Day 113 to 127: One state, a giant barbecue and hordes of mosquitoes.
Day 113
26 July 2019
Mi 1718.6 - 1724.4
I left Ashland at 2pm and got an Uber to the trailhead. Hitchhiking is great but sometimes you just need something fast and reliable. Just a few miles from Ashland a wildfire started around 10am and the smoke quickly reached Ashland. This was my first time hiking in smoke and it’s the absolute worst. Constant thirst, taste of ash and reduced visibility were on the menu for today. It felt like being near a giant barbecue but one without meat and every time you step away from it it follows you.
I soon realized packing food for 245 miles was a big mistake. My pack has never been heavier making every step harder. I called it a day just a few miles in, trying to eat as much as possible since the weight is really slowing me down.
Day 114
27 July 2019
Mi 1724.4 - 1750.4
More smoke today even though it’s not as bad as yesterday. My pack is still incredibly heavy. I don’t know what I was thinking back in Ashland.
I found a nice established campground and decided to stop there for the night, surrounded by day hikers and weekend campers.
Day 115
28 July 2019
Mi 1750.4 - 1785
Once again and it’s seems to be the theme so far my pack is slowing me down. My shoulders are taking a beating and I’m not doing as many miles as I’d like.
Oregon is known for its mosquitoes and I’m starting to realize it’s not a myth. Literal clouds of them are following me as I hike making breaks not enjoyable so I just keep going trying to outpace them. Mosquitoes can go at about 3.5mph which is just a tiny bit more than my average pace.
I settled on a campsite near a lake which I quickly regretted since it turned out to be a mosquito stronghold. I set up my tent in record time feeling like one of those F1 pit stop crew member.
Day 116
29 July 2019
Mi 1785 - 1820
My pack is finally feeling normal again. The great mosquito war of 2019 is still raging though. DEET is ineffective against them so I just use my rain gear and sweat profusely. I reached Crater lake resort at 8pm which consists of a cafeteria and a small store and serves as a getaway for visitors to the Crater Lake National Park.
I shared a campsite with other PCT hikers and went to sleep quickly, exhausted after a day of fighting off hordes of mosquitoes.
Day 117
30 July 2019
Mi 1820 - 1856
Crater lake was beautiful! It’s apparently a collapsed volcanoe turned lake which sounds weird but it was really nice. There was tons of tourists and day hikers on trail which was a bit overwhelming at times but worth it in the end.
I met a day hiker and when he figured out I was from France he thanked me for the Tour de France. I obviously have nothing to do with the Tour but was happy to take credit for it.
Day 118
31 July 2019
Mi 1856 - 1890
Another standard day on trail. I woke up at the usual 7am and was on trail at 8am until 9:30pm. I’ve been hiking with Sherpa, a hiker from Israel living in Germany now. He’s really nice and we have the same pace so it works out great.
Day 119
1 August 2019
Mi 1890 - 1925
I hiked 17 miles before 1pm to reach Shelter Cove resort, a resort just 1.5 miles off the PCT. I got some hot food and beers with other hikers and was back on trail at 2:30pm. The trail doesn’t wait!
I set up quickly fighting off mosquitoes, looking forward to taking a zero in Bend in a couple of days.
Day 120
2 August 2019
Mi 1925 - 1957.2
Not much happened today. I took a nice midday break with Sherpa and camped at a pretty incredible spot with a view of the Sisters wilderness.
Day 121
3 August 2019
Mi 1957.2 - 1983.2
I reached McKenzie pass at 3pm looking to hitch into Bend for a zero, get new shoes and eat hot food. The hitch was a long one (1h15) and fortunately I got picked up by an incredibly nice local and had a really engaging conversation about America, PTSD and cannabis for the entire ride. She was a veteran and had really insightful anecdotes about her life in the military and the impact it had on her.
After she dropped me off I got new shoes. I have been wearing the same pair for 1300 miles now which is way more than what is usually recommended for trail runners (about 500 miles).
I then headed to my favorite grocery store in America, Market of choice and got some actual cheese and bread. On my way out someone noticed I was a PCT hiker and offered to pay for whatever I wanted inside the store! He came back a little later with two slices of pizza and some strawberries. He didn’t ask for anything in return and was on his way before I could blink. The people in Oregon and particularly Bend are so nice it feels surreal. I got stopped twice in the street vu people interested in my hike. It’s just great.
Day 122
4 August 2019
Just a rest day in Bend. My motel was within walking distance of a Chipotle and Five guys so I stuffed myself with copious amount of food there.
Day 123
5 August 2019
Mi 1983.1 - 1997.1
I left Bend 1pm and was on trail again happy to tackle the last part of Oregon. The first few miles were on lava rocks, not the best but having new shoes made a big difference. It’s like I have actual shoes and soles now!
I reached Big lake youth camp towards the end of the afternoon. It’s a religious summer camp that has a very sweet setup for hikers with a building dedicated to us with laundry machines, running water, showers and toilets. All that for free! I got a (free) copious dinner and was on my way after that. It was nice but also very overwhelming. Everyone doing the summer camp was so loud and screaming and clapping every time they entered a room it was a little weird I must say. They were high on the Yes Life I guess.
Day 124
6 August 2019
Mi 1997.1 - 2033.7
My first thunderstorm on the PCT, it didn’t last long but hailed like crazy for a while. After an hour it was back to sunny weather.
I reached my campsite at 9pm and proceeded to cook some food like I rarely do. Well as I was draining excess water out of my rice I dumped everything on the ground inadvertently. I took that as a sign to go to sleep and headed into my tent angry at myself and my pot for ruining what I was looking forward to during the entire last half of my day.
On the bright side though it seems like the great mosquito war of 2019 might be over, fingers crossed.
Day 125
7 August 2019
Mi 2033.7 - 2065.1
12 miles in my day I reached Olalie resort just 0.1 miles off the PCT, I had to stop! I got a fresh coke and some crisps and just like that 15 minutes later I was back on trail.
I camped near a creek just short of my goal for the day since there wasn’t another campsite for another 10 miles. Sometimes shorter days aren’t too bad.
Day 126
8 August 2019
Mi 2065.1 - 2102.6
I’ve been pretty lazy when it comes to waking up lately and today was no different. I was on trail by 7:45am and got into a nice rhythm quickly.
At around 10 I think I met a Southbounder named “Blue” taking portraits of thru hiker. Before I could blink he snapped a quick picture, gave me his website and was on his way. You can check out his work at https://milesformoments.com.
As I was about to settle on a spot for my first break of the day I got some trail magic! A seven up and some candies later I was already back on trail though, if I want to finish by August 25 which is my current goal I can’t really afford to take long breaks. Before leaving I had a nice conversation with a French thru hiker going south who despite some medical issues was super pumped to be on trail.
At 6:30 pm I passed by a ski resort which happens to have a bar where they make good pizza. It also served as the outdoor set for The Shining!
I reconnected with Sherpa whom I hadn’t seen in a few days. Instead of stopping in Bend like I did he pushed forward and took a zero at this resort instead. Two pizzas and an IPA later I was back on trail to tackle another 5 miles before setting up camp. The last hour or so reminded me of why I hate to night hike, it’s much more boring and injury prone due to random rocks and tree roots. It’s just not worth it.
Day 127
9 August 2019
Mi 2102.6 - 2147.5
My longest day on the PCT yet at 44.9 miles or 72.26 km.
I really wanted to reach the end of Oregon before the 10th so I hiked the last 10miles in the dark and in the rain but it was worth it. Surprisingly my body didn’t hurt that much, it was more the lack of sleep that got to me during the last 2 hours. But I pushed through and reached Cascade locks at 11:30pm. I went to sleep at the public campground happy to be done with another state, Oregon!