This is the first chance we’ve had todo a shake down this trip. We had to switch out a bit of gear that wasn’t working for us and buy some new items. As a result, we needed to send a package home. The plan was to stop by the PO on the way to the trailhead. The post office opens at 8:30. That’s the plan. I stuck to it. Solely. All alone. The only one. Even Bear slept late today.
Jenny got up and took Lexi for her 5 mile run before any of the rest of the party got up. Jenny and Lexi do more before breakfast than most Americans do all day. I was up for first shot at porcelain and coffee (in that order which is a reversal of the natural order of things). John made coffee for all of us. I forgot to mention barista in John’s repertoire, he has an espresso machine and does pour over drip coffee as requested. While we were sitting at the kitchen counter talking, everyone woke up and trickled in. John prepared breakfast while we all talked.
John and Jenny have done and continue to do so much. Pretty soon, between the stories of adventures and ease of conversation, we’d lost track of time. John took Bear and me out to the garage and showed us a 4# inflatable kayak he had just gotten. Then we saw all the other outdoor gear: snowshoes, cross country skis, mountain bikes, road bikes, big wheel bikes, camping gear, VW camping van, Ford camper—an outdoor adventurer’s dream room. Yada, yada, yada, we made it to the Post Office around 11.
Jenny dropped us off at the trailhead where John picked us up just under two days ago. It was hot. We weren’t expecting this hot in the Oregon mountains. It was so hot, it scared the piss out of all of us…literally. Once all of that was taken care of, we finally started hiking.
I like Oregon, but I’m getting tired of burned forests. This is the 4th day in a row that we’ve spent in burned areas. When the trees get a bit older, we can find some shade, but that can take decades. We’re burning up now. The soil is so dry and fine, that it penetrates through EVERY article of clothing. When we take off our socks at the end of the day, it doesn’t even look like we were wearing anything on our feet. They are so dirty. I wear long pants because of the sun and mosquitoes, but my legs are just as dirty as Bunny’s.
Water was also at a premium today. We only had one identified source along the trail. We had prepared for this, but we passed some nobo hikers who told us they didn’t see any water, but they weren’t looking for any since they were carrying a gallon each. Guthook has been pretty reliable for us so we weren’t overly concerned.
Sassy was the first to notice the depression to the left of the trail. It was a small hole in the middle of a small meadow. I went over to check if there was water and a snake got scared and try to slither away. Bunny got more scared and ran faster than any snake could hope to move. I tried to get Bunny to stand near the hole so I could take a picture, but it’s easier to get a cat to do tricks than get Bunny to move into an area where a snake was spotted.
Bear and I were delegated to dipping water out of the hole. While I was dipping, the snake came back and got back in the water. When he saw me, he dove under water but couldn’t hold his breath until I was done so he charged at me to get out of the water (I was dipping from the low spot). I just let him pass then continued dipping hoping not to scoop up any of the other water creatures present. It was not an ideal spot, but on a hot dry day, any water is good water.
We had identified a couple of camping spots ahead and decided on the first spot. In the comments of Guthook, this was the campsite on the edge of the lava field we will be crossing tomorrow. It was also in a saddle with a bit of protection from the west. As we dropped down, we could see we’d hit the jackpot. The campsite was right up to the edge of a lava wall, but there were lots of living trees to provide shelter.
We set up our tents, then I pulled a few logs in for us to sit on while we prepared and ate supper. It has been a full day with a late start yet we still managed to get 12 miles in. I think we might all be getting stronger. It won’t be much longer before our group turns into a threesome when I can no longer keep up. They won’t even remember me. I am Easily Forgotten.
EFG