August 31, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Panther Creek Campground, Pinchot National Forest
Miles: 35

Adrian: Today we road walked 15 miles which equaled 35 trail miles.


Kirsten: Way to keep it short, Adrian. I had mixed feelings about this alternate route most of the morning. I didn't come to hike roads. On the other hand, by doing the alternate we set ourselves up nicely to get into Packwood for my birthday.

Once we were underway I decided to take full advantage of what the road walk had to offer. We had breakfast in Cascade Locks and once we reached Stevenson we stopped for some lattes. Four miles and many handfuls of blackberries later we reached Carson and I was hungry again. So we ate at the local diner and finally reached Stabler Store, where we shipped ourselves a box of food.

Don't Panic and Clearwater were at the store and we all hung out under the awning eating frozen burritos, Oreos and drinking beer. About 15 minutes after our arrival the rains came and we were all happy to be at the store. Once the rain we stopped we all made our way to the Panther Creek campground and built a nice campfire. Another classic day on the PCT.

August 30, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Bridge of the Gods Motel
Miles: 0

Adrian: We'll head out tomorrow morning after zeroing today. The motel is newly remodeled and has a small kitchenette. Not bad.

Cascade Locks is a small town with a main street that's about 5 blocks long. It sits on the Columbia River and at the base of famous Bridge of the Gods. The hiking possibilities are endless.

Kirsten: Today was a perfect data to get off my feet and after three consecutive 30-mile days my legs needed a rest.

I had a huge breakfast and was stuffed most of the day. I still had room for dinner at the Pacific Crest Pub and later a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. The plan now is to make it to White Pass and hitch into Packwood for my birthday.

August 29, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Bridge of the God's Motel, Cascade Locks
Miles: 20.5

Adrian: We made it the Oregon/Washington border today! That's huge.

We woke at 5:20 a.m. and were on the trail at 5:58. A little spring in camp provided the liter we would each take to start the day. We did lots of up hills, many more than what I thought there would be given what the data says. Anyway, Oregon was sending us off with a good workout on a high ridge. Views of Hood, Helens, Adams, and even Rainier were spectacular. The minute you think you've seen it all, the PCT shocks you with its beauty all over again.

We took a side trail down into Cascade Locks. This trail featured some of the most amazing waterfall scenery I've ever seen including a tunnel that goes behind particularly large falls. Much of the trail was blasted out of the cliff wall of the gorge.

We got a hitch into town from a career soldier on leave. He was a real nice guy who waited for us at the post office and then drove us back to a motel.

We went to the Pacific Crest Pub for pizza and Walking Man micro brews. Awesome!

Kirsten: I am typically energized on days when we are coming into a town. It's not about being in a town, although food is always a highlight for me. Reaching a town means we've made it to our destination. It also means we get to prepare for the next five- to seven-day stretch to the town or lodge up ahead.

Today I struggled. The morning started slowly with a rolling trail that took us through overgrown thickets of salmonberry, elderberry and huckleberry as well other regional perennials. The morning dew soaked my pants and I didn't dry out until later in the day.

I finally snapped out of my funk when we reached the Eagle Creek trail, an alternate route that takes you by numerous waterfalls. I was a little panicky we wouldn't make it to the post office in time until I ran into Pothead and Good Times. They told me I was much closer to town than I realized and we made it to the post office with plenty of time to spare.

There waiting at the P.O. were a number of boxes including a birthday card from my Dad, one from my Mom and Bill and another from my good friend Adrienne. Adrienne is the best gift giver I know and so I shouldn't have been surprised by what she gave me. Still, when I opened my card and saw she had collected encouraging words from our family, friends and even a former professor I was shocked to tears. Thank you Adrienne!

The rest of the night was spent with Moonpie, Caterpillar, Landshark, Beautiful, Gorgeous, Clearwater and a few new people including Hoffa.

August 28, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Northern edge of Mt. Hood Wilderness
Miles: 23.7

Adrian: We woke up and hiked the two miles and 1,000 vertical feet to Timberline Lodge on the western slopes of Mt. Hood. Beams of morning sunlight illuminated select mountain hemlock trees producing vertical shafts of liquid gold.



Timberline was built in the 1930s by the government as a way to help fight the financial depression that gripped the country at the time. A sort of grand Civilian Conservation Corps project if you will. The name of the department overseeing the building went by the name of something like Work Progress Administration. If someone knows the proper name please email it to me. Thanks.

You think a lot on the trail. Today I thought of my family and friends and how I miss seeing them. I'm not sure if it's a motivator to hike faster or get off the trail.

Kirsten: Holy crap, liquid gold? Note to self: Open up liquid gold mining operation in the vertical hemlock forests of Oregon. I also would love to someday see shafts of horizontal light. Maybe once we reach Washington there will be more horizontal shafts.

Once again Adrian failed to mention important highlights of day, namely our breakfast. This morning I had the best breakfast since I started the trail. The cheesy eggs are far more impressive than the liquid gold forests.
We reconnected with Moonpie and Lorenzo today at the lodge and ended up camping with them as well as Landshark and Caterpillar. The cheesy eggs and do-it-yourself waffles put a bounce in my step and the steep hike down from the lodge and subsequent 1,600-mile climb back up to another ridge seemed easier than it should have. If only I could eat cheesy eggs everyday.

August 27, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Southwest slopes of Mt. Hood
Miles: 33.3

Adrian: A new record mile day for us. We did well considering the hills and weather.

The huckleberries were thick today and we stopped often to pick them a few feet off the trail. The berries grow on bushes from 6 inches to 3 feet high. The berries themselves are green when very young, then turn red on the road to maturation, and finally dark blue when ready to be picked. Yummy!


Again we hiked through deep pine forests laced with old man's beard moss, which I think actually may be a form of lichen. We hiked into the dark to do the miles. We wake in the dark and hike into the dark every day. This is a tough job.

Kirsten: PCTers who celebrate birthdays on the trail oftentimes hike their age. I'll be turning 33 (argh!) in Washington where the terrain will be more difficult so today I completed my birthday hike a week early.


I'm guessing the reason my hips ache and I can barely straighten my legs is because we've now hiked two 30-plus mile days in a row. I sort of feel like I did the first two days of the trail. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever to be able to walk like a 30-year-oldish person again or if I'll be stiffly stumbling around like a geriatric. Finishing a 33-mile day has boosted my confidence and I now feel more capable than ever. I'm not sure why I needed to hike 33 miles to reach this new level. I try not to argue with what works because frankly, it's too exhausting to analyze why and how I achieve things these days.

August 26, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Cold spring near Warm Springs River
Miles: 31

Adrian: We woke up with a layer of ice on the outside of our tarp and a bit of condensation on the inside. I'm guessing the temperature was down into the high 20s last night.


We woke at sunrise and were treated to a great view of Jefferson. It was awesome in the morning light.


After a steep climb I caught a glimpse of Caterpillar and Landshark. We haven't seen them for quite some time so it'll be good to catch up.

BIG views of Mt. Hood to the north as well. We even saw Adams way up there in the distant. It's so beautiful.

Kirsten: The bulk of yesterday's storm cleared out by the morning and we woke up to Mount Jefferson towering right above our tent. It's amazing to me how close we were to this striking peak all day and never even got a glimpse of it because of the cloud cover.

We hiked out of the alpine meadow and then up and over a ridge, where we were treated to unobstructed views of Mount Hood. I remember back before Sisters being able to barely see the top of Mount Hood. Now it's right in front of us and within two days we'll be hiking on its shoulder.


We met up with Landshark and Caterpillar on top of the ridge and spent the rest of the day hiking with them. I'm not sure where Beautiful, Gorgeous and the rest of our group of friends are. I hope we catch up we them once we reach Timberline Lodge.

August 25, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Below Mt. Jefferson, Jefferson Wilderness
Miles: 30

Adrian: We added a new wild berry to the list available along the trail; the strawberry! This little guy bears fruit looking just like its domesticated cousin, but only a fraction of the size; think pea sized.


Rain, rain, rain, and wind. It was a nice soaking drizzle most of the day. My hands are suffering most from the cold. I have fleece gloves but I keep them off while hiking because I must keep them dry. Your hands get so cold you can't even open a ziplock bag without a major battle. It's like having lobster claws for fingers.

I'm sad Mts. Jefferson and Washington are shrouded in mist and therefore invisible to us. Jefferson is my favorite peak on the PCT, so I hope it clears soon.

We found a small spot just off the trail to pitch the tarp by headlamp. I cooked a quick meal of mashed potatoes and quickly jumped into my sleeping bag. I slept well.


Kirsten: We realized last night that we'll have to hike 30 miles a day to get to Cascade Locks before the post office closes for the Labor Day weekend.

It turns out it was the wrong day to start hiking 30-mile days. We woke up to a cold drizzle, which lasted much of the day. We took two rests during the brief breaks in the rain and didn't stop hiking until 8:30 p.m. The rain and cold was hard on us, of course.

What really got to me today was the lack of visibility. We are supposed to be hiking through some of the most picturesque sections of Oregon and the thick clouds swirling around us have eliminated all views. We managed to find a small spot to set up our tent just as the sun set and more clouds began to settle into the nearby meadow and surrounding. If this is any indication of what lies ahead for us in Washington, it's going to be a tough ending.