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Pacific Crest Trail Journal
I will start my Journey on April 15, 2009
4/15/09 16.2 miles; 3617' total elevation gain; end point Hauser Creek; Cool and very windy! Met a rooky thru- hiker - no trail name yet. Met another thru-hiker -trail name is 12%. Border Patrol stopped and asked if I had seen any suspicious activity. Also gave me some water. The creek I planned to get water from was already dry. Wildlife seen was small snakes, lizards, and a rabbit.
4/16/09 15 miles;4587' total elevation gain; end point Kitchen Creek Road; Spent a VERY cold night but I was still up and on the trail by 6 AM. Animal life much the same. Met some day hikers. Met Karen at the end of the day. Will spend the next 4 days in San Diego.
4/20/09 2.4 miles; 820' total elevation gained; end point: Fred Canyon Rd. Hiked with Karen today before she heads back to Middleton, MA tomorrow. Met a lot of thru hikers. Met Splash- a thru hiker that got her name by falling in a creek. Got some advice from experienced thru hikers/section hikers- send some of the weight ahead- so plans are made to get to a post office to send the bear box up north to where it is required. There were some trucks coming and going on the road- unusual activity- probably the border patrol on the move (at 11PM). At 1:30 AM the illegals they were probably looking for walked by the site.
4/21/09 10.2 miles; 3337' total elevation gained; end point: Mt Laguna. Saw a swarm of bees fly by...in the middle of the day
4/22/09 20 miles; 4737' total elevation gained; end point: Upper Chariot Canyon. A lot of hikers today. Some trail magic- a nice fresh California orange among a few other things.
4/23/09 14.2 miles; 2688' of total elevation gained; end point: Caesars crossing. Got up very early to get to destination early. Attended the first Lions meeting of the journey- Julian Mountain Lions Club (Julian, CA).
message from the trail: 4/24/09 10:45 AM - "Scissors Crossing", State Route (S2) San Diego County, 12 miles
east of Julian, CA: "Back on the trail, heading north, after sleeping in a comfy
bed and having dinner the night before with the Julian Lions Club."
4/24/09 13.4 miles; 4803' of total elevation gained; end point: 3rd Pike Gate. Tough, desert hiking. Did not see anyone until getting in to camp. Saw lots of lizards.
4/25/09 17.4 miles; 3628' of total elevation gained; end point: 1 mile before highway 79. Only a few hikers today. VERY windy and very scary when going near the drop offs.
4/26/09 19.3 miles; 5273' of total elevation gained; end point: Chihuahua Valley Rd. Lots of hikers out today and the word on the trail was to get to this end point for the trail magic. So after a 13 hr day got to the delicious trail magic and ranch (which was camp for the night) It was below 32 with frost in the morning but very hot by the afternoon. Met some hikers from Mass. 65+5 (he hiked the AT when he was 65 in 2004) but couldn't keep up with him.
4/27/09 15.6 miles; 3855' of total elevation gained; end pont: Table Mtn Rd. 35 degrees when I got up, stayed 51 in the AM but got hot in the afternoon- too hot but that's the desert!
4/28/09 15.2 miles; 6493' of total elevation gained; end point: Wide Oak Trail. A lot of hikers again today. There was a pregnant hiker, 17 weeks, that was having problems and had to leave the trail. Met another hiker that likes mead and some mead will be shipped out here for him.
4/29/09 15.9 miles; 3296' of total elevation gained; end point: Forbes Saddle Rd. Came down to a water source that had dried up. Did not attempt the hike back up, way up, so walked down a 6 mile, unshaded, road to town. Others went back up and hit lots of snow and had trouble finding their way.
4/30/09 Zero day in Idyllwild, CA
5/1/09 10.6 miles; 4403' of total elevation gained; end point: White Water River. Skipped ahead a little- experienced hikers warned of the snow pack that is challenging even for experienced hikers.Went through a wind farm where there were 430 wind generators. Got a tour of the facility. It was soon after the wind farm that the cell phone may have taken an unplanned trip down a cliff.
5/2/09 12.4 miles; 5732' of total elevation gained; end point: few miles before Creek Side Camp. Was 1 step from stepping on a rattle snake. He rattled just in time. He scurried off into the bushes and continued to rattle. There was a creek that the trail kept crossing. Other hikers kept losing the trail. A bunch of us banded to gether and fanned out and made it down the stream to where we found the trail again.
Note: I have had to slow up a little due to breathing issues and allowing time for acclimation to the height.
5/3/09 10.4 miles; 5438' of total elevation gained; end point:CHRT trail. Saw another rattlesnake. Got to 8163' of elevation today! It continues to be very cold in the morning and very hot during the day.
5/4/09 13.6 miles; 4019' of total elevation gained; end point: Arrastre Trail Camp. Got to 8676' and stayed above 8000' today. Many hikers out. Lots of snowy patches but still very hot.
5/5/09- Happy Cinqo de Maio 9.4 miles; 2927' of total elevation gained; end point: Big Bear City. Easiest day of hiking but still took 6 hrs. Got a ride into town.
5/6/09 Zero day Going to Big Bear Lake to pick up mead- lots of hikers know me for my mead and now they can get a little taste. Going to KMart to get a new tracphone (see 5/1/09 about the phones 'journey')
5/7/09 Zero day- Went to the Big Bear City Lions Club meeting.
5/8/09 9.2 miles; 2462' of total elevation gained; end point: a little past Dusen Rd. A lot of hikers and they all passsed me. There were a few that were slack packing heading south. It was in the 30's last night and was very hot during the day. There was a rest stop with most of the water supply for horses and a handicap bathroom (4 walls and no roof)
5/9/09 17 miles; 2497' of total elevation gained; end point: Holcomb Creek. Overlooking Big Bear Lake from trail. There were some trees (finally) so I took off the long sleeves and changed the pants to shorts, put on some sunscreen and stated hiking in some wonderful shade. Not long after hiking in the trees there was a burnt out area which went on for the rest of the day. This area was burnt out from ~2 yrs. ago. It was a long hot hike.
5/10/09 15.4 miles; 2,812' of total elevation gained; end point: hot springs (not a town just an area with hot springs) After a long hot day of hiking the hot springs were a welcome treat for aching muscles. The trail was hot and shadeless. A few hundred feet down from the trail was a nice creek which was inaccessible to hikers... it just teased us all day long. Saw the Mojave Dam but there wasn't any water visible. A lot of hikers (probably a few dozen) camped at the hot springs.
5/11/09 16.8 miles; 2386' of total elevation gained; end point: near route 173. Long, hot day of hiking. There was a fjord that I thought was waist deep but was only thigh deep. Went for a swim then rested in the water for a bit which felt good.
5/12/09 15.2 miles; 2473' of total elevation gained; end point: Cajon Pass. Another hot and dry day of hiking. Got a ride into Rightwood to get some dinner. Watched the Celt's and Bruin's games.
5/13/09 7.6 miles; 3192' of total elevation gained; end point: 1 mile before Mt Boden Powell. Hot, uphill hike today. Up to an elevation of 9400'! Had to melt snow for water as there was no water source available for many miles. Tomorrow will bring a large amount of snow pack.
5/14/09 18.6 miles; 4234' of total elevation gained; end point: Sulthor Spring Camp. 14 hours of hiking!!! A lot of snow. Elevation- 9400'. We kept losing the trail so we would follow the footprints in the snow... and learned that those people didn't know where they were going either! We did find our way back to the trail. Got a ride to the Newcombs Ranch Restaurant and watched some of the Celt's game (missed the end of that game because the ride was going back to the campsite- perhaps a good thing to miss that ending!) Bruin's game was not televised there. Unfortunately I will not be able to see a Bruin's game again until next season.
5/15/09 14.8 miles; 3776' of total elevation gained; end point: 2 miles past Mill Creek Summit. Hot day with shady spots here and there. A few snakes in the trail. One of the hikers was handling a snake (not a rattler). He knows a lot about snakes. Had to carry some extra water for the last few miles to make sure there was enough for tomorrow.
5/16/09 19.9 miles; 2785' of total elevation gained; end point: Mattox Canyon Creek. At the ranger station we saw a fire starting, the rangers said it was 6 miles from the trail and it was only an acre. Soon after we saw the helicopter fly by and heard over the radio it was 6 acres. They got it under control pretty quick. At 6pm there was no water at the water source but 8pm the water was flowing through there so we were able to get some water for tomorrow.
Pictures have been uploaded onto the website!!! Please check them out on the following pages: Southern California, Creatures from the Trail, and Lions Club Visits.
5/17/09 14.8 miles, 3835' of total elevation gained, end point: Agua Deluce. Met some day hikers- Mike, Carol and their dog Shadow. Another 3 H day- HOT, HOT, HOT. I missed the water source so by the time I arrived in town I was very thirsty. Staying at Hiker Heaven, Saufleys. It is a very nice place. They do the laundry for the hikers. It is just out of town but they had bikes the hikerscould use to ride into town.
5/18/09 Zero Day
5/19/09 16.8 miles, 4993' of total elevation gained, end point: Oasis Cache. At the cache there was a cooler full of soda, beer and water. Another hot day. Met a hiker from Newton- Wild Child and her boyfriend. At midnight some hikers went to the cache but didn't bring any beer back for me!
5/20/09 15 miles, 3707' of total elevation gained, end point: Red Carpet Cache. Hot day in the 90's. Developing some blisters on the feet and some sore toes also. Trying to nurse them a little bit today. Lots of mosqitoes in the evening.
5/21/09 12.2 miles, 4288' of total elevation gained, end point: Saw Mill Campground. There were a couple of interesting caves. Went into one and tried to get some pictures. Only a few hikers passed me today. Water sources were scarce.
5/22/09 19.8 miles, 4882' of total elevation gained, end point: Hikertown Hostel. Saw another rattler- didn't see him until I heard him rattle in the nearby bush. Hikertown Hostel is done up like a western town and lots of old buildings. Going to stay here a few days to let the feet heal and then will get a ride into town to pick up the package with the new, better fitting (hopefully) shoes.
5/22-25/09 Staying in Hikertown. Got the new shoes. Had a delicious steak dinner.
5/25/09 Happy Memorial Day! Got a ride to Mojave. Had to hike 1 mile to get to the hotel (a very hot hike) At the hotel the rest of the hikers were staying there.
5/26-28/09 Hitched out of Mojave to Bishop, took bus from Bishop to Reno, then another bus from Reno to Truckee, CA
5/29/09 Hitched to Sierraville hotel/motel. Had to hike a few miles to get the key. A woman in the bar offered the back yard to tent in and fed me dinner.
5/30/09 9.5 miles, 2480' of total elevation gained, end point: Mt Pleasant. Went to Quincy library in search of a book with information about this part of the trail. It wasn't there. Continued on to Buck's Lake and then to Mt. Pleasant. There was snow across the trail and I lost the trail. There were no other hikers.
5/31/09 11.5 miles, 1296' of total elevation gained, end point: Belden Festival (last day of the festival) Tried to hitch back to Quincy. A state trooper stopped and offered a ride once his shift was finished if I still needed one. An hour later I still had not gotten a ride so the trooper drove me back to Quincy.
6/1/09 15.5 miles, 5286' of total elevation gained, end point: unknown (still do not have a trail map for this area) Long uphill hike, up to over 7000'.
6/2/09 19.5 miles, 2683' of total elevation gained, end point: ???, near rt 6. More snow on the ground. Rainy day with thunderstorms.
6/3/09 16 miles, 2369' of total elevation gained, end point: 1 mile past Domingo Spring. Finally got a good map at a rangers station. No snow today. More showers and thunderstorms. Lots of squirrels and chipmunks.
6/4/09 16.2 miles, 3596' of total elevation gained, end point: Warner Valley Campground. Saw Terminal Geyser and Boiling Spring Lake which was boiling. Saw the usual little critters and deer which look different here. Called in to the Middleton Lions meeting and talk to everyone.
6/5/09 14.2 miles, 1706' of total elevation gained, end point: Badger Flat. It rained all day and rained all night- it was quite wet. More deer today.
6/6/09 11.6 miles, 646' of total elevation gained, end point: Old Station. Cloudy and cool. Downhill hiking. Saw some deer, small animals and a lizards. Staying at Dennis and Georgi Heitman's treehouse. Lots of lava rock.
6/7/09 13 miles, 1578' of total elevation gained, end point: 13 miles past Old Station. Passed lots of cow fields. The cows were interested in me until I got closer to them then they moved away. Cow poop everywhere. More lava rock. Subway cave near trail- went into the cave.
6/8/09 17 miles, 1565' of total elevation gained, end point: 6 miles past rt 22. Trail was hard to follow at times in the open areas. there were a few burnt out areas which meant no shade. Saw hawks and the usual small critters. Cache 22 had beer and lots of water. Had to carry extra water from there because of the limited water sources ahead.
6/9/09 16 miles, 1467' of total elevation gained, end point: 2 miles past rt 299. Took a tour of Crystal Lake State Fish Hatchery. Good weather today. Saw more of the usual small critters. More burnt out areas. Saw a family of deer. The buck had a big velvet rack.
6/10/09 6 miles, 892' of total elevation gained, end point: Burney Falls State Park. Wet hiking terrain as it rained last night. Saw a big furry animal about the size of Shadow (my family dog) Toured the falls. Enjoying beer and ice cream at the Charm Motel. Staying in Burney for a Lions meeting tomorrow night.
6/11/09 Burney Lions meeting. They had installation of new members tonight and the installing officer was the wife of IPDG (immediate past distict governor) and is a member of the club I will be visiting in a few weeks. Called in to the North Shore Brewers meeting and talked to several members.
6/12/09 13.3 miles, 3609' of total elevation gained, end point: Pevine Creek. Rain at night. Lost the trail a few times.
6/13/09 15.6 miles, 3829' of total elevation gained, end point: Moose Head Spring. Saw abear within 20' of me. Met hiker Billy Goat who is known for hiking the trail. Also met Colonel and 14'er (Colonel's son)
6/14/09 Happy Flag Day! 15.4 miles, 3671' total elevation gained, end point: Deer Creek. Rain at night. While crossingsome snow slipped and fell about 40' and ripped open my right hand. Tried to clean it out. Colonel and 14'er ame along and had some stuff and cleaned it out and bandaged it up.
6/15/09 21 miles, 3688' of total elevation gained, end point: Squaw Valley Creek. Walking more than plane to try to get to town in case I need the hand looked at. No rain at night. There was a deer about 20' away. Hikers going north must have gone off trail to get water because I never saw them again.
6/16/09
6/17/09 8.8 miles, 2457' of total elevation gained, end point: North Fork Tributary.Got a late start after shopping in town this morning. day hikers only today. Saw 2 young school teachers at the camp.
6/18/09 21.6 miles 5794' of total elevation gained, end point: Rd40N30. Early start- 6:00 am. No hikers and not expecting to see any for a while.
6/19/09 17.6 miles, 3602' of total elevation gained, end point: 2 miles past Rd 40N17. Beautiful weather and temps. Osprey fishing. Day hikers out today. Burnt my fingers while cooking.
6/20/09 19.4 miles, 1772' of total elevation gained, end point: Hwy 3 campground. Pouring out- rain, hail, thunder and lightening. No hikers. Great views along the ridges
6/21/09 in tent until 10AM. Got ride into Etna, CA
6/22/09 20 miles, 3867' of total elevation gained, end point: Forest Highway
6/23/09 20.4 miles, 4336' of total elevation gained, end point: Etna Summit, CA. Called Steve Robeson a few hours before I was supposed to get to the trail head to meet him for a ride to Etna. I continued hiking and came across a lot of snow and lost the trail. I got to the trail head an hour late.
6/24/09 Zero day in Etna, CA
6/25/09 Went to Medford, OR for a few hours to visit brother Bob for lunch. Went to the Etna, CA Lions meeting tonight.
6/26/09 14.4 miles, 3356' of total elevation gained, end point: Fisher Lake. Saw a doe with 1-2 day old fawn. 4 hikers today
6/27/09 15 miles, 4664' of total elevation gained, end point: Paradise Lake. may weekend hikers. There was a burn crew doing a controlled burn. A worker had to escort hikers through the burn area.
6/28/09 19.8 miles, 3009' of total elevation gained, end point: Grider Creek Campgrounds. Still lot of weekend hikers and maintenance trail crews.
6/29/09 6 miles, 768' of total elevation gained, end point: Siead Valley Campground Long road walk. Buck with velvet rack.
6/30/09 26.6 miles, 6328' total elevation gained, end point: Bearground Spring
Two south bound hikers and lots of deer
7/1/09 22.8 miles, 4905' total ellevation gained, end point: Mount Ashland Campground. Talked to many day hikers and section hikers. Still lots of deer.
7/2/09 8.8 miles, 826' total elevation gained, end point: Ashland. Brother Bob picked me up to stay at his home in Jacksonville OR for the weekend. Went to Jacksonville OR Lions Club meeting.
7/3/09 -7/5/09 0 days. Time with brother Bob
7/6/09 - 7/10/09 Lions International Convention in Minneapolis
7/7/09 International Show featuring The Beach Boys. See photos on Lions International Convention page
7/8/09 Opening Plenary Session with keynote adddress by former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
7/9/09 River boat ride on the Minneapolis Queen. Mayor Ramond Thomas Rybak Jr. stopped to talk to Karen and me about his city.
7/10/09 Voting for international officers, directors and amendments. Back to brother Bob's at Jacksonville OR.
7/11/09 Waiting for PCT Atlas. Not in today. Will check PO on Monday.Checked on bus for Manning Park BC Canada. Bus leaves Medford OR every day at 6:35 am.
7/12/09 0 day at brother Bob's
7/13/09 Went to Crater Lake. 6 PCT miles along Crater Lake Rim with breathtaking views. PCT Atlas still not here.
7/14/09 0 day again. Watched AL win all-star game again. Will go to Canada at 6:30 am 7/15/09
7/15/09 On to Canada, 21hrs. by bus. Bus was full so I got a ticket for 7/16/09 I should be back on the trail friday 7/17/09 Brother Bob and I spoke with my niece Lauren, who is in Africa, via webcam.
7/17/09 After 21 hours and 4 buses I got into Manning Park, Canada at 3:30 AM. I got to the trail and hiked to Hopkins Pass, WA, 15.4 miles, 5916' of total elevation gained. Only 8 miles of hike was in Canada but did get to see a "Canadian deer". While in the tent tonight, there was a lot of noise outside. When I went outside there was a big 10 point buck without velvet. No time to get a picture before he took off.
7/18/09 7/20/09 11.6 miles, 3084' of total elevation gained, end point: Homan Pass. Good level campsite tonight.
7/19/09 16.8 miles, 4793' of total elevation gained, end point: Jeep Rd. Found out this morning that the trail that I just came from was just closed because of fires. Saw whistling marmots (beaverlike creature). A lot of day hikers and a lot of hikers with dogs today.
7/20/09 14.8 miles, 2041' of total eleation gained, end point: Golden Creek. Bunch of marmots and few deer. Several day hikers.
7/21/09 17.4 miles, 4537' of total elevation gained, end point: Copper Pass Trail. Lots of day hikers and bikers. Washington continues to have some of the most amazing views.
7/22/09 17.6 miles, 3061' of total elevation gained, end point: Coon Lake. Day hikers and 2 equestrians.
7/23/09 1.2 miles, 85' of total elevation gained, Stehekin. Took bus to get to town. The only way to get to town is bus from the trail and plane or boat from anywhere else. Staying at the ranch tonight where they offer 3 all you can eat meals as part of the rate (a hikers delight)
7/24/09 Zero day
7/25/09 9.2 miles, 3058' of total elevation gained, end point: Spruce Creek. Section hikers and 1 ranger. Parts of the trail were closed and re-routed. Rain and thunder throughout the day.
7/26/09 5.8 miles, 2717'of total elevation gained, end point: ? Dried stuff out this morning but then there was lots of high brush that was still very wet on the trail and I got soaked again.
7/27/09 12.8 miles, 4196' of total elevation gained, end point: 2 miles into detour. Lost the trail in the snow and it took 1 1/2 hrs to find it again. Lots of snow packs and flies. The flies are like house flies and their bite hurts a lot.
7/28/09 14.5 miles, 3018' of total elevation gained, end point: ?, in detour. Lots of hikers and flies. Very steep with more snow pack. 3 areas where avalanches had been and there were a lot of trees down.
7/29/09 11.5 miles, 1682' of total elevation gained, end point: Forest St. bypass. Highway walking. Staying in Leavenworth, a Bavarian village.
7/30/09 Zero day in Skykomish to get mail drop. Stayed at Dinsmore's River Haven.
7/31/09 9.2 miles, 2654' of total elvation gained, end point: Mig Lake. Lots of mosquitos. Day and section hikers.
8/1/09 15.2 miles, 3789' of total elevation gained, end point: Deception Creek. Met a German hiker who live in the US now. Lots of day and weekend hikers.
8/2/09 15.2 miles, 3399' of total elevation gained, end point: ? Stream. Lots of week and weekend hikers.
8/3/09 18.2 miles, 3760' of total elevation gained, end point: Leman Meadow Trail. Lots of week and weekend hikers. 4 horses with 2 people. 1 horse was loaded with gear. They were probably maintaining the trail.
8/4/09 15.4 miles, 4688' of total elevation gained, end point: Ridge Lake. Started with ford of stream. Week hikers, still no thru hikers. Very rocky, horses can't pass through this part of the trail.
8/5/09 11.4 miles, 2136' of total elevation gained, end point: Snoqualmie Pass. A lot of day hikers. Watched the Sox tonight.
8/6/09 14.8 miles, 3832' of total elevation gained, end point: Stirrup Creek. cloudy and cool. Met Scott Williamson- a thru hiker attempting to hike the trail in its entirety in 65 days. This was day 59. (he did complete his journey in 65 days... a new record!!!)
8/7/09 14.4 miles, 4124' of total elevation gained, end point: Sheets Pass. Foggy and cool. Section hikers throughout the day.
8/8/09 13.2 miles, 4677' of total elevation gained, end point Road 7038. Foggy and lots of huckleberries. Saw a bear hunter (bear season started 8/1)
8/9/09 8.4 miles, 1207' of total elevation gained, end point: Camp Urich Shelter. Foggy day. Was finally able to dry out. Fireplace, food and beer at the shelter.
8/10/09 13.2 miles, 3127' of total elevation gained, end point: Scout Pass. Saw deer, a big duck, smal animals, and some section hikers. Saw an elk at camp. No fog or rain today.
8/11/09 10.2 miles, 2264' of total elevation gained, end point: Chanook Pass. Fog and rain returns. Many section hikers. A lot of knee pain today. Heading into Packwood to get shoes. Foggy conditions kept me from seeing what are supposed to be amazing views.
8/12-14/09 Zero days in Packwood.
8/15/09 11.5 miles, 3465' of total elevation gained, end point: Tieton Pass. Marments, day and thru hikers today.
8/16/09 11.2 miles, 4413' of total elevation gained, end point: Cispus River. lots of hikers and marments. Narrow rocky trail and a snow crossing. Met a hiker with 4 pac goats. There were wild goats at camp.
8/17/09 19.6 miles, 3245' of total elevation gained, end point: Midway Creek. Many hikers- day, section and thru. LOTS of bugs!!!
8/18/09 12.5 miles, 3186' of total elevation gained, end point: Lewis River. Lots of hikers, 2 horses. Tough ford.
8/19/09 13 miles, 1732' of total elevation gained, end point: Trout Lake. Lots of day, section and thru hikers. Got a ride into town to goto post office.
8/20/09 10.2 miles, 8851' of total elevation gained, end point: Road 8851. Had huckleberry pancakes for breakfast. Saw some thruhikers.
8/21/09 13.4 miles, 3710' of total elevation gained, end point: Blue Lake. Thru hikers and horses today. Had some huckleberries and blueberries.
8/22/09 13.2 miles, 1631' of total elevation gained, end point: Camp. A lot of hikers. Heatf from Australia- talked with him for a while.
8/23/09 11.4 miles, 1614' of total elevation gained, end point: Pampered Creek Campground. Met some thru hikers who hiked the AT last year but I never met them last year.
8/24/09 5 miles, then got a ride to Hood River.
8/25/09 Zero day in Hood River. Attended the Hood River Lions Club meeting.
8/26/09 12.5 miles, 2165' of total elevation gained, end point: Rock Bound Creek. Thru hikers and day hikers. Took the Eagle Creek Trail- an alternate route which is more scenic (recommended by many hikers)
8/27/09 17.6 miles, 5105' of total elevation gained, end point: Salvation Spring Camp. Day and thru hikers. Lots of berries- Blueberries, raspberries and huckleberries. Had views of Mt Adams, Mt St. Helene, and Mt Renier.
8/28/09 12.4, 2838' of total elevation gained, end point: Scout Camp. Many hikers. 2 good views of Mt Hood and Rimona Falls.
8/29/09 11 miles, 4553' of total elevation gained, end point after Timberline Campsite Lodge. Foggy day. Saw many hikers and stopped to talk to them. Had all you can eat buffet at Timberline Lodge. Saw a HUGE red and blue huckleberry field.
8/30/09 22.6 miles, 2857' of total elevation gained, end point: 1 mile past Rd 36. Lots of hikers, including weekend hikers. Met thru hikers that I met in Southern Cali.
8/31/09 20.4 miles, 3999' of total elevation gained, end point: Trooper Springs. Met thru hiker Ancient Brit who is doing the trail for the 3rd time. 4 hikers were trying to get 50 miles in today
9/1/09 17.2 miles, 3799' of total elevation gained, end point: Skyline Rd. Met a bunch of section and thru hikers I have met before. Met Rick who lives in Sisters who will pick me up when I get there and offer a place to stay.
9/2/09 17.4 miles, 4380' of total elevation gained, end point: Shale Lake. More section and thru hikers. Sunny with good views. Lost 1 water bottle when crossing Russell Creek and cut water supply in 1/2. Lots of lava rock. Saw 4 trail maintenance workers.
9/3/09 18.8 miles, 4551' of total elevation gained, end point: Summit Lake. Cold, wet miserable start then it was nice out. 3 thru hikers, 3 days hikers who gave me a water bottle. Saw a hiker with 2 dogs
9/4/09 4 miles, 161' of total elevation gained, end point: Highway 20. Several weekend hikers. Hiked through a burnt out section from fires in '93. Got a ride into Sisters.
9/5/09 15.4 miles, 2306' of total elevation gainied, end point: Scott Pass. Rainy day. 8 horses came by the site. Several section hikers. Tough hiking through lava fields.
9/6/09 12.4 miles, 1623' of total elevation gained, end point: Hwy 242. Hiked up a bit- cold and rainy. Reports of ice and snow ahead. Headed back to Sisters because I have no warm clothes.
9/7/09 Zero day in Sisters
9/8/09 14.3 miles, 1847' of total elevation gained, end point: campsite. Sunny and cool. Met 2 thru hikers I met in Southern California.
9/9/09 20.2 miles, 3182' of total elevation gained, end point: Summit Lake. Met a pair of section hikers doing Oregon setion and a pair hiking Mt Whitney to Mt McKenzie (1/2 the trail). Lots of blueberries but no huckleberries.
9/10/09 18.2 miles, 3816'of total elevation gained, end point: Tolo Camp. 3 section hikers. Sunny day. Spooked a bear and saw a deer.
9/11/09 17.4 miles, 3674' of total elevation gained, end point: Phielso Creek. No hikers. Dull day. Got up to 7560'. Record heat- 97 degees.
9/12/09 24.7 miles, 3554' of total elevation gained, end point: Crater Lake. Tons of day hikers. Very hot today. Awesome lightening and thunder display followed by rain. They may have caused some fires in the distance.
9/13/09 11.1 miles, 2370' of total elevation gained, end point: Mazama Village (part of Crate Lake). Day hikers. Awesome views. Rain and lightening again.
9/14/09 17.2 miles, 3077' of total elevation gained, end point: mid-fork basin trail. Large burnt out area from last year. 3 dayhikers, 1 section hiker, 2 horses with 1 rider. Cool weather today.
9/15/09 16.8 miles, 3661' of total elevation gained, end point: Red Lake. The day started at 36 degrees. 4 section hikers. Watched a work crew taking out a tree as I ate lunch.
9/16/09 18.6 miles, 2047' of total elevation gained, end point: Fish Lake. 40 degrees to start day.Saw 2 bear cubs but no sign of momma bear. Met a ranger who said they were last years cubs. Water source was brown because they were working on it upstream.
9/17/09 12.2 miles, 2541' of total elevation gained, end point: Brown Mtn Shelter. Early day- no water source. Warm day with no hikers. Lots of little animals. Hiked through rocky lava fields.
9/18/09 21 miles, 4035' of total elevation gained, end point: Hyatt Lake. Before sunrise I saw 3 fawns and 1 doe. No other hikers today. Saw 4 horses with a dog behind them. The horse riders did not know the dog. I almost stepted on a small snake about 2 feet long.
9/19/09 15.4 miles, 3848' of total elevation gained, end point: ?. I saw two small does. 4 horses and riders at a trail head getting ready for a ride.
9/20/09 9.4 miles, 1434' total elevation gained, end point: Callahans Restaurant. Rain all night and fog in am. Clear by 9 am. Saw one jack rabbit. Brother Bob picked me up at Callahans. The hike is over!!! I will be home 10/1/09 after some r&r.
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