Elizabeth Erickson

I had a slow start from BLYC to wait around and charge devices. Both Endless and I had almost no battery. Unfortunately I plugged my battery and phone into a broken outlet yesterday so it sat there lifeless for the afternoon. Slept great though! Soft shifting beach sands! Slept in a cove just off camp property. There were surprisingly many hikers camped out.

Caught up to Endless and Pocahontas at a great vista of the Sisters peaks and back at the youth camp. Saw Hayrick Butte next to the Hoodoo Butte sky resort. Incredible to have views again! You see a mountain in the distance and by the next day you are hiking around its base. It’s incredible! And alluring. Part of the reason I love Colorado mountains so much. You can look at a distant peak and know you will traverse the land in between and be at that far point by tomorrow. You really see across the space of how far your two feet carried you. Incredible.

At a lake lunch spot we met Nol and Mara. Salamander specialists. Neat! Before that, were two section hikers going by Law and Order because they are retired DA and police. There were also two groups of locals, a sobo thru couple, and a couple with a dog I assumed were on a day hike.

Hit mile 2000 today. Feels amazing! Oregon is beginning to show us her wild side. We have trekked through a different Wilderness every day. From Sisters Wilderness I could see all the northern peaks. Today I walked alongside two of those northern peaks, Three Finger Jack and Mt. Jefferson. I really am blown away thinking about this journey so far. Two thousand miles. Two thousand miles behind me. Wow.

Due to the stop in Olallie, there were lots of people today. Two sobo thru hikers named Future Dad and Mantis. A bunch of day and weekend groups. Nobos Popsicle, Frog, and Sheik. While leaving Olallie I met Bam Bam, from Slovakia, picking huckleberries. Also, met Billy Goat, a PCT star, going south as I hiked north. At the spring was Steppin’ Wolf and a couple from Idaho on a 150 mile nobo section.

The Mt. Jefferson views were great today!

We spent a few hours around lunch at Olallie Lake Resort. We had poor information on what amenities and food they might have. Regardless it was a decent supply of options, super hiker friendly, very expensive, no outlets, and no restaurant. For lunch I ate Fritos with jalapeño cheese dip, four sodas, two Gatorades, a thin mint ice cream bar, and a few other snacks. Meal of champions! Then Poca, Endless, and I swam in Head Lake and continued relaxing out of the sun.

I felt really good today! Poca saw a black bear. Heaps of huckleberries everywhere, delaying trail progress forward. Saw the setting sun shining through the trees before the trail dropped down into the spring area tonight. Beautiful golden setting sun rays.

Today I had a strange thought process of personifying the forest. There are dawn to dusk bug swarms. Bears at night. Deer trumping around. Spiders at dawn and dusk.  Blazing sun. I wear sunglasses dawn to dusk for keeping spider webs out of my face.

At camp tonight were Endless, Stepping Wolf, Poca, Bam Bam, a couple, and myself. Other people: lots of sobo people, John and eTrain, Frog and Sheik, Runner, and many others.

We rushed to Timberline Lodge. The upstairs bar had food until 11 PM. There was a great and fun looking Nigerian wedding going on. We went up to the restaurant and prepared for a meal and house brews. At the table next to us was a man, named Don, and woman, Christel. They were so friendly and nice. Ron is a local man of an adventurous nature and Christel is from Germany. Ron was very interested in our journey and we happily chatted with our new friends. They finished their meal and left, while we were still loitering. Turns out that Ron bought our supper without telling us. Unbelievable! He had even offered to let us stay down at resort about a 20 minute drive away. What an incredible person. His unexpected generosity is more than I can say. What a wonderful man! How fortunate we were to run into such fantastic people.

Today’s hikers included Steppin’ Wolf, Deep, Bobaroo, Tinker, John, No Tent, Sheik and Frog, Poca, Endless, and a whole slew of others. There are always a lot of people around when you go into town/food stops.

This is crazy, but Deep, the guy from Germany and not the kiwi Deep South, hiked a 62 mile day yesterday. And I thought 50 miles was satisfying…

The Timberline Lodge had such an amazing brunch!! Steel cut oats, yoghurt, granola, raspberries, strawberries, cinnamon rolls, chocolate scones, Danishes. Then French toast, covered in raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, warm syrup, and fresh whipped cream, with frittata and Tillamook cheddar scrambled eggs. Ham, sausage, veggie potatoes, banana bread, other pastries. And more! So good! So full. Ready for a food coma. Instead I needed to be productive.

Hit the trail at 12:30 PM with Poca. Endless left around 11 AM. I was super tired. My body ached. The brain shutting down. At least there were great views of Mt. Hood.

We met Endless at Ramona Falls. Beautiful and simple. I love water. Lots of hikers out leaving Timberline. Particularly a sobo couple Dark Side and Blueprint. Mt. Hood is a popular place.

My body was so tired. I had no motivation to hike. Basically wanted to zero. Ugh!! The short 22 miles were painful and exhausting. I barely made it to camp. Every mile was a struggle. Falling asleep now. Night.

Today we took the Eagle Creek Falls Trail alternate. The Indian Springs Trail connector to Eagle Creek was a steep and haphazard path. But once on Eagle Creek Trail, things became very flat, wide, and manicured. According to a sign, this forest burned down in 1902. Now replaced by Douglas Fir trees. You can see the overgrowth on that long forgotten assemblage. Incredible falls the whole length!! And Tunnel Falls was so amazing! Seriously some phenomenal water, rock, falls action going on. Cannot describe how cool that whole river valley is. Everyone in the Portland area should visit the Gorge for some wonderful waterfall hikes. And this is supposed to be a low flow year. Also lucky we got there early because the whole way out from the trail there were tons of day hikers heading in.

While at Tunnel Falls, we met a man named Randy taking time-lapses of the waterfalls. After reaching Cascade Locks we saw him again at a gas station. Taking a chance, we found out he was heading back to Portland and found ourselves a ride. So nice! On the drive to the city he pointed out all the great falls and points of interest along the Gorge. A very nice man offering three very smelly hikers a ride.

Once in the city, Poca headed for her friend’s. Endless and I headed for a hotel. We copiously ate supper at an Indian food buffet. So much food. Then straight to sleep.

I discovered today that I left my camera in Randy’s car trunk. I am desperate to get it back. Endless helped me look up all the Randy’s in the Portland area. No luck. I posted a message to my blog because the three of us shared our Instagram and blog information. I hope he finds it and returns it to me. All of my ~2600 PCT photos from the last three months are on that camera. I’ve lost photos before and I still get teary about it. This would be far worse. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Other than that, Endless and I spent the day in Portland seeing the sights. I slept in, ate lots of hotel continental breakfast, did laundry and took showers (plural). We bought MAX day passes and headed to downtown Portland and the Pearl District. I ate Grassa’s homemade pesto basil linguine pasta for lunch, then over to Powell’s Bookstore, ice cream at Ruby Jewel, and a long walk uphill to the International Test Rose Garden. So beautiful and great smelling! Lots of people. Post frolic in the gardens, we ate HotKiss Pizza for supper. I had a salad and pesto breadstick with local cider. A waterfront walk around dusk. Then we took the MAX and bus back to the hotel. My good friend from high school, Jen, met us there and picked us up. We dropped Endless off at the airport then headed to Tigard where she lives. So wonderful to see her! We stayed up late chatting and catching up.

Jen left early for work and I lavished in a day with zero responsibilities. I walked to a salon for a pedi and mani, then grocery shopped. Jen picked me up after work and we lounged and continued catching up. She cooked me a delicious curry supper. I basically did nothing. Then we watched a movie, Echo, before bed.

Jen left super early this morning for work. When she returned, she made me breakfast and then we went on a shoe and sock mission. Caught a food truck for Thai food. Went to Salt and Straw for ice cream. I had the best flavors!! Waffle cone filled with one scoop Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache and one scoop Coconut with Petunia’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Then a TV movie before bed, 16 Again.

Today I realized that mentally and physically I am in need of a break. I did very little associated with trail prep today and I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time.

Day: 97

Finally prepping for my return.

Day Ninety-seven: 7 August 2015

I spent several hours this morning at Starbucks updating my Instagram photos, Facebook photos, and journal. I have never been great at keeping photos up to date, but since my cell pictures may be my only shots for the whole trip, I thought I should get them going. It took a LONG time to pick, enhance, and post photos.

While Jen worked, I spent the afternoon around downtown. I wrote a bunch of cards and letters, looked up bus to trail logistics. Sat in cafes all day. Then ate at Kells brewery after Jen finished work. I ate a delicious pork tenderloin with beet sauce on top, cauliflower yam mashers, broccolinis, sweet potato fries, German chocolate mouse with cream and short bread cookie, and vanilla ice cream.

After supper we went back to Jen’s and I worked on her computer a bit. Then to bed. My last night in a bed for a while.