Author: mmbowden60

At mile 1861.8. Hiked 21 miles today.

This is Zach and Nora who are climbing the pinnacle of Thielson  Peak shown in the background. Zach has climbed it before and it is Nora’s first time. There doesn’t appear to be any room on top, but Zach told me that there is an area the size of a small living room. 

After an area of mosquitoes during mid-morning, I didn’t see mosquitoes again until the last mile before camp. I made this an easy day by taking long breaks and naps at a couple of the more scenic spots. I also slept late having gotten a chill in the morning and after breakfast. I fell back asleep and slept soundly.  I must be really tired. 

By the way, I no longer have hot breakfast. I mix instant coffee in a water bottle and carry it with me. I have cold instant oatmeal, but my favorite is granola cluster cereal with powdered milk. I usually have a couple of pop tarts also. This means that I only use fuel for supper. With denatured alcohol hard to find at times, this helps conserve fuel. It also saves pack weight.

I cooled off my bare feet in Thielson Creek, then laid out in a sunny spot on the bank of the creek. Here is Thielson creek.

Mt Thielson

Occasional views of lakes, but long distances between water on the trail.

Here is rock and talus field below Mt Thielson.

And snow.

And snow on the trail. I crossed the highest point on PCT in Oregon and Washington at 7560 feet, so there were plenty of snow patches.

Here is the high country.

People:

At the end of the day I met Avocado and hiked with him the last couple of miles to my campsite. Avocado started his thru-hike March 28th, the day after me, He went through the Sierras and has taken 6 zero days so far. This is an interesting to compare our progress. He typically hiked 20 plus miles per day in SOCAL and is hiking 30 miles per day now. I think that in the coming weeks I should see others like him begin to pass me. He is the lead edge of the bubble that is behind me at the moment. 

At mile 1840.8. Hiked 19.9 miles today.

Today I hiked the PCT alternate route that is the Crater Lake Rim Trail. I took my time getting started as I enjoyed the amenities of the Mazama Village campground. Upon reaching Rim Village I took a long break to allow my devices to recharge. This meant an early lunch. It was also a great opportunity to meet some interesting hikers including the first true South Bounder (SOBO). The last 2 days I have been meeting a lot of hikers and it is getting hard to keep them all straight. I really enjoy meeting and talking to new people and I think I need that since this hike has been solitary for the most part. 

I had thought that a thru-hike would be carefree with a come what may relaxed attitude. It may be just that for some people who are hiking with just the right group. In reality, a thru-hike is a daily routine with only breif carefree periods. Sometimes I find myself thinking about the hike or being absorbed with some camping or hike related task and I forget to notice what is around me. This is particularly true in comparison with shorter hikes I have taken in the past where I’m hyper focused on my natural surroundings.

Each night I get into my tent and slap the mosquitoes flying against the ceiling.

A couple photos of Crater Lake. Later in the day smoke blew in from California and you could barely see the lake.

I had to have a photo of myself at the lake. There were plenty of tourists around to assist.

Snow at high elevation on the Crater Rim. As a side trip, I climbed to the Watch Tower at over 8000 feet elevation. It is perched high above the lake.

A view from Watch Tower.

People:

Talked to Hummingbird who is a NOBO who is doing more than 30 miles per day.

Met PiXie from Maine who is  first SOBO having  started on June 1st. He is going incredible 300 miles before next resupply. He skied part of the trail in Washington.

Sid and Spark shared campsite with me at Crater Lake Mazama PCT area. Sid from Texas only has a tarp which he sleeps on cowboy style. Spark is from Germany and had come through the Sierras. Both are older than me.

Beatrice from Montreal just began her hike. She is hiking to Canada where her mom will pick her up.

Crazy71 is from China and is 72 years old. He carries over 40 pounds. CRazy71 hiked the first half last year and is hiking the 2nd half this year. He has used the hike to raise $60,000 for a hospice in China.

Peaches and Turtle are hikers using Amazon for their resupplies.

At mile 1820.9. Hiked 16.6 miles. 

I was ready for Crater Lake and with mosquitoes keeping me from slowing down, I was sitting in Annie’s restaurant in Crater Lake before 12:30 PM.

I walked through areas that were intensely burned. In parts the trail was totally obliterated and I was forced to navigate by GPS when I found myself off the trail. Small saplings had burnt into something like tempered swords while curling inward over the trail. These fire transformed saplings would rip flesh and and clothing. There weee also a lot of fallen trees to navigate around.

I met a man named Noodles who was on a hike and was doing his part for trail maintenance with a tiny saw. Every little bit helps, but this was the worst I have seen on the PCT and it needs more than a tiny saw. 

An artistic view of burned forest.

 

This butterfly is interesting because it favors this grass, not traditional flowers. I also really liked it’s coloring and patterns which Indont recall seeing before.

Flowers 

At Mazama Village I shared a site with Sparky and Sid. We drank more than a few beers as older men do, there were opinions expressed and complaints made.

Awww, but it was nice to have campground bathrooms and showers and a camp area filled with PCT hikers young and old. 

At mile 1804.3. Hiked 26.5 miles today.

I have hiked 714.3 miles over the first 37 consecutive days (no zeros) of my return to the PCT. I had hiked 650 miles in 37 consecutive days (no zeros) during the Southern California portion of my PCT hike. 

This is looking back at the north side of Mt McLoughlin. I hiked on the mosquitoe infested south side yesterday afternoon.

Here is a morning view of a lake.

This is “Hoops”. He is from Germany and is hiking the Oregon PCT. He carries this basketball and lives American Pro Basketball. I tried lifting his pack and it must weigh over 50 pounds. Hoops discovered the PCT by reading Into the Wild, the true story of a young man seeking who starved to death in Alaska wilderness. He read it 5 times. Maybe his backpack is so heavy because he is carrying 50lbs of food so he won’t starve. 

I had a good time talking with Hoops. It was the first mosquito free place that morning and I needed a break from running away from mosquitoes.

More photos showing th beauty of rhis part of Oregon.

And here is a photo of the trail traversing a slope underneath bluffs.

 

 

At mile 1777.8 Hiked 22.5 miles today.

Cold morning, I guess 35 degrees F. I was later told that it had been 32 degrees F. I had shipped out my down jacket and fleece pants. I wore my silk long underwear underneath my hiking shorts. I also wore a down vest and lightweight rain jacket. I hiked fast to help warm up.

Here I am at mile 1768.5 when I realized I have hiked half of the PCT. Having skipped over 440 miles, the halfway point for me is at mile 1765.

I also failed to mention that yesterday I broke my personal record for the longest hike uninterrupted by zero days when I passed 650 miles since returning to the PCT. It happened on my 24th day back. Starting in March in Southern California, I had hiked 650 miles in 37 days  before taking a zero day. 

Hitchhike couple live near SLT. He has hiked a lot of PCT in Sierras.

I stopped at Fish Lake resort where I had a double 1/3 pound cheese burger, potato and ham soup and a chocolate milkshake. I met a couple who live near South Lake Tahoe and were interested in my hike. Later on I was walking and hitchhiking to get back to the trail when this same couple drove up and offered me a ride. Thanks!

Now I hiked through woods without a breath of a breeze other than the breeze coming off thousands of mosquitoe wings. Some mosquitoes make a big show by forming clouds of swarms. These weren’t those. They went directly for blood. I could keep moving and slap them away from my arms. This was effective for a while. Eventually I stopped and as mosquitoes landed on me I dug our 34% Deet cream from my pack and dabbed just the tiniest bit on those juicy pieces of flesh that the mosquitoes seemed to prefer. I was parsimonious because I didn’t know how long I might have to make this single tube of mosquito repellent last. It worked. I only had to deal with a little itching where mosquitoes had momentarily broken through my slapping defense.

I love the way the trail is built through these lava flows. It is a work of art. Four days later I met a man who told me that his dad helped build trails like these. In the 60’s, his dad and grandfather worked on the Oregon Skyline trail which later became the PCT. Moving lava rocks, the workers went through a pair of leather gloves per day. The red pumice on the trail was hauled in by wheelbarrow.

Here is a volcano.

Here is another view of the red trail.

This is South Brown Mountain Shelter.

It was cold. I was hoping that someone would have a fire going in this stove.