After we packed up our tents after breakfast we ran into the same ultra runner support crew from yesterday again. And they had not forgotten us hungry hikers either… They offered to share their breakfast leftovers – potatoes fried in coconut oil, bacon, apple slices. Hmmm!
Well fed we started hiking – excited about the 2000 miles marker waiting for us in just a couple of miles.
2000 miles at 9am. An important milestone. Disbelief. Relief. Happiness. Time and miles are flying by. Exactly 4 months on trail.
Tempus fugit.
We took several photos and continued hiking until the 10 mile break around 11am.
At mile 2008 at Koko Lake it was time for the lunch break at 1.45pm – also time for a nap.
Tough Thruhiker Life
We continued on around 3pm until the next water break at Rockpile lake at mile 2012. With no water at the planned campsite on a ridge, we took some extra with us.
Continued to a campsite without water but nice views on Mt Jefferson, mile 2017.
It got more and more cold – had breakfast in tent. The trail had been smokey since days – the sky looked really hazy. We were on trail at 7am heading into more lava fields.
I loved the landscape, even though it was windy and difficult to walk. It reminded me in some regards of the Sierra – but most of it looked just alien, like from a different world.
We took a longer break with cellphone coverage at a lake – I had my coffee and booked a place in Cascade Locks, the gateway into Washington.
A highway crossing was coming – a chance for trail magic. But no luck. A bit disappointed, we took a break right next to the street and had some snacks. After a few minutes, a pickup stopped and two men got out. They wanted to know if the crossing trail was indeed the Pacific Crest Trail. We learned that they were father and a friend of a trail runner attempting an Oregon crossing on the PCT. After some chat, they offered sodas and bars which we happily accepted. The trail provides… 🙂
At the end of the lava fields, I came to a crossing of the trail. With the trail so evenly splitting, it reminded me of one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both…
Robert Frost – The Road not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
We finally got out of the lava fields and headed towards our next resupply stop, the Big Lake Youth Camp short before mile 2000.
We arrived at 5.30pm at the youth camp. Surprisingly nobody from the camp was around – they were obviously on a break. But the PCT designated hut was populated with hikers. We helped ourselves to a shower, laundry, picked up our resupply boxes and ate some dinner from the hiker box.
Around 9pm we left cleaned up and with devices charged, walked a while to a designated camping area, mile 1995.
Left camp 7.15am. The night had been cold again, this time with condensation in the tent.
To check on the online orders for some gear replacement, the first stop was for cell service around 10am.
The landscape kept changing. We had more open views and less trees. Today’s section would take us through some more volcanic landscape including the Obsidian wilderness.
We stopped at Sisters Mirror Lake for water, also took our lunch break there at mile 1956.
The Obsidian wilderness was really beautiful. The further we got North in Oregon, the more interesting the trail became.
We took water short before camping right after the Obsidian wilderness no camping zone at the Obsidian Falls at mile 1970.
Camped at mile 1971 with 29 miles hiked – long day, trying to make up for the short days coming in and leaving Shelter Cove…
Cold morning, so we got a bit later start at 7.15am. Bobby Lake offered spectacular views with the rising of the sun.
We saw signs from an ultra trail run (100km) and ran into a station shortly after. We chatted with the people there and got some trail magic… Got some snacks and moved on.
I love banana
We took water at 7 miles in at Charlton lake but continued on without break. We needed to reduce our breaks to make more miles. We planned to filter in another two miles where cellphone reception was expected. We did some online ordering for gear replacement at Amazon and REI.
Today we ran into Pinecone, Medicine Man and Sharpshooter a couple of times.
Next stop at Stormy Lake at 2.15pm. Took a bath and thoroughly washed, had lunch and relaxed.
Stormy Lake – Perfect for swimming
Just before leaving, Crumbs showed up. Some smalltalk, then we left.
Arrived at a tentsite above Cliff Lake at 7.15pm. Pitched the tents, got dinner and slept before nightfall.
Slept long and well at the Shelter Cove campground, the night was comfortably cool. But I realized that my sleeping pad is loosing air… again. I had it replaced just before the Sierra and now it was loosing air again. Probably not a puncture but maybe a failure of the valve – just in the early morning I hit the floor. Will try to get it replaced again – hope Thermarest / Cascade Designs is again customer friendly.
Went for breakfast around 8.30am. We were hanging out a bit longer, using internet, having snacks and another shower. Chatted with Medicine Man, Sharpshooter and Pinecone – they have also been hiking as a group for long time and we ran into them again and again. Left Shelter Cove finally around 1.30pm.
A 1000 feet climb was waiting, but with the short hiking day yesterday and today’s late start, the hiking went well. We had missed the 1900 miles marker, so we created our own.
Made use of a water cache at mile 1913.
Pitched the tents at Bobby Lake at mile 1915 around 7pm.
The world is big 