I’ll admit, I was tired after yesterday’s events, but I still managed to lay awake a bit and worry about what was in store for us today. We camped in the shadow of a Three Fingered Jack last night, and there’s quite a bit of snow on the side facing us. I know Bunny wants an easy day and I can’t help but visualize watching Bunny, Bear, and Sassy plummet to their deaths. I may be Easily Forgotten, but I am the designated survivor.
We got another taste of mosquitoes this morning having camped between a couple of mountain ponds. I didn’t want to scare Bear and Sassy, I just smiled to myself when they said the mosquitoes were bad. Actually, my inner voice was a diabolical, knowing laugh. Which one will break first in the onslaught that is to be. My money is on…Bunny.
Get this, I was awoke by a runner on the trail just after first light. Let me repeat. A runner at first light, nearly 10 miles from the nearest parking lot. At least I hope it was a runner and not a hiker that had an unexpected Bigfoot encounter. Bigfoot are real and the best practitioners of LNT (Leave No Trace). The scariest part of Bigfoot LNT practices is that they steal hikers tp and eat it after using it (they aren’t as flexible as dogs). Do not, under any circumstances, kiss a Bigfoot no matter how charming they seem.
All that worry for naught. Even after quizzing an early hiker who said “I sure wouldn’t want to be heading up the direction you are,” we were confident. We kind of discounted him since he was planning to hike a half mile off trail to get water when we were standing between two pee-warm ponds. The hike up to the pass was not bad and the only snow we encountered were a few small patches under tree cover. A local couple with a dog had told us we’d have no problems with 2 hiking poles each. Everyone knows, dog owners are trustworthy.
The few patches of snow we encountered on Jack’s backside were obviously melting fast. We could tell from the mud and moisture around the snow patches that just a few days ago, the snow must have covered the trail. As it was, we could walk around most patches. We saw the couple with the dog taking a snack on the side of the trail. We thanked them for the info and proceeded off the trail behind them to have a snack with a tremendous view out over the western range of the Cascades.
We had told John and Jenny that we would be at the trailhead by 4p. We knew this would be no problem at all when we started encountering elderly hikers without hiking poles. Several days ago, when we had nearly lost Dancing Dog, I asked DD if the trail was what she had expected. She said she had imagined walking through mountain meadows filled with wild flowers. I suppose we might have oversold the “Oregon is flat” concept. Oregon is flat compared to California and Washington since 2000’ climbs are the exception rather than 4000’ climbs the norm. Climbing twice the height of the Sears Tower (what you talking ‘bout, Willis Tower) every day can still be daunting to fresh lowlander legs.
The final 3 miles today would have been what DD had been expecting and wanting. Granted, it was a burn area, but the burn had probably been over a decade ago because new trees were sprouting with some almost 10’ tall. There were still plenty of standing dead trees (and several fallen trees which we had to climb over). The absence of tree canopy allows light down to the ground. Flowers are the first to sprout after a burn which help stabilize top soil so trees can eventually take back over. Burns are part of the cycle of life. I just don’t like seeing so many of them.
EFG