT splits near Eagle Creek. The official route is higher up and descends somewhere into Cascade Locks while the Eagle Creek route descends more quickly to... well Eagle Creek. This is a very scenic section of trail.

As the elevation dropped, the vegetation became increasingly moist. Berry vines, shrubs, and other flora were everywhere! But, alas the berries were either picked clean or unripe. Down the trail, paralleling Eagle Creek, views could be seen of the creek, and through the canopy of trees, the ridges above. The trail was apparently carved and blasted into the cliffside.

As I rounded a corner, Tunnel Falls could be seen, dramatically cascading from the cliff above. The trail actually tunnels into the rock, behind the falls! I can see why this was a popular spot for my family’s outdoor adventures when they lived in Portland.