Thurs. June 23    Miles today: 26.1     Total so far: 732.6      Oregon Section D

We woke up at first light, before 5:00 am, and there were NO mosquitoes!! “Quick, let’s go before they wake up!” we cheered, and hurried to break camp on a quiet, no-wind, 40 degree morning.  We walked briskly along Highway 138, very happy because there were no cars and no mosquitoes!  it didn’t take long to reach Cascade Lakes Road #60, our turnoff to go back to the PCT.  At the intersection we found some nice picnic tables and a “morning sun patch” perfect for breakfast.  (And still no mosquitoes!) 

Next came the long, long walk up the road, back to trail again.  At one point, we crossed a little stream and a sign said it was the North Fork of the Umpqua River.  Amazing!   I’m used to seeing the Umpqua as a full-fledged big RIVER, down by Interstate Highway 5.  Well, the North Umpqua was really pretty, and it tastes good, too–we got a good drink and filled our water bottles.  In case you were wondering “Don’t you filter your water?” the answer is “No.  We just drink it!” 

Near the trailhead, I saw an odd sight–a cute little tree all balled and burlapped and sitting by the road.  Why??  Oh well, not much farther to Windigo Pass Trail and then the PCT!  We cheered when we reached the trailhead and were so glad to be on TRAIL again instead of road!  But on the trail, the mosquitoes were waiting.  They were awful.  Merely wearing a headnet was not enough; they were biting through my shirt and sungloves.  So I had to put on my rainjacket and another layer of gloves, which were very hot to hike in.  When we stopped for a rest, I had to cover my pants with plastic, too, or they would bite right through the fabric.  

However, the trail itself was very pretty and easy to hike on–no rocks or roots.  There was one creek crossing with a log high up above a goodsized creek.  I decided to be brave and try go across on the log instead of my usual, “Oh, I’ll just ford it!” philosophy about creek crossings.  I have to admit I was scared, and “prayed my way” across, but I did it, and it was a good feeling!  (And hey, I did it with a headnet on, and hordes of whining mosquitoes. )  Those of you who have no problem walking across logs probably think I’m silly, but they really do scare me.  I have really crummy balance!  

All along the Windigo Pass trail, there were big 3″-4″ size white toadstools popping up out of the ground along the trail, and even ON the trail. I would have taken a picture of them, but the mosquitoes were too fierce.  (I have to take my gloves off to use the camera).  I did finally take a picture of the mosquitoes on Bill’s pant leg. By noon we’d reached the Pass AND the PCT.  We cheered, and then considered how we were going to cook and eat dinner in a cloud of mosquitoes.  The solution was to put on not only the rainjackets and headnets we were already wearing, but our rainPANTS as well.  Then while I cooked dinner, Bill set up the net tent so we could sit inside it and eat in peace.  (Well, actually not SIT–we had to make like ancient Romans and recline). 

After dinner, we headed happily along the PCT, accompanied by the mosquitoes, but had a bit of trouble locating our next “PCT Alternate” trail, called the Oldenberg Lake trail.  In the “olden days” it was the PCT official route.  According to the ranger’s advice on “heavy snow areas”, the official PCT would take us right back into snow again, while the “old” trail would be lower elevation, and according to the guidebook, much nicer than the “new” PCT.  We figured that if we had to choose between slogging/postholing/being lost-in-snow VERSUS dealing with mosquitoes, it’s a no-brainer.  We chose the mosquitoes!

Sure enough, the “old” PCT was mosquito heaven, but it also was very beautiful.  We passed  really pretty lakes, where we’d gladly have stopped for a swim….but oh, well!  I wish we could have gone swimming–I was so hot and sweaty inside my raingear.  We met a guy out trailriding on his bike with his dog.  We talked a bit while he slapped mosquitoes.  He was the only other person we saw today.  At 7:00 pm, even though we had plenty of daylight left, we decided to call it a day in another “Oregon Desert” of lodgepole pines and mineral soil near large Crescent Lake.  Up went the net tent, we hurried inside, and soon were doing our best to clean up our sweaty selves while the humming hordes surrounded our little tent. 

I was a bit concerned about my right ankle.  It is sore, but not puffy at all.  I guess it’s just grumping about all the roadwalking we’ve done lately.  And I am SO GLAD to have a net tent!  I made it myself, with a modification of Ray Jardine’s design.  Ray’s design does give a bit more room, but I was trying to save on weight, and we have JUST enough room to do things like clean ourselves up in peace.  I don’t even want to think how awful it would be to camp in these conditions without net tent protection! 

 And to those who say, “So, if God is so smart and loving and all, why did He make mosquitoes?” my answer is, “Almost all mosquito species don’t bother people at all, and they are a VITAL part of the pollination requirements of many plants, not to mention food for birds.  The biting business is a result (again, like all the other bummer stuff in the world) of PEOPLE telling God to get lost, and refusing to trust or obey Him.  Part of the consequence of that rotten choice is that everything got messed up, and we get—tada!! Mosquitoes that bite people! ”  One of the most important things to me about actually knowing God through what Jesus did for me, is that in my own small part of the world, I can help lessen the effect of “the Fall”.  In this case, though, we just hunkered in our tent and planned to get up early again BEFORE the mosquitoes!