Month: July 2022

Ok. We took the alternative route from Windigo Pass to Horse Camp. The camp hosts there are amazing. They were so kind to us. Lots of people recommended the alternative route just to meet the camp hosts.

It was a nice 22.9 or so mile day for July 30. Apple health thinks we walked 26 miles. It seems to either over or underestimate by about 10-15% on mileage and a lot more on elevation.

For reference Windigo Pass is mile 1878.3. Horse Camp was 10.9 miles from Windigo as measured by GOS tracking. Mile 1848 was the water cache. Maidu Lake Junction at 1866 is where we tented the night before yesterday and water was a 1.9 round trip on that day.

12 from Maidu to Windigo and then +10.9 to Horse Camp was our day yesterday.

Today it was 10-11 miles by Whitefish Creek trail. The PCT camping area is a bit far from the lodge. We covered that trail at close to three miles per hour. 2.83 mph —close enough to three.

Retuning to the fire.

While at Horse Camp we went down to see the lake. As we were at the lake, Win noticed a smoke plume towards the official PCT route that looked like a bomb exploding —that was the fire starting.

I should note that the Horse Camp route is the original PCT route.

Link to picture of the fire on the trail

This morning we were hiking by 5:33 am to beat the heat if not the mosquitoes. We took the Whitefish Creek Trail from Horse Camp to Shelter Cove which is Mile 1906.6. We got to Shelter Cove around 9:00 am.

At that point we started meeting people we knew—some of which had been evacuated off the trail because of the fire. Lifesaver and her mother ran up and stated hugging on us. They were behind us on the trail, got evacuated and then did not see us with the other evacuated hikers.

They had really been worried.

Going south from here the trail is closed. The camp here has had a lot of forest rangers putting up warnings and talking to people and dropping off evacuated hikers.

Going north the Forest Service and the PTCA are sorting it out and trying to figure out what is safe. After the weather breaks tomorrow they will have a much better idea. The real issue is that until the weather breaks they won’t know where the next lightning strike fire will start or where the fire is spreading.

Helicopter traffic going on now as they monitor it all.

By going the alternative route that goes NE from Windigo Pass to Horse Camp instead of NW into the barrens we missed the fire instead of being caught in it.

Today we will rest and at some point do laundry and showers. Tomorrow a zero. We’ve already had our hamburgers and picked up our resupply box which we will sort out tomorrow as well.

Shelter Cove is overrun with evacuated hikers and forest service workers. One very surprised trail magic provider—four times as many hikers as he expected. Us. Camp hosts who met with the Forest Service to plan for today and tomorrow (they closed down the camp store for the meeting).

We are taking a nap. Glad we set up our tent early. The PCT campground is flooded with hikers.

But it is good to be able to tell everyone that we are safe and were never in danger.

Windigo Pass tomorrow. We will stop at the cache there. Then on towards Shelter Cove and resupply. We will definitely take a zero at Shelter Cove and recover.

Today we started at 5:23 am and finished around seven with that water carry up from a lake to the camp site.

We beat the heat and did well. We rested as we needed it and that helped.

Of all things at the mid-point today we ran into the lady (now has a trail name: lifesaver) who got my trekking pole. She was out for another section hike. Amazing to see her again.

Coincidence can be neat.

We hit a little snow yesterday and today. Only enough to be a trail decoration.

I’m having a lot less foot pain. Finally getting my trail feet. Like the Speedgoats. At Seattle where I expect to need new shoes, I think I’ll get another pair.

The hot, dry, weather leads to fewer bugs. That is good. The heat wave should be over in a day or two.

Otherwise we had a lot of Verizon claiming 3-4 bars but without any throughput so the connections just taunted us.

Clear weather. Steady breezes. This section has long water carrying portions and really needs the caches that are being maintained. We had some six liter carries that were good practice and being cautious.

What a day.

Got around the fire in Crater Lake and we are tenting at mile 1839.7 NOBO. (24 hours later the fire is out and no longer an issue).

Lots of water caches in our future. Carried six liters today just to be sure. (Both caches so far were completely full).

Of all things we have three bars Verizon (where we camped) but the throughput is more like half a bar. Good thing I was expecting no coverage at all.

67.0 miles to Shelter Cove Resort and our next resupply box.

The resupply in Crater Lake was perfect. Will see if we are so lucky with the next resupply.

I’m also curious to see when this post actually uploads. So far, no luck. (Ok. Eventually it uploaded after many miles and several tries).

Update. We’ve gotten miles down the trail. The Crater Lake Fire is now over.

Verizon continues to claim 3 bars or so and deliver a .5 bar experience.

At Crater Lake. The title of this post says it all.

“Zero” —to take a day off hiking to rest and recuperate.

We started at mile 1799 this morning. Early since it is a long water carry and there is a heat advisory.

Got to 1820.9 and then a mile in to Mazama Village for a late lunch and our resupply box.

Tomorrow Win has work and we will take a zero.

Right now we are in line for the showers and more rain.

Other than the long water carry (we carried five liters each) it was a good day. About 23 miles total, about 22 trail miles.

I’m curious to see how our resupply box has worked out. We may have even shipped enough food. If not, the campground store has more. The hiker box has been picked over so much that there was not anything worth taking.

The heaters for the showers are apparently overwhelmed so we are expecting a cold shower when we finally get in.

Saw a little snow. The heat wave has demolished almost what was left. The wait for the showers has been fairly long, giving me time to write this entry.

No cell service but there is wi-fi at the store.

Met Five Fingers and Free at Last. Win gave them ciders. No free beer coming her way yet today.

We got an early start and we were on the trail by 5:35 am. The bear and her cubs that wandered through the tent site left us (and all the other hikers) alone and the deer herd made enough noise to wake up Win but not me.

She has a new trail name: “six”. Both for now fitting into a size 6 and for getting six free beers given her in her first month on the trail.

We had some surprisingly rough ridge walks, got rained on lightly (1% chance of rain) hiked in a heat advisory and crossed some tiny snow patches.

I’m glad we didn’t push on before. No wonder the other guys got only 16 miles in two weeks.

Got water from a clear, warm pond. Glad we got it before the other hikers jumped in and started bathing and swimming. The later hikers were not happy to see the silt being stirred up by the two girls swimming in the water source.

We stopped at a campsite with water at 1799.7 (measured NOBO). The bugs could be so much worse.

Realized one of the cookies I bought at Tuolumne Meadows was low fat, low salt—330 calories where a normal cookie of that size would be around 580. Lousy flavor too.

My gaiter anchor came loose immediately. However, tucking it in on the heel pull strap works perfectly. I now have gaiters that work.

The new shoes seem to be ok. I don’t want to jinx it but my feet feel good.

We are both so tired. The heat, terrain and more challenging trail than we expected had an impact.

Tomorrow should be a better day.

What a day. New shoes. Returned my Moab 2 mids because the collar was bruising my left ankle bone. I had almost 150 miles or more with pain every step.

The REI had the pants I wanted at more than half off—but not in my size.

Most replacement shoes were not in stock. But the Speedgoats I tried have some tweaks to the last and my feet have no complaints. I also have proper anchor tabs for my gaiters.

I trimmed back my beard with some electric clippers so it is now 1/8th of an inch. With the Oregon heat wave that will be a relief.

We are definitely in the NOBO bubble. This dry campsite probably has ten campers or more at it. We have a surprisingly good site to the far back edge.

Ready to get out early and beat the heat. Back to no cell service. I’ll update as things permit.

But the third time for this section of trail should be the charm. 😄😄. Christi’s Spring and the road to Crater Lake await.

So very grateful to Steph.

Looking forward to perhaps catching up with Stitch.

Yes. I’m happy.

What a day. New shoes. Returned my Moab 2 mids because the collar was bruising my left ankle bone. I had almost 150 miles or more with pain every step.

The REI had the pants I wanted at more than half off—but not in my size.

Most replacement shoes were not in stock. But the Speedgoats I tried have some tweaks to the last and my feet have no complaints. I also have proper anchor tabs for my gaiters.

I trimmed back my beard with some electric clippers so it is now 1/8th of an inch. With the Oregon heat wave that will be a relief.

We are definitely in the NOBO bubble. This dry campsite probably has ten campers or more at it. We have a surprisingly good site to the far back edge.

Ready to get out early and beat the heat. Back to no cell service. I’ll update as things permit.

But the third time for this section of trail should be the charm. 😄😄. Christi’s Spring and the road to Crater Lake await.

So very grateful to Steph.

Looking forward to perhaps catching up with Stitch.

Yes. I’m happy.

This time Oregon will be snow free. 😄😄

I have new shoes. Resupply box waiting at Crater Lake. Great hiking partner. Need to grab another day’s worth of food or five thousand calories. Send one more set of bear canisters home.

Weighed myself. I’ve lost about twelve pounds on the trail. Trimmed my beard back to deal with how annoying it was getting.

Got the ash off my tent. The smoke smell should finish clearing out in a day or two.

Ready to live with mosquito repellent for a while.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

To quote Win:

Steph gave us a ride from the Ashland airport to the trail back in June. Three days later, when we ran into deep snow, we backtracked 12 miles and Steph picked us up and took us back to Ashland. She then dropped us off on the trail, a second time, as we headed southbound.

Today, Steph was on her way back from her mother’s funeral in Kansas. She saw our FB post about local fire and smoke as she was driving into Reno. She offered to detour 140 miles (2 1/2 hours) to come pick us up in Lee Vining and take us to back to Oregon with her.

We have packed up our stuff and are waiting for the amazing Steph. We will spend the night with her friends in Reno and continue on to Ashland in the morning.

Tomorrow, we will continue our hike of the PCT, northbound in Oregon. We will return to the High Sierras and the desert when the fires are gone and the temperatures decrease.

Today, I am grateful for the kindness for Steph”

Sometimes the kindness is overwhelming and unexpected.

I am very grateful, both to be out of the smoke and for the kindness.