Snuffy’s 2016 Pacific Crest Trail Journal : Maybe Just A Little Too Early In The Season

I am currently sharing journal entries from my section hiking of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon, transferring them from Trailjournals.com which has not been a reliable platform lately.  In 2016, I finished the section from the highway below Crater Lake National Park to the city of Ashland.  This section holds some unique memories for me, like the first time peeing in my tent (in a container) because the mosquitos were so bad.  Also, 2016 was when I started this blog so many of my first posts here correspond with what was happening in these musings.

I hope you enjoy these entries as much as I do revisiting them!

 

April 26, 2016

It looks like I finally have some dates scheduled for hiking the miles below Crater Lake that I need to finish. Although I am a bit wary of starting in June like I did last year because of this year’s snow levels, I have been making some plans with a fellow long distance hiker, Monkey Wrench, to carpool with him down to Oregon near the end of June. He needs to head north at Crater and I am heading south so he has offered to give me a ride.

Monkey Wrench and I started chatting two years ago when we discovered we were both following each other on Trailjournals.com and have been trying to meet in person since. Last year I was in the Enchantments of Washington while he was crossing Stevens Pass (HWY 2) on the PCT. Let this be the year for a meetup!

I am finding myself with several reasons for having a harder time making concrete plans for backpacking trips this summer than in previous years. The first is that although I am losing my regular FT job and this should mean more freedom, I am going to be trying to pick up more hours at my second PT job. I can still choose when I want to work, but really should say yes to what I am offered.

The second reason is that I find myself wanting to schedule my adventures around another person this summer. A special someone. He is not a long distance hiker but enjoys the outdoors as much as I do. Since starting to date 6 months ago we have been talking about going backpacking together but haven’t been able to make it happen yet. I loving call it the “Backpacking Test”. If you read my journal from 2015 and my post “PSA” from 10/4, you know what I am talking about. I have warned him this will be the true test of our relationship. His response is “BRING IT ON!” I try to tell him it is more about me passing the test than him but he is undeterred.

It’s a running joke now. When he talks about mishaps on his own overnights (wet gear, misplacing his headlamp, neglecting to drink water AT ALL), he jokes about subtracting points. I tell him he has plenty in the bank already as he showed up for our first day hike together early, prepared (HUGE pack, it’s a Search and Rescue thing) and helped me pick up two bags of trail garbage. He’s on SAR, what could be more perfect for me?

Between my hiking obsession and his mountaineering classes, SAR trainings and every-other-kid weekends, we have yet to have an opportunity to go on said “test” but have several blocks of time set aside this summer that we are both trying to hold sacred. July’s looking like the best possibility so far.

I think I am the one who is actually nervous…

 

June 19th, 2016

Well, it’s that time of year when I go from preparing for hiking the PCT to frantically completing everything on the to-do list before I leave for the PCT. It’s a subtle distinction, I know, mostly marked by an increase in my anxiety level and a lot of letting go.

My gear is still spread all over the house, I’m still reviewing my maps to familiarize myself with section I am doing (Crater Lake to Ashland), I’m pondering a resupply in Fish Lake to keep weight down because I may carry snow gear I usually don’t (darn El Nino), assessing how to get back from Ashland to the Portland area and figuring out to keep things posting on my blog and Facebook page. Nothing major.

I did fix my tent in a satisfactory manner (I think) and then washed it in hopes that the zipper will perform better (I hear that helps). It is amazing how much dirt collects even when you use a groundcloth.

 

 

I think my food is set to go, I have been experimenting with some new meals like stroganoff and curry so we’ll see how that actually tastes on the trail. Luckily, there is plenty of chocolate for backup.

 

 

 

I am a little worried about my “tech” this year, I upgraded to the iPhone 6 and I know it draws more power than my 4. I am deciding on whether to bring my solar charger AND my backup battery or just the battery and charge in a resort half way through. Mostly for the camera, because I don’t carry a separate one. It is cool that I can keep it in airplane mode and still use Halfmile, unlike in the past.

I am going to try and fit everything in my GoLite Jam, if not I’ll go with my trusty G4. That thing can carry anything. I will leave the hammock at home, no bug net yet and I am expecting plenty of those.

 

 

Monkey Wrench and I have been watching the snow reports, this last round of storms has added a few inches but with the 90 degree temps forecasted this week, I am expecting most of that to be gone. The nice thing about my section this year is there are plenty of places to hike out if I encounter something I don’t feel comfortable crossing. I’m really not worried about the completion (although that would be nice), it’s more about just getting back out there and having fun. As long as I get back in time for July 4th weekend and the BACKPACKING TEST. Duh, duh, duhhhhh…

I will add that I had time for a few more work parties these last few weeks, above Rainy Pass and below Snoqualmie with the North 350 Blades and I am have the best time clearing trail and hanging out with PCT folk. I recommend it highly! There were also a few day hikes in there, I added pictures although weather has been hit and miss lately so views were mixed.

My next entry will probably be from the trail at this rate, so excited!

 

June 22, 2016

Okay, time for one more entry before hitting the road. I’m driving down to my hiking buddy Elizabeth’s house and leaving my car. She is then going to drive me over to Monkey Wrench’s house so we can then carpool down to Slomo’s house in Oregon and he will take us the rest of the way to our starts on HWY 62 below Crater Lake. So excited to finally be meeting MW after online corresponding for several years.

And I’m excited to be on trail. It calls to me.

My worries about snow have now turned to water and heat and keeping my pack weight down. I checked on PCTwater.com but no one has reported yet on the beginning of my section. Guess that will have to be me.

I have to admit I am a bit worried about my right knee and how will it do. I have also been feeling a little tired this week and I’m hoping it just because I haven’t been sleeping great. Too many things going on in my head.

I have been returning to my pack and tossing out as many extras as I can. Mainly, I ALWAYS take too much food. I am trying to be more strategic than usual and really analyzing what I will need. I am also reminding myself that there are places every few days where I could stop to eat or pick up food if necessary. I am planning to stop at Fish Lake, hopefully the grub will be good! I have officially adopted a section of the PCT here in Washington, the 5 miles south of Stevens Pass. I had a chance to scout it yesterday morning so that work parties can assess what needs to be done this summer. Still snow on the trail, but melting fast I suppose. I know those heading SB from Hart’s Pass are anxiously waiting.

 

 

That’s it for now. Next post will DEFINITELY be from the trail!

 

Snuffy’s 2016 Pacific Crest Trail Journal : Day 1

June 24, 2016

Last night I drove down and left my car at Elizabeth’s house and she shuttled me across the Columbia River to Monkey Wrench’s house. I left supplies for after my hike in my car and will leave some things with Monkey Wrench that I will pick up later in July when I come back through Portland. The weather was rainy and I was glad we weren’t hiking out until tomorrow.

This was my first time meeting him in person after corresponding online as fellow PCT section hikers for the last 3 years. Like seeing an old friend! He and I had dinner at a great little Thai place in Saint Helens before last minute pack arranging and an early bedtime. It was cute to see how he and his wife have their house set up with rooms for PCT hikers they trail angel, complete with a hiker box even.

 

 

MW and I were up and out by 4:45am and headed down the I-5 corridor to meet Slomo and Teri who are shuttling us the rest of our way. That was the least amount of traffic I have ever experienced in Portland, I’m sure it was an anomaly.

I nibbled on carrots and sun butter for first breakfast in the car. I found myself a little nervous this morning, realizing it’s been two years since doing a section hike solo. I knew I could do it, it was just going to be different not to have someone with me.

We met Slomo and Teri at their house, picked them up in MW’s car and went to The Original Breakfast restaurant off the freeway in Albany, OR. It was a nice place that used something other than soybean oil to cook with and fresh ingredients. I was impressed. I felt bad not being able to eat the potatoes and toast that should have come with it but I can’t eat. I know there are hungry hikers somewhere. (It looks like this breakfast joint closed a few years after our visit.)

 

 

We continued on down and turned towards the east at Roseburg for a gorgeous drive along the Umpqua River. On a side note here, I managed to get sunbutter on my pants. I’m not even out of the car and I now smell like food. Here I am bears!

We found ourselves at the trailhead on HWY 62 just before you turn into Crater Lake National Park at 12:40pm, climbed out to put on our trail shoes, posed for pictures together and said goodbye to our trail Angels. Monkey Wrench was hiking north to Santiam Pass and I was headed south to Ashland.  At 1pm, a sunny day found us each on our respective trails.

 

 

 

The trail started out at 6100 ft and was forested and flat with large areas of snow. There were a set of tracks in the snow to follow and I passed a few day hikers going out. There was also lots of blaze and I made 2 miles the first hour despite the snow and downed trees. I could feel the elevation in my lungs and was glad I had been hiking this winter.

 

 

 

 

Then things went south, literally and figuratively. The snow and downed trees increased and the blaze, boot prints and visible trail vanished. I spent the next 4 miles and 4 hours using all the navigation skills I had to stay on the trail. I had my Halfmile’s maps out, compass to orient, Halfmile’s app to verify and paying attention to every cut log/trail maintenance I managed to see through the snow.

 

 

 

 

The sun had erased boot prints, the downed trees meant going around to no trail on the other side and so much debris meant the trail didn’t look like a trail. I spent a lot of time backtracking to a previous spot where I WAS on trail only to start again. And a bonus to going southbound, I had to get back into the habit of SUBTRACTING miles instead of adding them.

 

 

Honestly, it got to the point where I was thinking if it didn’t get better in the next day, I would have to turn around. There was no way I would make it to Ashland in the time I had allowed.

 

 

Then a miracle happened about 6 miles in. Or I should say, I hit the national park boundary 6 miles in around 6pm. For some reason, the trail became easier to follow, more blaze and less snow I guess. I even ran into some wet clothing hanging to dry, glad again I wasn’t out here last night in a storm!

 

 

I stopped for dinner, enjoying my new curry recipe. I think I will need to add more sauce next time, however. Could have been stronger. I also did a little scramble up some rock for views outside the forest and pondered the beginning of my journey. Would it all be like this? Bring it on!

 

 

 

I hiked on for 4 more hours and 6 more miles through more snow and downed trees hoping to make it to the only water source in this stretch, Jack Spring. In some places it looked like someone had simply pushed all the trees down over the trail like a bad combover; it was not easy.

 

 

I ran into my first backpacker going north from Ashland around 8pm as he struggled over some trees and he said, “I thought I was the only crazy person out here.” I told him, “I guess not.” He looked completely frazzled and talked with me about being in the storm last night over Devil’s Peak and how his GPS couldn’t even help him. You could tell he wanted to warn me against continuing but I figured if he could do it, so could I. At least we would be helping each other out with steps to follow for a while as we parted in our opposite directions.

 

 

I made it to Jack Spring at 1806.4 for camp at 9:15pm, threw up my tent and sent off a Spot message (my new toy). My knee felt surprisingly good and feet were just a little sore, probably because most of the elevation was going up and down over trees. There was some owl nearby making noise that at first I thought could be an elk bull if he gave it a bit more effort.

 

 

 

I fell asleep weighing the option of going off trail here for spring water in the morning or waiting for the next one in 4 miles. I had a liter so it would be doable. I also was deciding about whether or not I would go into Fish Lake for a nero. At this rate, I might not have time.  We’ll just see what the trail has in store for me tomorrow. 12 miles in 8 hours isn’t exactly going to get me very far.

I think this is the only video I took in Oregon while hiking the PCT, I never really got into the habit.  I’m sure with practice I would have gotten better or at least learned how to not roll my eyes so much!