Section 21 - Sisters to Government Camp View Photos August 14 28 miles. Another rainy, foggy, and cold day. What happened to summer? I hiked through some very scenic areas and saw nothing but the water dripping from my hood. Oh well. I'm back on the trail after 3 nights and 2 relaxing days in Bend and Black Butte Ranch. Darcy and Joel fed, sheltered, and entertained me and though our visit was too short it was great to see them. After Darcy's delicious French toast breakfast, Joel drove me to the Redmond airport to meet my mom and our family friend Bea Rimmer. Bea drove us back to her home in Black Butte Ranch, via the pretty but tourist-filled town of Sisters, and for two days Jimmy and Bea stuffed me with meat from the grill and wine from the cellar. I stayed down the street with their daughter Pam and thoroughly enjoyed the time off. Bea, Jimmy, and Pam were perfect hosts and was nice to see my mom. I ate and felt like royalty and left several pounds heavier. Yesterday I borrowed Pam's bike and rode to Camp Sherman, a beautiful little resort on the banks of the Metolius River. I bought a new spoon at the general store and rode back to Black Butte, geared up for the next leg of the hike. Jimmy drove me back to McKenzie Pass this morning. It was hard to leave the warmth and comfort of the car but it was time to go and I hugged my mom good-bye in the blowing rain and cold fog. I hiked into the lava field and soon the highway vanished in the mist. I hiked for several miles before the lava finally gave way to trees and dirt trail. Lava hiking is hard on the feet and I was glad to see it go. Early this afternoon I crossed Highway 20 at Santiam Pass and left the Mt. Washington Wilderness behind. I never saw the mountain but I hiked right over the shoulder of it. I then made a long, ascending traverse of Three Fingered Jack--another prominent peak--but didn't see it either. Fortunately, there were tracks in the snow and it was a relief to let someone else do the route finding in the fog. Tomorrow I'll traverse Mt. Jefferson and I hope the weather clears enough to see it. I passed the 2,000 mile point today. My feet know that I've walked that far but my brain is still figuring it out. I'm over 75% of the way to Canada. 5 more days to Washington. I'm camped tonight about a mile north of Minto Pass. It's cold and damp. Definitely a wear-your-hat-to-bed kind of night. August 15 29 miles. A beautiful but snowy hike through the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. I hiked through at least 15 miles of snow but the sunny weather helped make it an enjoyable day. This was the second most scenic day in Oregon--a very close second to Crater Lake. Mt. Jefferson is a stunning peak and I spent most of the day traversing its glaciated slopes. The mountain is ringed with lakes and meadows though many are still under snow. I lost the trail numerous times and had to make some treacherous descents to find it again. On the north side of the mountain I crossed into Jefferson Park, a high meadowy basin filled with half-frozen lakes. The mountain's glaciers spill off the peak toward the park and reflect off every pool of water. It's a memorable place and one of, if not the most, popular backpacking areas in the state. I passed a few hikers and backpackers though all had camped in the lower, less snowy regions. I crossed over a high, snowy pass at 7,000 feet in the fog and descended to Breitenbush Lake for the night. I got here just in time to put up my tent and cook dinner before the light faded to black. I lit a candle again so I could see what I was eating. Unfortunately, the ambiance didn't improve the taste. August 16 34 miles--a new personal record. It was a warm sunny day with clear easy trail on dry rolling hills. What a contrast from yesterday. It's easy to take the trail for granted until you can't find it under the snow. Other than the first couple of miles, today was blissfully snow-free. I saw Mt. Hood this morning for the first time. It dominates the northern skyline and is the last of the Oregon volcanoes. Beyond that peak are the volcanoes of Washington. I'll be on Mt. Hood's slopes tomorrow. I passed by Olallie Lake this morning and stopped at the resort for a cup of coffee and a muffin. Mt. Jefferson reflected off the lake's perfectly still waters and I sat on the porch watching the fishermen row out into the lake. Olallie means "huckleberry" in the local Indian dialect and the lake is ringed with huckleberry plants though I saw no berries. I ran into Dana, another PCTer, at noon as he was eating lunch by the trail. I followed his footsteps for much of yesterday afternoon and wondered who it could be. I last saw him in Ashland and he passed me during my time off in Bend. This afternoon I walked through a horde of thirty boy scouts and their leaders. When I passed the trail sweep she warned me of the group ahead. A few minutes later I walked the gauntlet as they lined both sides of the trail waiting for the others to catch up. They stared at me like I was a space alien and I was glad to get past them. I stopped for dinner at Warm Springs River. The water was a long way from warm but the sun was out and I sat on the log bridge eating my corn pesto pasta. I expected the herd to show up any moment and trample me before I could get off the bridge but I ate quickly and left before they arrived. I crossed the 45th parallel today, near the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. I began the trail at Campo at about the 32nd parallel. Four degrees of separation between here and Canada. I'm camped tonight by the trail, just up the hill from Clackamas Lake. Dana is a few miles back and I probably would have camped with him but I wanted to break my previous mileage record. August 17 22 miles. A relatively short but mentally tough day--days into resupply or restaurants always are. I met Jane Cummins, my friend Mike's mom, at Barlow Pass on Highway 35 near Government Camp this afternoon and am enjoying a night in a motel, full and clean. Two days to the Columbia River and the Washington State line. It was another day of gentle trail and the warmest day since the first day past Ashland. But my body and brain hurt and I wanted to just curl up and take a nap in the sun. Jane drove me up to Timberline Lodge this afternoon to look around and check on possible accommodations. At $180/night I declined. From the parking lot I could see Mt. Jefferson jutting into the southern sky. Somewhere on that horizon were more PCT hikers trudging though the snow and wishing they were where I was standing. It's fun to see Jane and great to take a much needed rest and food break from the trail. Tomorrow I cross Mt. Hood's shoulder and head to the Columbia River.