8/21/20; mile: 1,878; elevation: 5,820 ft.
I started my day with more trail magic from Fresh Ground…and dew on my sleeping bag and gear. I thought I was going to be up and gone before fired up his trail angel camp, but he beat me. This guy knows hikers. And I’m not complaining…except for maybe now carrying a little too much food. But what hiker is going to complain about free food?
The days saunter started with a climb up around the west shoulder of Mt. Theilsen. The green tunnel is broken by the steepness and elevation of the terrain. The low clouds gives it a nice texture and keeps the temps low as well. But as the trail descends the clouds disappear and the tunnel returns. And I march on. Approaching Tipsoo Peak, the trees thin out and the terrain is mostly flat. Up on the mountain, I swear I can see a hiker/climber, most likely getting some impressive views. At this point is also the high point of the PCT in Oregon. A whopping 7,560 ft. Not far after this I point I take a longer break to eat some food and dry out my gear in the sun.
The second half of the day is more tunnel and more walking. Between the energy expending during the morning and the weed I smoked at lunch, it’s just time to put my earbuds in, lower my head and focus on making time and miles. The trail is fairly flat through here, so it’s not a bad space to be in. Plus, I need water. This is another long stretch, so I’m aiming for the water cache at Windigo Pass.
A mile or so short of the pass, Nectar passes me. It’s funny to think how I’ve crossed paths with her a few times over the last 2 months since first meeting her just before Forester Pass. Well, she’s the lead hiker/runner of the Cuddle Puddle crew who are now trying to complete the Oregon Challenge….that is making it from the CA border to the WA border in two weeks. Or about 460 miles in 14 days. You do the math. Well I’m not about to let the rest of them run me down, so I grab another gear and start running after her. It’s downhill, I’ve got 80’s metal blasting in my earbuds, and I’m motivated.
The root caught me off guard. But it caught me, or more accurately my toe. I did a full-on spread eagled faceplant. Dust and duff is soft, so no real damage besides my pride. And now I’m dirty. REALLY dirty. Good lord, I’ve walked this far and haven’t tripped or fallen yet. Why here? Why now? I pick myself up, kick off the dust and walk the rest of the way to the pass. Only Nectar beat me there.
Not long after establishing my campsite and chugging some water from the cache, the rest of their crew shows up. And then their support car arrives. They rented a car to leap-frog with the crew to carry gear and food and then the drivers flip-flop to swap the car keys mid-stretch for the day. It sounds like a logistical nightmare to me, but HYOH. It WAS fun to hear their adventures, all of the work they put in to try to beat the challenge. And they’re able to eat quite well (as long as you make the miles to make it to the car/campsite for the night). After my almost 30-mile day, I go to bed before anyone else. More days like this to come.
Savior out.