PCT Mile 1679.2 to 1702.6

Miles Hiked = 23.4

As I mentioned in the last post, I had a little thunder and rain late yesterday afternoon and into the early evening. It was a nice change in the weather pattern – especially since I had already set up my tent!

As I started hiking this morning, I noted that there were a few high clouds but no indication of any more rain. Yeah!

As I started hiking this morning the California-Oregon border was only a little over twelve miles away. I was excited to be “finishing” California as that was my primary goal when I started this hike in Sierra City thirty days ago. I was also looking forward to meeting Donna in Ashland in a couple days.

I enjoyed the early morning expansive views of the most Northern California countryside along the PCT. That’s fog down in the valley below.

As I hiked on towards Oregon, it occurred to me that the landscape was slowly changing – more open meadows, fewer rugged mountain peaks, less elevation change along the trail and possibly even more colorful wildflowers.

Four miles into my hike this morning I stopped and collected some water at the Alex Hole Spring – it was about 75 yards down from the trail.

I continued hiking and enjoyed more colorful flowers along the trail.

I passed by a large campsite that was near a dirt road – possible a hunter’s campsite – and then immediately passed by an outdoor “open-air” toilet right alongside the PCT. I didn’t partake.

Mid-morning I took a break and had a snack

And then continued on towards Oregon

At noon I passed by a large meadow called Donomore Meadows – there were a few cows grazing in the distance.

A few minutes later I passed by an old abandoned cabin – I didn’t go investigate even though I was aware that some hikers spend the night in the cabin.

I arrived at the border a little after 12:30pm

There was an official PCT trail register which I signed. I noted that Daisy and Igur had signed the register earlier this morning and that a Lindsay Ulrich had started a FKT (Fastest Known Time) attempt on the Oregon PCT at 6am.

And then I took a few selfies

I’m slowly but surely getting closer to Canada

I stopped and had lunch about 100 yards into Oregon. And then continued hiking.

Later in the afternoon I stopped and collected more water at Sheep Camp Spring – possibly my favorite spring of the entire trail.

I passed by more grazing cows

Late in the afternoon I heard thunder again in the distance … and then started to see flashes of lightening. If you count the seconds from the flash to the thunder and then divide by five, you can estimate how far away the lightening is. For example, a 15 second delay would mean that the lightening is about three miles away. It started to rain and I took cover in a grove of trees when the lightening got closer than one mile.

After twenty minutes, the rain died down and the lightening passed by so I continued down the trail. About forty-five minutes later the rain picked up again and I once again took cover.

Eventually it died down and I was able to continue hiking. It was after 7pm when I made camp and climbed into the dry confines of my tent for the night.

Thanks for following!

PS: It turns out that Lindsey Urlich did set a new FKT for a supported female runner – her time was 9 days, 13 hours, 39 minutes and 20 seconds. The Oregon PCT is 453 miles long.