Pacific Crest Trail : Elk Lake to Detroit

Miles this section : 58
Miles completed : 2008

Glorious walking in the Three Sisters Wilderness.

Elk lake isn't much of a place, basically a bar and campsite next to the eponymous lake.  The store has beer, candy, and not a lot else, but no matter, my box of food, some good stuff from the hiker box, plus a pound of cheese bought from kitchen, will keep me going.  The bar has a printout of the website regarding the fires, though no actual web access.  Seems there's a thirty mile detour from here to the east, to the small town of Sisters, but from there the site says no good detour exists around the bigger closure to the north.  The fact is though, Americans simply cannot handle the idea of walking on highways, which if need be I will do - in fact I have a week-old copy of the PCT water report, which has details of a detour which is basically 'walk the highway'.  So, looks like around one hundred and seventeen miles of detour, missing eighty-seven miles of trail, I can handle that, getting back to the trail in time for the eclipse is not really feasible though.  But in fact, the detour crosses the line of maximum totality around the settlement of Detroit (Oregon, not Michigan) so my plan now is to be there.

I eat a second burger at Elk Lake, for lunch, plus an unfeasible amount of sweet potato fries.  Pocket Rocket, a Swiss hiker I've seen several times before, is here, and I ran into Vampire Hunter (from Holland) last night, nice to see familiar faces. I can't stay longer though, it's Detroit or bust, so, five road miles, no problem with that, then a steep 'climbers trail', hot work and my pack feels very heavy, but I can cope.  Then some glorious walking, with fine views of the Sisters mountains (there are, I gather, three of them), and beautiful glacial lakes, I rather like this detour.

Plume of smoke from the Milli Fire.

There are a lot of day hikers about, so many that when, late in the day, I pass through the Green Lakes area, all the 'designated campsites' are full, so I have to keep walking and of course camp just past the area boundary.  Next morning I see signs on the detour saying to go even further east, it soon becomes clear why, as a massive smoke plume from a nearby fire fills the sky on my left.  Slow moving planes drone overhead carrying water to the fire, as I walk a minor road towards Sisters, then cut north on roads that may be closed, I'm not entirely sure.  Lots of cars pass me with lights flashing, some from the fire service and at least one sheriff, they all ignore me, then as I come to the last half mile of my route towards the highway, I meet some English guys on an exchange program, with the local police I guess, they say I have to go northeast to the highway.  OK fine, I get there, some fire service guys are stopping traffic, the highway is closed to the east it seems, but yes, I can walk gravel roads to the north, they also give me a gatorade, and even let me walk half a mile east to join my planned route.  From there I head north and put a few more miles between me and the fire before camping.

Red sunset.

There seems to be less smoke next day, and anyway I'm walking away from the fire, northwest, my GPS map shows lots of roads this way, and I should be able to get back to the trail around fifteen miles north of the highway.  In the event this works well, I get through the private community (complete with golf course) without incurring the threatened one thousand dollar fine, and then find a mile or two of road made impassable by fallen trees, necessitating a bit of bushwhacking, otherwise it's all cool.  I rejoin the PCT near the Big Lake youth camp, there are forest rangers here, stopping people going south but I am OK to go north, and it is very good to be back on the trail - for a whole four miles...  After that I reach another highway, 20, I'm expecting to walk it, but no, the trail is open for nine more miles or so, then a detour will take me west, and then the it will be the highway to Detroit.  The last bit of PCT for a while is a stiff climb, but worth it for a campsite with views of an amazing red sunset over smoky mountains.  Lots of people are up here, ready for the eclipse, I wonder if I should stay?  But I don't really want to hang around for a whole day, and I do need to get on anyway.

Total eclipse!

There's not much PCT left to walk the next morning, I meet another ranger at the Minto Pass trail junction, off to the west I go.  There are a lot of deadfall trees for the first mile or so, then it's easy downhill, and then thirteen miles of Highway 22, simple if dull walking with a wide gravel shoulder - marked by hiker footprints.  Most will be hitching I know, the average hiker seems to really hate road walking, don't understand the problem myself.  I make camp in the woods by the road, having passed a campground or two which were full of eclipse watchers - and indeed wanted fifteen dollars for essentially, also, camping in the woods.

Just a few miles more and I'm in Detroit, a nice little town whose main attraction is a lake, as seems common in this part of Oregon.  I get some breakfast, then hike around the lake for half a mile or so to watch the moon pass in front of the sun, it's so smoky I can't see the other side of the lake, but the sun shines through without a problem, and unlike the last time I tried to watch an eclipse there are no clouds!  I'm prepared with eclipse glasses from trail magic, and wear them as the sun shrinks down to a crescent, this is pretty weird, though all still looks normal with the glasses off.  Then all of a sudden I'm in near darkness, looking at the amazing diamond ring effect, I then spend two minutes or so gawping at the corona, and then it's done.  Totally worth two thousand miles of walking.

Photos to go with this post can be found here and here.

Pacific Crest Trail : Mazama Village to Elk Lake

Miles this section : 132
Miles completed : 1950

Much info regarding many fires.

I'm due a zero, after seven long days of walking, and Mazama Village seems a good place for it, I'm able to do my usual wash of clothes and self, and write a bunch of messages that I can't send yet as there's no WiFi or 'cell signal'.  Rumours abound regarding the trail closures - currently the only way north is a twenty-six mile road walk around the east side of the lake, not ideal, US drivers can't handle pedestrians, I stop for them, and often they then slow to a crawl, this makes walking roads with traffic somewhat annoying.  And then an announcement - the west rim trail is open again!  This is not the official PCT, that is still shut, but everybody says the rim trail is the best route anyway.  I celebrate with a giant pizza, some beer, and then make a fire at hiker camping - not sure the other campers approve...

Majestic Crater Lake.

The rim trail really is awesome, with superb views out over the massive circular lake, it's a volcanic caldera of course, and even has a cinder cone island poking above the surface.  I can also see north to more of the Cascades, the second big mountain range of the trail, and very pointy they are too.  Off to the west there's some smoke but really not much, I doubt the PCT is that bad, rather I think the authorities err on side of caution with the closures - pretty sure this trail is only open due to the 'rim run', a marathon race that took place on the nearby road earlier this morning.  I camp just beyond the Crater Lake park boundary, so as to have no worries about camping restrictions of which there are many within the park.

Scenic Oregon.

I'm doing twenty-seven mile days, easy enough in Oregon, even through the Cascades which I've actually been in since Mount Lassen - while the mountains are impressively steep sided, the trail takes a gentle enough route between them.  Indeed, I pass a marker for the high point of the trail in both Oregon and Washington, just 7,500 feet or so - all downhill from now on!  The route includes some nice ridge walking, with views of jagged peaks, many lakes, and valleys to the west filled with smoke.  I even cross some snow on the trail, no problem though, and then downhill to walk among the lakes, of all sizes down to what are basically ponds - this means many mosquitos of course.  The new hat plus DEET keep me sane, more or less.

So many lakes.

I see signs saying the trail is closed north of Elk Lake, my next resupply point, and start to find that trails leading off west are taped off, more fire it seems, hopefully it'll work out.  SOBOs (southbound hikers) tell me of great trail magic ahead, so I walk fast, twenty-three miles by half past four, it is well worth it as Sparkle and Hannah have burgers, cookies and beer.  All goes a bit wrong five miles later at camp though, my tent zip fastener is broken, I try to fix it with my teeth, which has worked before, but no good, it is getting dark and I really need to be able to close the tent against cold air and bugs.  In some desperation I cut one of the many fasteners off my pack, and thank goodness it works!  From here it's an easy twenty-three miles down to Elk Lake, where I obtain more burger and beer, and pick up my box with masses of food, and pair of boots number four - the current pair are still in good shape, into the hiker box with them.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Pacific Crest Trail : Callahan's to Mazama Village

Miles this section : 102
Miles completed : 1818

There would be some tricky bouldering here were it not for the path.

Callahan's hiker breakfast comes with eggs, bacon - and pancakes!  Has the challenge put me off them?  Well, the first three go down OK, as do the second three - could probably handle more, but I do have to walk.  The plan here was a long twenty-six mile day to another resort, I can see what I was thinking but it just isn't possible what with leaving Callahan's at 9:30... and indeed, according to the trail notes the other place shuts at 5pm!  So, more Oregon then, easy walking, not much to see, a flat or slightly sloping path through woods, here and there some variation in the form of fields of big boulders, with a path made of red volcanic gravel, interesting, but sadly these sections are home to many mosquitos - all of whom really want to get into my ears for some reason.  With the new state comes new weather, it actually rains - three days in a row, after clear morning skies it clouds over and thunder rolls around, twice I just catch the edge of the storm, then on the third day it's raining as I put up the tent, and I wear my waterproof top as rain protection for the first time on the trail.  Walking through the woods after rain is very pleasant, reminds me of home, I must say I am liking Oregon.

Time to leave the trail.

I walk nearly twenty-eight miles on the second day out of Callahan's, Oregon is that easy - finishing before 7pm, my only worry a water pump I'd been planning to refill from turning out to be missing its handle.  It's a great relief to find a cache of trail magic, with water, the alternative had been a nearby muddy puddle.

A bit of road walking makes a nice change if you ask me.

My rapid pace gets me to Highway 140 quickly, this is the last road before the trail closure thirty miles or so north - walking round on the highways is an option, but I reckon I can keep going, and take the unpromisingly named 'seven mile marsh trail', then some roads to avoid the closure.  And in fact, a note taped to a post by the highway advises exactly that, so, onwards to that camp in the rain, over twenty-nine miles in one day, after which I sleep well despite the crash of thunder and flickering lightning.  From here it's more easy walking, the marsh trail is nice - and less than two miles - then road to Mazama Village, in Crater Lake National Park, but no sign of smoke, rather a lovely little resort.  All my Walmart boxes are here, with that and some choice hiker box pickings I have masses of food, and of course there is beer and burger to be had, I think I have earned it!

Annie Creek Canyon, visible on the other side are 'fossil fumaroles'.

Photos to go with this post can be found here and here.

Pacific Crest Trail : Seiad Valley to Callahan's

Miles this section : 63
Miles completed : 1716

Those infamous pancakes.

Seiad Valley is of course home to the 'infamous pancake challenge' as the sign has it, well, I will probably never be here again, it has to be done.  Five massive one pound pancakes, in a single huge pile, duly turn up - so much dough on one plate.  The first goes down pretty fast, but then halfway through the second I start to feel really quite uncomfortably full, the things are expanding inside me... I don't even manage to finish the second, I suspect carrying on would have led to me being sick...  As it is I take two away wrapped in clingfilm, they go in the outdoor hiker fridge (I approve of this idea), I go to lie down and groan.  Nice to have a day of not doing much anyway... I read a bit, order a new hat - and food this time - from Walmart, and eventually recover enough for another burrito, plus most of the chocolate from my resupply box, it'll only melt if I try to take it on the trail.

Horsing about.

No pancakes next morning, and in fact I have to wait a bit for my sausage (actually more like pork burgers) and eggs - the griddle is taken up by two guys doing the challenge, so selfish.  So it is nearly 10am when I set off, on the plus side I'm reverting to the original plan for this section, just twenty miles to do.  But... it is in fact one of the toughest ascents of the whole trail, some six thousand feet out of the valley and in a heat wave too, well, no help for it.  At least there is some cloud cover, and indeed the smoke from nearby wildfires blocks some sunlight too, nonetheless sweat pours from me as I push up the hill.  In fact, fires are casting a pall, both literally and figuratively, over the trail - news from further north is some trail sections are closed due to heavy smoke.  Where I am, the air is clear enough at my high altitude, but the surrounding landscape is hidden beneath a grey-brown blanket that stretches to the horizon.

A sea of smoke.

My second day out of Seiad is short again, a mere twenty-one miles, but while I walk quickly enough I feel pretty tired, still recovering from the pancakes I think... I pass a bit of a milestone anyway, after nearly one thousand seven hundred miles I finally leave California, hello state number two, Oregon.  I camp just over the border, and get more bad news - the trail is now closed in Crater Lake National Park, highlight of the state.  Lots of road walking coming it seems, but not just yet, instead an introduction to Oregon, gentler country it seems, rolling hills, for all their seven thousand foot altitude, cows (complete with cowbells) graze among the wild flowers, all very pleasant.  Makes for easy walking, I do the twenty-four miles by 5pm, and get a warm welcome at Callahan's Lodge alongside Interstate 5.  Beer!  All you can eat spaghetti!  All good, they even let me use their phone to call my next resupply stop, which is right next to Crater Lake.  But yes, they are open, it is not that smoky, they will take my stuff from Walmart even if it is four huge, mostly empty boxes.  Just have to figure out how to get there now...

Pretty Oregon.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Pacific Crest Trail : Dunsmuir to Seiad Valley

Miles this section : 154
Miles completed : 1653

Castle Crags - that's what the State Park is called, the trail notes use
 the Spanish form 'Castella' which is presumably the original name.

I start what is meant to be a zero by walking the railway (marvelling at the rotten, splintered sleepers supporting the tracks) back to the trail, then a further two miles the other side of it to Castella - another state park, plus gas station and minimart.  This would be a bad place to resupply, but the freshly made burritos are good, one each for breakfast and lunch does me nicely.  Camping here only costs five dollars, a bit more suited to my hobo budget, as are the coin operated showers.  Not done with hiking, I walk seven or eight miles, at least with a light pack, to do two miles of trail, not sure this is smart.  And then, of course, I get some beer, and wanting a change from burritos, buy ground beef and make burgers to cook over the fire, this is a good thing.

Man Eaten Lake.  Yes, really.

My pack feels heavy now, with six days of food, well it is one hundred and fifty miles to the next resupply - the original plan was eight days for this section, but I need to make up time.  The walk out from Castella begins with a climb of some five thousand feet, hard work, at least the trail is in a good state and in the end I manage twenty-five miles, then more long miles the next day, a nice walk with lots of flat, and views of lakes and, still, Mount Shasta.  There are many day hikers on the trail, apparently it is Saturday... a hot day though, and the path is stony underfoot, it is rather like the desert, but with trees - I even see a snake.  I end the day with sore feet, not great, nor are the many mozzies at camp, on the plus side it is before 7pm so I can get some rest.

In the Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Savlon seems to help with the feet, and it is good to get an early start after my early finish yesterday, I'm still going.  There is lovely walking here, woods, lakes, but I'm doing just a few miles too many each day, given the need to make up time - even five hundred miles past them, the Sierras are still causing problems for me.  Running low on savlon, I try using lip balm, it seems to work, the feet are stable and I am maintaining twenty-five or twenty-six miles per day, good enough.

The walking gets harder, continual steep up and down on stony ground, very pretty though - the Sierras must be like this beneath the snow, in fact there is some snow up here... for a moment I think there is a lot, but in fact there are big outcrops of white marble, this being the Marble Mountain Wilderness.  I'm still doing the miles, making camp on an exposed saddle twenty-five miles from resupply at Seiad Valley - I have to unearth a large rock to make a flat spot.  Then down, down, fast walking along Grider Creek, into a heat wave, my feet will need a rest tomorrow, but that's OK, and I reach Seiad in time for a shower, some burritos and beer, all good.  I even watch a movie!  It is not very good...

That exposed saddle camp spot.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.

Pacific Crest Trail : Burney Mountain to Dunsmuir

Miles this section : 91
Miles completed : 1499

Burney Falls.

I consider taking a zero at Burney Mountain... breakfast is very good, I consume many waffles, however there's no provision for lunch barring what I can buy at the store, which is rather expensive.  I decide to walk nine miles further to Burney Falls, a 'state park' centred on the eponymous waterfall,  it also has a store, and after a flat and easy walk, now I can have a twenty-four hour rest.  The store here has beer - which in no way influenced my decision to come here - but again, is pretty expensive.  Fortunately fellow hiker Nonstop has food to share - her hiking partner has left the trail, but there's a box here waiting for them, full of goodies which I and various other scavengers happily take off her hands.  I then buy a sixpack of beer, carry it to the hiker camp, make a big fire and cook hot dogs, which were the value option in the store.  They may not be finest quality food - 'made from chicken with pork added' - but there are eight of them, fully a pound of 'meat', and cooked over the fire they taste pretty good.

Camped up with Mount Shasta behind.

Hiker camping has a bear proof (possibly) box, it turns out to contain much coffee, which I consume a fair amount of on my morning off, then go to look at the falls, which are indeed most impressive.  Then sixteen miles of walking, it's hard work, for some reason I feel a bit tired...  It's good to make camp, where I at least have a fine view of Mount Shasta.

The huge, isolated volcanic cone gets nearer the next day, as I walk along ridges, nice hiking, then lots of contouring on forested slopes.  There are many people on the trail, it is hard to find a camp spot, I end up pretty much on top of a side trail leading to a spring, and not for the first time a deer hangs around camp.  The trail seems to circle around Mount Shasta, but doesn't climb it, still it is hard work, plenty of down into valleys and up the other side, and I am doing big miles, a twenty-seven miler, then a twenty-four, making good time.  And finally, I see a bear!  A mother and cub I think in fact, they make good speed away from me, but the bigger one looks back from a way off.

Bridge over the McCloud River.

Then just sixteen miles down to Interstate 5, a nice easy walk, I'm there for 2:30, and now have a quandary, should I head to Dunsmuir as per my plan, or to Castella which doesn't sound much of a place, but is where the trail notes suggest.  Of course, I go with the plan, it means camping at an RV park, which I now have my doubts about, but I want to resupply at a proper store.  My route turns out to involve a half mile of Interstate Highway, oops, I end up walking along the railway instead, and then sure enough, the RV park wants $35, I am not paying that to camp.  I continue three more miles into town anyway, and the store is indeed good - couscous, 700g of cookies for $3, yay, and I also find pizza and beer, this is worth the walk.  Then a lady outside the store, hearing my plan to camp in the woods, gives me a bunch of grapes and a $10 bill - I am a hobo!  In fact I find a pleasant spot near to the Sacramento River, could be a lot worse.

The expensive RV park, or at least the neighbouring resort - where you could stay in an old railway carriage.

Photos to go with this post can be found here and here.