Sunday, July 21
The forests have started to open up into more meadows and mountain views, including Mt Bachelor. The descent into Elk Lake was relatively uneventful, though we were overwhelmed by the number of weekenders enjoying a Sunday at the lake. We leaned our packs against a tree and sat down to some more large portions of “town food”, stuffing ourselves full, but still finding room for more salad and chips and mac & cheese. Hiker hunger is real, guys!We enjoyed a “lake shower”, wading into the lake while wearing our hiking clothes. We felt a bit conspicuous, especially when I started “agitating” my pant legs by rubbing them vigorously. We only got a few strange looks from the paddle boarders as we dripped our way onto the beach. 😉
After a nap in the tent while our clothes dried in the sun, Bethani’s cousin gave us a real treat by driving in from Bend with supper and fresh watermelon! YUM. A large portion of our “tramily” (trail family) also arrived that evening, and we posed for a group photo with the beautiful background, then extended them all offers for our extra watermelon (no one turned it down). We watched the sunset as we chatted and played the guitar; a grand evening!

Monday, July 22
Alan, a friend from Portland, has joined us for the next 3 days! He came in at 1 am to hammock camp with us after an interesting set of travel mishaps trying to reach Elk Lake. 😉 We allowed him to sleep in a bit due to his late night, ultimately hitting the trail by 9:15.

I met the South Sister for the first time today, and fell in LOVE. I’ve had a lot of mountain crushes, but this is definitely top 5. We caught glimpses of her glaciated slopes around nearly every bend in the trail, and I took pictures at every chance. Battery usage is way above normal…having to ration myself! This was especially difficult over Wickiup Plain, when we had full view of the Sister for nearly 2 miles. 😍

My beauty cup was filled to overflowing as we crossed over mountain streams to mountain meadows brimming with purple lupine and nodding mariposa lilies, all with a mountain peak backdrop. It was as if we were moving from room to room in a vast palace, with a new visual treasure hidden behind each door. It was one of the most treasured days of the trip thus far! We also found trail magic of some Jolly Rancher candies on top of a signpost near the stream; sign of a true party!!

We stopped at a small, stagnant pond to have supper (no mosquitoes was key), then carried on another 3 miles to what was listed as “Pond” on our maps; boy, was that an understatement! Reese Lake offered us views of the South Sister from a small bluff, as well as a refreshing dip in the lake to rinse off the sweat from a hot day and big climbs. What a fabulous day!

Tuesday, July 23
I woke up early to catch sunrise over Reese Lake, and was wildly rewarded. A tranquil lake, reflecting a mighty mountain, while deer crashed their way down the bluff to the water – all without a human breath to disturb it. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

We continued on the trail, which was etched nearly knee-deep into the soil as it crossed flowering meadows, afforded big views of Middle Sister, North Sister, The Husband (we saw The Wife yesterday), and the Little Brother – I sensed a theme in the names.We crossed into the Obsidian Flat limited entry area, which requires a permit for entry due to the sensitive and unique environment – thankfully, PCT permit holders are exempt. The soil underfoot gradually became more sparkly as the glassy black volcanic stone became more prevalent, and I began stooping more frequently to closely examine it. Fascinating stuff! Not for barefoot walking, however. We stopped for brunch at the base of Obsidian Falls, a gushing fount tumbling over a glassy wall of obsidian. Another breath-taker!

We carried on to more beautiful sights, including a long rest in Sunshine Meadow (perfect name, right?!). Then we crossed onto the Collier Lava Flow, the first of multiple stretches of wide expanses of jumbled, jagged black lava rock – a real moonscape. The trail turned to ball bearing rocks ranging in size from golfballs to softballs, all quite fatiguing to feet and ankles. We hiked harder when the clouds rolled in (very welcome for shade on the exposed lava flows) and wind picked up, thankful after hiking through a burn area to find living trees for a hammock and a flat spot in the dust for a tent. Sleep was not hard to find that night!

Wednesday, July 24

Our campsite was in a narrow window between the burn area and the next lava flow. We spent the morning hiking on the lava, extra grateful to get off the uneven lava rocks around noon, switching to another burn area and feeling as hot as we have yet (the weather has been exceptionally cool and wonderful). We were spurred on by the thought of showers, food, and company at Big Lake Youth Camp, Bethani’s stomping grounds of old. The 12 miles into camp were some of the more strenuous we’ve tackled, but as bear grass grew taller and Mt Washington loomed closer, we felt more and more eager to see that sparkling Big Lake.
We plopped into chairs at the PCT Hiker Hut at the camp, exhausted and famished and happy. After a refreshing rinse in the lake to get the first layer of dust off, we took showers at Bethani’s friend’s house (cotton towels and conditioner! Thanks, Julie!!). Clean and happy, we headed to the cafeteria for heaping helpings of noodles and stir fry…then some cereal back at Julie’s house to fill in the cracks. 😉 Julie graciously offered us a bedroom, and we eagerly accepted. What luxurious accommodations after sleeping in a tent for the past 3 weeks! 😁

We’re taking a couple zeroes in Big Lake for resupplying and recharging. See you in a few, PCT!