Sun. July 3     Miles today: 20.6      Total so far: 918             Oregon Section F

Ollalie Lake, a fisherman, and Mt. Jeff--classic!

We slept in a bit this morning, to be sure the Ollalie Lake store would be open when we got there.  We walked the couple of miles, and it turned out that the store is a busy place–even though it was early, people were already lining up to rent both boats and cabins.  Only “human-pwered” boats are allowed on the lake, and no swimming or even wading, so Ollalie Lake is very pure, and the fish grow BIG!  Needless to say, there were plenty of fishermen!

We really enjoyed the store at Ollalie. It’s small, but VERY well-organized,with friendly, helpful, hiker-savvy staff.  We went through our resupply box while drinking the tasty coffee and eating giant muffins.  I have to say this: the coffee in Oregon is awesome!  Every place we have been so far in this state has really good coffee.  Can’t say that of California!  

 To add to the fun, we were eating, drinking and doing resupply while sitting on the cozy store porch with a great view of the lake and Mt. Jefferson shining in the morning sun.  I wanted to make a phone call home, but it turned out that Ollalie Lake resort has no phone. They have a radio for emergencies, but that’s it.  I finished up some journal writing at a picnic table by the lake.  It was really beautiful, and another moment when I wished we didn’t have to be worried about “making miles.”  I would have loved to just hang out there for hours!  But the trail was calling. 

We're glad to be on the PCT!

Shortly after we got back on the PCT again, we met another SOBO, named “Highlander”–and well he deserves it–a classic, tall, strong Scotchman with a delightful accent.  We took pictures of each other and had a great chat.  Highlander started at Campo in the beginning of April.  From Kennedy Meadows he skipped up to Canada, and now he was headed south.  He’s one tough, but very nice guy.

Rhodies! We really ARE in Oregon.

From there the trail went nicely contouring around the mountains and we began to get some fine views of Mt. Hood with a long plume of cloud streaming from its top.  The wild rhododendrons were more and more numerous and lovely, so the trail was lined with pink blooms.  And the forest itself is changing color–every tree is putting out new green growth on every twig tip, so the result is the forest takes on a sort of shimmering, iridescent green look. 

 We refilled our water bottles at Lemiti Creek, which had an old wooden bridge for hikers and a ford for horses.  We did meet one horse and rider on the trail today, plus several weekend backpackers.

Tree farm "patchwork quilt"

The PCT in this area is actually travelling through an Indian reservation, and we were pleased to see that the reservation folks are really using their forests and caring for them, not just leaving them untouched and full of dead branches.  We went through one logged area that looked great.  All the big trees were gone, and there were stumps left, plus a few burn piles–but LOTS of healthy new growth of a variety of trees, plus of course wildflowers and rhodies.  From a distance, these logged /regrowing areas looked like a pretty patchwork quilt.  I think it’s great–so much better than the Mordor-dead look of the burned forests we’ve been through, where the blind, foolish, environmentalist, “just-let-nature-happen” mentality is the rule.  What a horrible way to treat a forest!  Those areas will remain devastated for years, instead of quickly regrowing healthy and green.

Tonight we camped in the forest about two miles from the Warm Springs River.  Finding a campsite was not easy–there’s so much undergrowth here!  It was a clear night, so we dispensed with the tarp, and no mosquitoes, so we dispensed with the net tent.  It is WONDERFUL to be out under the stars again–I have really missed it.  I love to lie in my sleeping bag and look up at all the beauty of the night sky, and talk to God about all the things that happened during the day, and ask Him to watch over our family and friends back at home.

Sat. July 2      PCT miles today: 23.9      Total so far: 897.4             Oregon Section F

We woke up to a chilly morning and treetop level clouds.  After less than half an hour of hiking, we realized we were NOT on the alternate route we’d thought we were on, but on the OTHER alternate route, which was longer.  “Oh well, we’ll get back to the PCT eventually,” we said.  And it turned out that this particular alternate has really great views, including some “Yosemite-looking” dramatic rock formations.  Finally it dropped down into a very lush, green forest, with lots of wildflowers and even wild rhododendrons in bloom!  (Now I KNOW I’m in Oregon, when I see those “rhodies”!) 

Niiiice--steppingstones across Hunt's Creek

 We reached Hunt’s Creek, which had a well-marked crossing (large rock cairns) and choices of steppingstones.  And down in the creek’s valley, there were some REALLY HUGE Douglas fir.

We finally made it to very pretty Pamelia Lake, where we took a short rest.  I was worried, though, about Russell Creek, 4 1/2 miles away.  The guidebook warned to cross it before 11 am, because in the afternoon, the snowmelt volume off the glaciers above becomes considerable.  Several people have died trying to cross Russell–knocked down and swept away into the gorge just below the trail.  We had a long, steep climb ahead of us to get there. 

So we huffed and puffed up the hill and reached the crossing right at 11:05.   It didn’t look too bad; only a little bit “roary.”  Bill does not like to get his feet wet, so he went quite a ways upstream looking for a “dry” crossing, but I just wanted to get across, so I looked for a place that was slightly less “roary” and waded carefully across.  Whew!  (And thankyou, Lord!)  By the time Bill got across and got back to where I was, I’d already wrung out my socks and was letting them dry on a rock.

Creek near Jefferson Park

On we went, still climbing (and meeting many weekend backpackers) up to spectacularly beautiful “Jefferson Park.”  It’s an open, lush, green, wildflowered, well-watered valley just below Mt. Jefferson.  I heard one hiker saying, “Wow, I feel like I just stepped into “The Sound of Music!”  And that says it perfectly.  (Note: when Bill and I finished the PCT, and people asked us, “What was the best part?” we always said, “The most beautiful part of all was Jefferson Park.”  And it is true!  This place looks like paradise on earth.)

Our noontime gear and spectacular Mt. Jeff

Jefferson Park was the perfect place to stop and cook dinner and just soak up the beauty. So we did.  We lingered as long as we dared before beginning the climb up to the shoulder of Mt. Jefferson. 

 A backpacker we met along the way warned of megasnow  beyond the Park, and he was right.  But it wasn’t hard to see where the trail went, with so many footprints to follow, and we climbed steadily till we reached the top.  Wow!  To the south lay a still-frozen lake, and of course towering Mt. Jefferson with the green Park below.  To the north, we got our first view of Mt. Hood on the horizon. 

Bill climbs the shoulder of Mt. Jeff

The “trail” down from the ridge shoulder was not a trail at all.  There is so much snow that hikers must simply head down, following a “line” of rockpiles, and thankfully, we also had plenty of footprints to follow, also.  I took a picture looking back up, once we’d made it through the worst part.

Finally we were below the snow at last, on a trail that went up and down, and was often very rough and rocky.  At sunset, we took a very short detour off the PCT to camp by pretty Ring Lake.  If the SOBO’s are right, this means we shouldn’t have any more snow problems after this!  And seeing Mt. Hood was really encouraging.  We are within sight of the end of the PCT in Oregon!