I have held you all in suspense for weeks now! Spoiler alert: I made it to Washington. 😊
I feel so far removed from the trail now, as I’ve had nary a moment to recover and gather my thoughts over the past two weeks; from a red-eye flight from Portland to Minneapolis, to a 24-hour layover at home to clean all the things and repack, then off to Oshkosh for one of the largest youth events in the world, to the airport to fetch a sister and head to Minnesota’s north shore to explore and become marooned on a forested island… What a whirlwind of adventure!
But back to the story…

Thursday, August 8
We awoke to dripping on the tent fly, the mist coating the trees in dew and the wind shaking it off onto us. Only our second night of the entire trip that we had precipitation! It was a lazy and chilly morning, hanging out in tents and chatting. I ambled about, exploring sidetrails in the morning mist, then turning to firewood harvesting, then to beargrass weaving.

We enjoyed lunch on a ridge after a van ride up a forest road to find an unsigned lake, then explored Scout Lake and ate our fill (again) of huckleberries, this time over peach shortcake.

Our plans to play in the lake interrupted by inclement weather, we took another ramble down a gravel road, returning to camp for some napping before a trip into town for pizza!! This time it had cheese. 🧀
Bethani and I packed rations from the groceries her family brought us; just one more night on the trail!

Friday, August 9
We aimed to get on the trail by 7:30; 8:15 isn’t too bad, right? 😉 We started bundled in fleece and rain jackets, as the campground was still enveloped by wet, cold clouds. We soon dropped out of the clouds and into a wide open forest, slowly climbing upward and across the slope of Chinidere Mountain, then over the easy, level tread of Benson Plateau, all interspersed with brief burn areas (which still break my heart). Then the dreaded part of our day: a 3000 foot descent over 4 miles, which my guidebook compared to the descent into the Grand Canyon – a real knee-grinder! Noodly-legged and stiff-kneed, we finally found a level grade after watching the Columbia River (and Washington!) coming closer and closer into view. How exciting!

We reached Dry Creek Falls in mid-afternoon, pitching our tent on a rocky spot just off the falls, waiting for our friends to hike 2.5 miles the other way for a sleepover rendezvous – staying awake past 7:00 was a real challenge. Our friend Christine arrived with cellphone flashlight and Klondike bars! What a miracle worker. 😉 We called it a night soon after, as violent thunder cracked and echoed all through the gorge, and rain pattered on our tent fly as we squeezed in three-wide. But only two nights of rain on our whole trip? Wowzas.

Saturday, August 10
We enjoyed a leisurely morning and a bagel and PopTart breakfast with our sleepover friends, hitting the trail to cover the last couple of miles for a potluck picnic by the Columbia. We received a hero’s welcome at the marina, enjoying a lunch spread 2.5 picnic tables long, sharing stories with the couple dozen friends and family members who congratulated us for reaching the end of Oregon.
Just one thing left to do: Cross into Washington. We carpooled the half mile to the tollhouse on the historic Bridge of the Gods (we had walkers along who weren’t trail hardened; carpooling was a purely selfless gesture, to be sure), then proceeded in single file along the narrow causeway. The historic steel span was built with the cars and traffic of the 1930s in mind, so no forgiving shoulder was afforded on the steel grate footing. I did not sustain a pace conducive to keeping the group together, unable to slow my gallop across the see-through floor high above the Columbia River.

We gathered on the other shore in a grassy area behind a barricade, wearing wide grins and with toasting glasses in hand. Multiple photo ops completed, embraces shared, and arranging of rides back to cars and belongings. The grand flurry of activity was the perfect setting for my soaring heart upon completion of this great quest, completed just as any other: one step at a time.

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So what’s next? I’m already eager to get back on-trail. PCT Washington? Superior Hiking Trail? I’ll keep stepping and smiling. ☺️ Thanks for joining me on this journey!