Monday, July 8
We awoke early and hiked hard over lava fields (this was one of th last and most costly portions of the PCT to construct) to reach Fish Lake Resort by 1 pm, the end of our first leg, and our first resupply point.We reveled in sunshine beside the lake at our tiny campsite in the woods, ate hot café food (and a chocolate milkshake!!) And $2.50 got us clean clothes, which hung to dry on the manzanitas beside the lake. Feeling luxurious!We reveled in sunshine beside the lake at our tiny campsite in the woods, ate hot café food (and a chocolate milkshake!!) And $2.50 got us clean clothes, which hung to dry on the manzanitas beside the lake. Feeling luxurious!
Our resupply box did not arrive, so we had to make do with what was available in the camp store. Onward tomorrow!Tuesday, July 9
It was all uphill from Fish Lake, starting with a two-mile road march forced by a failed hitchhiking attempt. We finally found the mosquitoes all of the PCT reviews mentioned in southern Oregon, and found them all FAST. Our head nets came out, and desire to take a break trailside became less inviting; bush breaks were especially dreaded, with quick mastery of the “squatting and swatting” technique.
On one such bush break, the day became much, much worse. I’d been hiking ahead of Bethani, and while I was hidden in the bush she passed me, assuming I heard her go by. Instead, I had the most frightening afternoon of my life; waiting in vain for her to catch up, then running and backtracking and sidetracking and imagining the worst, finally hiking forward and finding her in the setup tent. I was completely exhausted.
The rain continued, and the mosquitoes swarmed, confining us to our tent. I battled the bugs to boil some water for food, and came back all nerves – I blame the afternoon’s events as well. I barely stayed awake until 6:30, then crashed into a fitful sleep to the symphonic whining of dozens of mosquitoes stuck between the rain fly and the screen. (Shudders)
I didn’t hike out of sight of Bethani for the entirety of Wednesday.
Wednesday, July 10
The mosquitoes continued to swarm this morning, though the rain had stopped. We packed up the tent into a sopping, bug-gut-filled was and hit the trail amidst swarms of mosquitoes. Never before have I seen such consistent numbers of skeeters; we were swatting dozens at a time for more than 3 hours as we trudged through the woods, making record time of everything we did, spurred on by the sanity-sucking, blood-thirsty vampire bugs. It was hellacious. I swung my arms wildly in a feeble and unsuccessful attempt to keep them from nibbling at my wrists, finally breaking down and pulling out the high-powered DEET.We also crossed 100 miles today!!We finally broke out onto an open ridge, where sunshine and a breeze gave us very welcome respite from the buggies. For the first time in days, we could see mountain peaks and ranges – it was altogether refreshing! After a discussion with a SOBO (southbound) hiker about upcoming Devil’s Peak (we’d heard tales of a snow-covered trail last week), we decided to push our mileage and traverse Devil’s in the afternoon rather than the next morning, hoping for slush rather than ice. What a beautiful day! After the mosquito hoards, everything seemed lovely, even the shale beds and scree slopes. We hit the descent of Devil’s Peak at the same time as Phoenix and Melissa, so opted to descend together carefully. Short snowfields with slow pace and some careful trekking pole placement were navigated with ease, and I relaxed a bit. We took a campsite just ¼ mile beyond the base of the cliff, at my favorite campsite thus far: Devil’s Peak looming in the background, a rushing mountain stream alongside, and – the best part – a mountain breeze shooing bugs away. We dried the tent, I took a sponge bath (GLORIOUS), and we enjoyed an evening of sunshine until the mosquitoes drove us into the tent.
I like tonight 862 times better than last night.
Thursday, July 11
Today started with a beautiful sunrise over the Rogue River valley basin. I watched (through my mosquito head net) as the cloud-filled valley turned from white to gray to all hues of pink. What a beautiful place!Then we plunged back into mosquito hordes, but still better than yesterday. Three miles into our hike was the last reliable water source for 21 miles, so we cameled (drank our fill) and topped off all our water bottles before heading off to see Ruth, Ethel, and Maude Mountains as we crossed the Oregon Desert. It was a hot, dusty day. My childhood aspirations of becoming a cowboy are officially squashed, for I have learned that I do not like having black boogers or gritty suppers, or crusty feet and legs and hands. But I DO like mountaintop views at the end of the day, so that’s an ok trade-off. Tonight’s campsite is not as spectacular as last night (still in the burn area, so lots of dust and ash and soot), but a steady breeze keeps the mosquitoes at bay and the temperature comfortable. Tomorrow, a short jaunt of 6 miles into Crater Lake National Park (though we’re technically in the park now) to retrieve a resupply package, hopefully nab a campsite (with a picnic table!!), and find a shower to wash off a week’s worth of stink. Spirits are high!