August 10th
Elizabeth and I woke up at a decent time and started down to the trail at 6am. We had noticed another tent set up in the trees on the other side of our large campsite this morning and as we walked past I realized it was 3Cs from Big Lake. I called out to say hello and he was excited to see me. He caught me up on his visit to Sisters and I told him we would see him on the trail later because he would probably pass us.
He managed to do this as we started into the lava fields at the base of North Sister, which were elegantly lit by the sun as it came up on us. I chatted intermittently with 3Cs but then he took off ahead. Those older mountain goats can really move! Besides, I was taking too many photos.
We entered the Obsidian Limited area and between here and Separation Creek, we were rewarded with a rotation of flower graced meadows, creeks and brief sections of forest one after another. Being the weekend, there were also groups of hikers out on a loop of the area, including folks doing what we were doing down to Shelter Cove.
Each Sister was different and had a new gift to share, with Middle Sister being the one with the sun dancing on the various features covered with dark obsidian rock. Obsidian Falls was a breath of fresh air; the weather was quite warm for us.
This section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon had many intersecting trails and I always thought I would go back to hike in short trips (which I haven’t done yet). You can see from the pictures why it draws in so many people. You can also see that people hike in to intersect hikers or to leave things like trail magic (sweet but the opposite of Leave No Trace).
We stopped for lunch at Separation Creek, soaking in its cool waters and escaping the heat in the trees where it crosses the trail. I took some pain medication; my feet were already feeling pretty sore. We decided to make it today at least to Sisters Mirror Lake so we could get up tomorrow morning and hike into Elk Lake Resort for breakfast.
As the day continued to warm, we finished out the last Sister on the hot and dry trail. It was easy to imagine the wagon trains slowly making their way through this land. We passed some thru hikers playing the game of Magic under a tree and I chatted with two thrus, Why Not and Balance, as I sat under a tree waiting for Elizabeth to catch up to where I was. They said that Elk Lake was a nice place to stop, they had come up from there today themselves. And just for you my readers, I will unselfishly go in to the resort to check out the amenities and quality of food.
We made it to Sisters Mirror Lake around 5pm and could tell this was a popular spot being so close to Elk Lake, several groups of folks could be seen and others were lining the edge of the lake seeking refuge from the heat. We walked around to the other side of the lake and found a large clearing overlooking it to make camp for the night.
The water of the lake was warm and although I didn’t feel the lake actually offered a reflection of The Sisters, its rock outcroppings and reeds made it a tranquil spot to relax after the day’s hike. We had wanted to get a bit closer to Elk Lake, but we were both drained. This turned out to be quite fortunate.
After getting settled for the evening and realizing that my water canteen (that I have had for a few years) had a leak (another bit of fortune to find out now and not when I really needed it), the first raindrops began to fall around 7pm. As they grew more urgent and the thunder began to crack the sky, I said a word of thanks that we had stopped early and would not have to set up our tents in the rain.
The lightning continued to call out and my thoughts turned to creations of new wildfires. Would we be alerted if one started next to us? Were we close enough to make it into Elk Lake if one did? Then to make matters worse, the winds picked up when the thunder stopped, rattling the walls of my tent, literally fanning the flames of my imagination. It was quite a storm, and unfortunately another sleepless night.
It is interesting to look back at these journal entries and corresponding photos, such a difference from what I choose to take pictures of now. So few pictures of camp at the beginning and end of the day. Maybe I was just too exhausted? It may be due to the phone I was using at the time, most likely limited lighting would have meant poor quality. But mostly, I think that I was not putting the photos together with the writing in my mind yet and as I get older, photos (and notes) are critical for helping me remember the details that I observe when on trail.
For the continuation of this journey, visit Snuffy’s 2014 Pacific Crest Trail Journal-Oregon Day 17
To start at the beginning, head over to Snuffy’s 2014 Pacific Crest Trail Journal-Oregon Day 1
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