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.