Category: Pacific Crest Trail 2023

Start: 555.6

Stop: 569.8

Today’s miles: 14.2

Total PCT miles: 757.7

Just after midnight, three hikers came down the trail and started setting up. They kept their bright headlamps on, and frequently glared at my tent.. causing me to stir this way or that to get their lights out of my eyes. It was real annoying. That, plus my feet throbbing from all the elevation change yesterday really had me frustrated. Eventually their stuff was up and their lights were out.. and I finally fell back to sleep.

I woke up around 6:55 and immediately rushed to pack, for two reasons: 1. Breakfast buffet! 2. I had to pee and wanted to do so inside. When I got out to pack my tent, Marquis was still asleep! I could hear Margot starting to pack and all it took to get him moving was a, “Marquis? Breakfast?” And he was up, out of his tent and almost completely packed before I finished taking down my tent. His hiker hunger has kicked in, too.

We walked down to the lodge together, with Margot trailing not long behind us. I used the bathroom, scrubbed my hands, brushed my teeth, washed my face. It’s the little things. Once Margot was there and back from the bathroom, too, we went in. Breakfast was good, nothing fancy or phenomenal food wise-just regular breakfast buffet foods: bagels with cream cheese, ham, sausage, eggs, potatoes, quiche, fresh fruit, pancakes, and a waffle maker.

It was beautifully laid out-although trash would look beautiful if on display here-it’s a gorgeous property.. and we each got several platefuls. Plus unlimited coffee and water, too. We stayed there for what felt like forever. Once we were certain we couldn’t eat one more single bite-we hung out in the lodge’s main area.. comfortable cushioned sofas around a massive fireplace (that wasn’t on).
We relaxed, let our food settle, and finally headed back to the trail around noon. I had to purchase some overpriced batteries in their gift shop, my headlamp died last night and I didn’t want to risk not having it available.

When we started hiking, I was slow moving until my legs realized what was happening and decided to start working again. We went mostly downhill all afternoon, starting with sandy exposed trail and ending in the deep, thick, forest. It was easy going and we passed a lot of people out and about.. I felt real cruisey, even if my feet did start their throbbing by the end of the day.

When I got to where we had planned on camping, I saw a sign in the pine needles.. “I Push” which had to be from Marquis. As I waited for Margot to catch up to me-to decide on staying or going-mosquitoes found me and started their relentless torture. I started spraying my picaridin and swatting like a lunatic. When she arrived, maybe 5 or so minutes later, she said she didn’t want to push, and I gratefully went to set up my tent.

I had it up and me and my pack inside it within minutes, cursing the bloodsuckers the whole time. Margot would have been in hers even faster but where she originally wanted to set her tent was a tad too small so she had to move it. We set up camp before 5:30, and it’s now 8:15.. dinner has been eaten, Stache appeared out of no where, other people I don’t know have showed and I’m pretty sure that’s Henry and Pamela down at the end. It’s been filling up so fast lately. I’ll be happy when we’re out of the criss crossing bubble with both NOBOs and SOBOs.

Anyway. I was trying to wait for the sun to set to sneak out and go pee-for both mosquitoes and the people I don’t know.. but I don’t think I can wait. Thankfully, Poptart text me today and told me how to make sure my phone charges and wont drain my power bank.. so, since I don’t have to wait for this baby to hit 100%, I think I’ll go pee and go right to sleep! Sweet dreams, y’all. Pray the pests don’t attack me too harshly.

Start: 569.8

Stop: 597.9

Today’s miles: 27.7

Total PCT miles: 785.4

I slept pretty dang good.. I mean, I still tossed and turned, but the in between sleep was solid. I didn’t want to get up, when I opened my eyes I peaked across at Margot, saw she was still sleeping, or at least pretending to sleep.. so I let myself fall back to sleep, too. We both didn’t get up and start packing until just after 7am.

We filtered some water and headed out, saying bye to Pamela and Henry, the only ones still in camp. We cruised along pretty quick, until I had to make a pit stop to dig a cat hole. By the time I saw Margot again, she was coming back from the little side trip to see “Little Crater Lake.” I still went down the side trail to see it for myself.

It was small and very very deep. Our app says it’s 45 feet deep and always 34 degrees cold.. I didn’t verify, but I can say that the water was extremely clear and you can see that it does go down for a LONG way.. whole fallen trees were in there.. I found it spooky, almost like waiting for a spirit to come floating up or something. Anywho, I said hi to Stache and his two friends that he was chatting with-his first time seeing them since they were all hiking in the desert.

I didn’t stay long, mainly because the “lake” freaked me out. I headed back to the main trail and coasted through the rest of the morning. It was mostly downhill or completely flat, all pine needles, soft dirt and duff. Everything felt good and easy and completely perfect. It wasn’t too hot or too cold.. there was a stunning huge lake that I walked around for several miles. It was simply a fantastic day.

Margot and I leap frogged again throughout the day.. and we ate both meals together. However, we never caught up to Marquis. That part is the only part keeping today from being perfect. We both missed him. I’m sure we’ll find him at Ollallie Lake Resort tomorrow. Or, we better! I think we’d both be pretty sad if we didn’t. Plus-I’m still wearing his shorts! Hahaha Andrea mailed me my other pair from her house and I’ll get them in Bend in a few more days. I hope they’re more comfortable than my other ones have been.. or I may have to pay Marquis off and keep his.

Anywho. We ate lunch sitting in the shade on my ground sheet. Afterwards, I hiked 7 miles with only a sip of water left-because I’m ridiculous and couldn’t stop myself from chugging it at last minute-when I knew there wouldn’t be any more for a while. After lunch, the only thing I thought about was getting to the river for more water. I moved pretty fast, passed 7 women on horses (several were trotting instead of walking, it was weird), and finally came to the river.

I tossed my bag down, got water to filter, and sat on a log next to two guys hiking NOBO, here doing the same thing. As we sat, filtering and then chugging, then filtering again, several more hikers appeared and then Margot did too. We were all chatting about nothing in particular, some people carried on.. then one of the original guys randomly asks me if I’m a nurse. I had said nothing about anything related to my career, so it was quite odd.. even Margot seemed shocked! He said he had been wanting to ask me since I showed up, because he had a feeling..

Once pressed, he said he knows a lot of nurses and my vibrant personality seemed to fit, but he also usually just has a knack for these things and with me he had a gut feeling. I almost asked him if he could see my aura and if so-what color it was.. lol.. seems strange, but the people that are intuitive like this always amaze me.. there’s really something “extra” they see or sense and honestly, I wish I had that ability, too. It was a pretty neat interaction. I might have a trail crush now-too bad he’s hiking the wrong way! Haha

From there, Margot and I climbed to the “top” of a mountain.. the only real ascent of the day and it was pretty easy going for the most part. At the top we ate dinner, then carried on downhill to the campsite we’re currently at. We passed through a big burn zone, then back into forest.. there were blueberries too. Yum.

We’re crammed into this site with 8 other tents besides our two. The two girls that are camped up front were super nice when I showed up, asking how big my tent was and saying if we needed to, I could set up closer to her to make room. We worked it out though and I actually do have some space. Stache is next to me, too.

The only thing I don’t like is that I can hear dead trees swaying a bit, and those two girls talking quite loud.. hopefully none of the trees fall tonight and the girls hush soon.. And with that, I think I’ll pop in my earplugs and get some sleep. Fingers crossed I don’t hear the sway once they’re in! Goodnight 🙂

Start: 597.7

Stop: 620.7

Today’s miles: 23

Total PCT miles: 808.4

Today was another great day, even if I didn’t sleep all that great. The two nice girls loudly talked until after 9:30pm.. annoying but it didn’t phase me-I was still awake, reading a little. I had a Colleen Hover book come in on my Libby app, that I had requested forever ago and decided to try to read it at night before bed so I wouldn’t have to lapse the hold again.

This morning, one of the two was at it again. Both Stache and a guy next to me packed and left without me hearing them-this girl literally dragged every item she owns out of her tent, laid out on her sleeping pad-including her food.. and then rummaged through each bag, item, thing out in the open.

Put it this way, she woke me up at 6:05.. I was supposed to be getting up already but I was irritated, so I rolled over. At 6:18 I admitted defeat hearing her and started packing myself. I was packed, tent included, spoke to Margot, filtered my water and was putting my pack on when she finally walked out of camp. Camping in crowds really isn’t fun.

Anyway, not long after brushing my teeth and crossing a dirt road, I ran into Marquis! He wasn’t far from us at all! I was so happy to see him, I hugged him! We walked and talked and ate blueberries and huckleberries for a couple hours on our walk into Ollallie Lake. He kept my pace and chatted and it was so nice to catch up with him.. like it had been so very long lol, still.

As we got closer to Ollallie, maybe the last 2.5 miles, he took off like a rocket and I slowed down for some reason. We were walking through a burn zone and this one was a little triggering for me. The wood was still charred black and the smell of it took me back to my worst childhood memories. Every time I blinked I saw my house engulfed in flames.. it was strange and frustrating to not be able to shake it and “cut it out” but the memories were swirling and I couldn’t make them go away.

Thankfully, once I got to Ollallie Lake Resort another thought took possession of my brain: food. I immediately got a Gatorade, a Mountain Dew, a beer, and 3 donuts. I sat outside and ate and drank with Marquis as we waiting for Margot. While sitting there a lady tells me I look familiar.. she was a hiker too, but had a sun hat on so I couldn’t quite place her.. IT WAS LILO!! I had hiked with Lilo and Sweeps on the AT! She had messed her back up pretty significantly and they had to end their hike in Sterling, Maine (we were at the Sterling Inn together the day they left!).

We caught up and hugged and Sweeps came over too! It was so good to see them! They were able to finish the AT last year, and have been hiking the PCT this year! Such a small world, and man do I love seeing old hiking buddies! Ah. I was elated the rest of the day over seeing those two!

After we said our goodbyes, because they were hiking out, I went back inside and resupplied for the next couple days and then got more food for now.. chips and salsa. Why? Who knows? But it hit the spot, that’s for sure. What I really wanted was a hotdog with mustard, but they don’t have a grill so tough. Haha. The three of us hung out and laid around staring at this gorgeous lake that we aren’t allowed to swim in..

And then we started hiking again. They took off and I chased them for what felt like hours, and then we met up at a creek to get water. Then we had a huge climb to manage. Marquis hiked behind me (going slow for him certainly) and played music out loud on his phone because naturally, like all things I have, my headphone connector broke so my headphones don’t work. He did this so I could hear music for the climb to keep me motivated. It totally worked!

We booked it up that mountain, going from burn zone to wooded, to rocky, to exposed summit. It was gorgeous up there, besides the heartbreak of the burn itself.. it was a massive fire, trees burnt to crisps for entire mountains. At the top, or close to it, there was two patches of snow, both we could walk around, although the first one we didn’t realize that until after we crossed it. At the top, Margot got to us after 20 minutes.

It was freezing and windy, so we put on jackets. We only rested a little while before we had to start moving again. We came down the other side of the climb and got perfect views of Mount Jefferson. Towards the bottom the trail was surrounded by wildflowers.. I think the neon pink and orange Indian paintbrushes are my favorite. You just cannot be in a bad mood when they’re around.

We made it to camp around 8:30 and someone else is already set up, inside, and quiet. We quickly put our tents up too and then ate inside them because the mosquitoes found me.. bastards. Besides the burn zone business, I really enjoyed today. I’m also very grateful that on a day when certain smells make me emotional, I’m surrounded by friends that distract me and make me laugh and help get myself out of my head. I truly am lucky to have these two.

That’s enough sap. I think I’ll run out to pee and then get some sleep. Goodnight y’all!