Washington Here I Come

Eva and I have enjoyed three days together celebrating our anniversary in Portland, Oregon, and the time has come for me to cross the border into Washington. I will walk across the bridge over the Columbia River at Cascade Locks, which is the lowest point on the Pacific Crest Trail, and begin a steep climb back into the mountains. In the first 12 miles, I will climb almost 5,000 feet. The next 500 miles will be some of the most remote portions of the PCT and my five resupply stops will be in very small towns, some just mountain passes with very limited services. One of the towns, Stehekin, has no road access, phone, or internet services. You can only get there by boat, floatplane or hiking. There is one satellite phone at the general store.

I am excited to be hiking again, but also excited to be so close to the completion of this amazing adventure. I'm beginning to imagine just what it will be like to stand at the border of Canada, sign the final trail register, take a picture at the monument and walk the final 8 miles into Canada where my journey ends at Manning Park. After that, it will be just a few days, and I'll be home!

Thanks for following along and sharring so mamy positive comments and encouraging notes. It is a blessing to have such amazing friends! 

Show Me The Video

I haven't recorded too many videos on the trail, but the ones I have captured I think are worth viewing. The latest one is of me walking through a tunnel behind a very tall water fall!

You can view my videos here!

I have reached the small town of Cascade Locks at the northern border of Oregon, and across the bridge pictured above is Washington! Eva is on her way to pick me up and we'll spend three days together in Portland celebrating our 30th anniversary! After our time together in Portland, Eva will drive me back to Cascade Locks and I'll walk across the bridge called The Bridge Of The Gods, and I'll back on the trail to finish the PCT!

The last few days of hiking into Cascade Locks was difficult for me and I think main reason was is that I didn't take a break from hiking in the whole state of Oregon. It took me 18 days to hike from Ashland to Cascade Locks which is an average of 25.6 miles per day. I had no rest days and no town stops. I didn't sleep in a bed after leaving Ashland until I reached Cascade Locks. I'm finding that pace without any rest is pushing too hard for me and takes the joy out of the journey. I plan to hike 22-24 miles a day in Washington but I also plan to rest at each resupply stop, sleep in a bed whenever possible, and enjoy the last 500 miles!

Dear Diary

August 17, 2014-I thought that the physical challenge of hiking, adapting to  extreme weather and different environments, and the constant exposure of living in the wild for five months would be the most difficult parts of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. It turns out it is also a serious mental challenge for me to deal with problems I create for myself.

Yesterday I hiked until sunset and in the dark, I sat on a tree stump to eat my dinner. It turns out the stump was oozing sap and my hiking shorts, my only shorts, are now covered in sap. My butt smells pine tree fresh, but I can't sit down without leaving a film of sap and I just look stupid walking around with blotches of sap, dirt, and pine needles on my rear end.

A second, more serious problem is today I lost my hiking poles, my expensive carbon fiber hiking poles. I was hiking 5 minutes after a bathroom break when I realized I didn't have anything in my hands. I spent the morning searching, talking to other hikers, giving out my phone number, praying, and crying, but finally I had to abandon the search and start hiking.

I know both my shorts and poles can be replaced, but I'm really bummed. I don't like making mistakes and am hard on myself when I do. Earlier in the hike I lost my headlamp. (I know where I left it, it was just too far to go back.) But after hiking 2,000 plus miles, I thought I was done with silly mistakes. I'm an expert now right?

Since I'm hiking alone, I spent the day brooding while I hiked the 20 miles to Mt. Hood. It would have been nice to listen to music or even the Bible on my MP3 player, but my earbuds are broken and need to be replaced. Tomorrow is a new day and I'm only two days from my next resupply where all these problem can be fixed.

At least I haven't run out of pop tarts yet. Now that would be serious! 

Friday, August 15-I Thought It Would Be Easier

Maybe it's the rain. Maybe it's that I haven't seen Eva in almost a month. Maybe it's that my gear and clothes are wearing out. Maybe I'm tired of eating the same foods day after day in massive quantities to keep from looking like a prisoner of war. Maybe I'm tired of being dirty and smelling worse than a high school gym locker. Maybe it's because I fell down today...

Somehow I thought it would get easier and not harder after hiking so many miles. The longer I hike the more I miss home, family, friends, work, and the comforts of a roof, bed and indoor plumbing. The last week has been hard and I hope three days rest in Portland, where I get to see Eva, energizes me for the three weeks I need to hike through Washington and finish the Pacific Crest Trail.

After hiking over 2,000 miles, I know I can make it, but right now I lack the excitement I once had. I'm going to get a good night's rest and pray for sun tomorrow. I'm also praying for someone to hike with in Washington. I've been hiking alone since Tahoe and it would be great to have a partner for the last 500 miles.

Thanks again for following along on my PCT hike. I really do appreciate the encouraging comments and prayer. I've tried to be positive most of the time and I've enjoyed most of the hike, but I guess even thru-hikers have bad days. :( 

Thursday August 14-Another Rainy Day

When we lived in Fresno, there were times during the winter when the fog would be so thick you wouldn't see the sun for days. Today, along with the rain was a thick mist that reminded me of the fog. I was also reminded that I would often get mildly depressed when the fog would last for days. I haven't seen the sun for four days and it is starting to get me down. It's 6:30pm, I'm sitting in my tent cooking dinner and trying to stay warm and dry after another 25 mile day. Here is a view from inside my tent. 

I'm at mile 2,030, it's been raining most of the day and it's raining now. I'm getting close to Mt. Hood and I've been told this is the prettiest part of the PCT in Oregon. I hope I get to see some of it tomorrow. Everything today was shrouded in a mist. The last weather report I saw said today was supposed to be the last day of rain until I reach Washington. That would be awesome! 

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I reached the 2,000 mile point on the PCT today.

It is quite an accomplishment, but I didn't have the energy to celebrate. The last three days it has rained and today it rained again while I was walking through miles of lava fields. It was hard on my feet as well as my morale. Yesterday it rained so hard and so long that I had water in my backpack that soaked into my sleeping bag and most of my clothes and gear. By the time I finished 26 miles for the day, my hands were numb from the cold and I had a hard time even setting up my tent. I was miserable sleeping in wet clothes in a wet tent in a wet sleeping bag. At my resupply today, I picked up a large trash bag to line the inside of my backpack. I hope that helps. I need to fix that problem before I reach Washington.


I was able to wash and dry my clothes, and dry my sleeping Bag and tent today, take a shower, and eat a warm meal. I arrived at Big Lake Youth Camp at 2:30pm and left at 6:30pm. What a difference 4 hours can make! After dinner I left BLYC and hiked 4 miles to a small lake and camped for the night. It looks like the weather is going to improve and I'm excited to hike again.


Three days ago something stung/bit my right leg just below my calf. It was crazy painful but I was hiking on an exposed ridge in a thunder storm and couldn't afford to stop for very long to investigate. It burned, itched, and swelled up, but the worst is over now. I used a steroid cream my doctor gave me and it really seems to have reduced the symptoms. I never figured out what bit/stung me.

I'm one week away from reaching the border of Washington! After that it's just three weeks to Canada. Already dreaming about coming home!

Added the next morning: I woke up at 4am to my 4th day of rain...

Elk Lake in Oregon

It's been raining the past two days with thunder storms in the afternoons. My rain gear is working great and I'm staying dry while I continue to hike. It's a nice change of pace and the rain keeps the dust down. I'm inside my tent right now listening to the rain, organizing my food for the next two days and getting ready for the big push to Cascade Locks at the border of Washington. I took a short 1.5 mile detour from the trail this afternoon to grab a burger at the Elk Lake Resort. I met quite a few campers staying at the resort who were very interested in the PCT. I had plenty of company for dinner sharing trail stories and when it started raining AGAIN, I decided to stay in the campground at the lake rather than returning to the trail. I'm 10 miles ahead of schedule so I hung out at the resort until there was a break in the rain and then ran to my campsite and quickly set up and stowed my gear in my tent. I found a 5 gallon bucket to wash my socks and feet and poured a bucket of water over my head. It wasn't exactly a warm shower, but it was refreshing for sure. 

1,912 Miles!

This is Shelter Cove Resort on Odell Lake. I was up at 5:15am and hiking by 6:00am. I hiked 26 miles to reach the resort by 5pm. By 8:30pm I had eaten 3,000 calories, showered, washed my clothes, sorted my resupply box, charged my phone, chatted with Eva by text, and setup my tent to get ready for bed. It was a very productive day! I'm only 245 miles from the border of Washington. I'll be there on August 20th. 

A train track runs right by Lake Odell and it seems strange to be in this setting and hearing trains at night.

Along with some yummy food supplied in my resupply box, Eva also included a newspaper. It might be slightly outdated, but I am still looking forward to sitting at a picnic table, eating breakfast and reading the paper. It doesn't get any better than this! 

It's All Downhill From Here

Ok, that's not exactly true... There is plenty of up and down still to come, especially in Washington, but it is true that I'll never be higher for the rest of the trail. The high point of the entire trail is Forester Pass in California in the High Sierra @ 13,153 feet. 

Just past the OR/WA high point I found some shade and enjoyed a lunch of crackers, cheese, beef stick, and plenty of candy! I'm hiking a 16 mile waterless section of the trail and will be at the next water source, a spring, for dinner. I may camp there or hike a few more miles before quitting for the day. 

There are a number of thru-hikers in this section that I have never met before. It may be because I'm hiking faster and more miles on a consistent basis or it might be because there are many hikers who hitch hiked around the fires in northern California and southern Oregon. I'm thankful I didn't have to do that and have been able to stay on trail except for the burn areas in Southern California from fires in 2013. 

Keep calm and hike on. 

What Is It Like?

When I resupplied at Mazama Village in Crater Lake National Park, I was walking through the campground after lunch at the restaurant and observed a young boy, maybe 9 or 10 years old riding a bicycle through the campground. The bike was too big for his small size, but he rode it with a sense of authority and I could see a look of wonder and joy on his face as he peddled through the dusty campground. I imagine that to this young boy, riding in the campground felt like a grand adventure, exploring each section  for the first time, venturing further and further from his campsite until he had explored the entire area. 

It was the look of joy and wonder on his face that made me think, that's how I feel hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I feel like a young boy on a grand adventure, experiencing the wilderness for the first time, seeing new people, places and things. Being challenged physically and emotionally, and feeling the pride of accomplishment.

Crater Lake

I walked the rim of Crater Lake today. There were breath taking views all morning and I enjoyed the walk even though I was carrying 4 liters of water to hike 27 miles to the next water source. It was a warm cloudless day and the visibility was good. (For the first time in maybe a week I could see stars the previous night.) You could see smoke, but it was way off in the distance.



I hiked 24 miles today starting around 6am. I stopped a little earlier than normal and will hike the 8 miles to Thielsen Creek before 10am tomorrow. I'll load up on water there and then hike another 16 miles to the next water at Six Horse Spring. This is a very dry section, much like the desert...just not as hot.

It's 7:30pm and I'm already in my tent and ready for bed. I'll be up early and hiking by 6:30am! Even though I'm not a morning person, when you are trying to average 25 miles a day, it's good to start early.

Bones and Pigeon

I met Bones and Pigeon on the trail the day before I arrived at Crater Lake in Oregon. They started hiking the PCT June 16th at the Canadian border. They are hiking south and plan to finish sometime in November at the Mexican border, where I started April 24th (that sounds so long ago). They are the first south bound thru hikers I have met. Keep calm and hike on!

1,800 Miles

The miles are flying by! I'm getting excited about reaching Washington! I'm hiking in a burn section right now.

If I Was President...

If I was president, all showers would be free!

I took a half mile detour to visit a campground for lunch today. I needed water and the thought of sitting at a picnic table like a civilized person was also appealing. I like visiting campgrounds because mingling with campers often results in the sharing of food and soda...hopefully with me. There were very few campers because of the fires, smoke, and ash, but when I went to use the bathroom I noticed the showers were FREE! At first, I thought, I'll just wash my socks, but the water was calling my name and soon I was standing under the shower head in hiker heaven. I didn't have soap or a towel, but I watched plenty of dirt wash down the drain and I dried quickly in the warm afternoon.

I hiked another 12 miles in the afternoon and I'm camped with three other hikers at a water source next to a ski patrol hut. There is no water for 10 miles in either direction so I really expected more people here.

Fire and Mosquitoes

The mosquitoes are back and they are ready for war! The guide book said that when I cross Hwy 140, near Fish Lake, it would be like walking into a wall of mosquitoes. Specifically, it said: "make sure you have DEET for the mosquitoes and a gun to shoot yourself...they will drive you crazy. I hoped that since this was a dry year...

I can confirm the mosquitoes are here and doing their best to test my sanity. Right now I'm safe inside my tent, protected from the bugs and the rain. There is a thunder storm over me right now and it's raining very hard. We'll see how long it lasts. Hopefully the rain helps with the existing forest fires and the lightning doesn't start any new ones. 

At Hwy 140 I was also greeted by a sign stating that a section of the PCT a few miles past the highway was closed due to fire. It gave a number to call for more info so I climbed a ridge to get enough signal to call. I was told the trail was open again but to be aware that another fire closer to Crater Lake is also threatening to close the trail.

In spite of the above, I hiked 28 miles today, and I'm only 31 miles from Crater Lake. I could be there tomorrow evening, but I think I'll hike 24 miles tomorrow so I can get in early on Wednesday morning. I have a resupply box there including new shoes (thank you Eva)! They have camping, showers, laundry facilities, and a restaurant that I hear has good food.

Things are getting pretty exciting on the PCT!

Trail Magic-Ashland Style

It they made posters of trail angels, this brother and sister should be on one. 

I hiked hard to get to the border of Oregon and reach Ashland by August 1st. I did it, but I was tired, hungry, dirty and ready for a short break. I had a resupply box waiting at Callahan's Lodge and was planning on getting a room there. I called them from the ridge above town and they were booked solid for a wedding and anniversary party...no room for hikers. It was a Friday night and I imagined it would be hard to find a room in Ashland. I was bummed but hiked on and met Dave on the trail. He was hiking up the trail to where he stashed his mountain bike earlier, with plans to ride down. We were talking about my adventure on the  PCT and I mentioned my lack of lodging for the night and he went right to work. He called his sister, Suzie, who also lives in Ashland and asked her if she would host a PCT hiker. She had PCT hikers camp in her backyard before, but since I was alone, I got the royal treatment...a room, a bathroom-with a bath tub, and laundry. It was amazing! I walked into town for dinner, had a wonderful night's sleep, went to breakfast with both of them and then Dave gave me a ride back to the trail! It doesn't get any better than this! Thanks Dave and Suzie for a wonderful introduction to Ashland...I'll be back someday with my wife to explore more of your wonderful town. 

Welcome to Oregon

I have officially hiked though the entire state of California, all 1,698 miles! I hiked 27 miles today to reach the border of Oregon and I'm spending my first night in Oregon on a ridge near a logging road. I hiked past a small forest fire in Northern California today. I woke up in the middle of the night smelling smoke and here is what it looked like in the morning as the sun came up. The smoke had settled in the valley.

At one point I was about 3 miles away from the fire, but the wind has been consistently blowing south, so I don't think I was in much danger.

I'm going to try to hike 28 miles tomorrow and reach my first resupply in Oregon at Callahan's Lodge.