Miles hiked over 7/25-7/26: 10
PCT Miles Hiked: 506/2660
When I wake up, Max-Heap has four words for me. “Bacon and eggs, b****.” Well said my friend, well said.
We hike the remaining 3 miles until we are walking above and parallel to the highway that leads to Bridge of the Gods. The trail finally gives way and drops us off at the iconic bridge. We cross on the Washington side and end in Oregon. As I walk across the bridge, it starts to feel real. Washington is officially in the books! It feels like lifetimes ago I was hiking with Mousetrap and Victor, slogging our way through snow to tag the border. Washington was brutal in the beginning and then gave some ground south of Snoqualmie. Overall, an absolutely beautiful state and Goat Rocks Wilderness, along with the towns of Stehekin and Trout Lake, were my highlights.
Max-Heap and I do indeed get our bacon and eggs, stopping at the first restaurant we see in Cascade Locks. I order two breakfast entrees, finish both of them, and feel my stomach turn in knots. Too much food. I sip coffee and water and check my phone. I got a text last night from my mom, saying a friend of my cousin’s has a place in Cascade Locks and is inviting me to crash for the night. His name is Andrew and he just helped open a second brewery in town, called Gorges.
I walk a mile over to Andrew’s house and we meet for the first time. Andrew is super cool and hooks me up with my own guest room, a shower, and laundry. I do all of these things, take a short nap, and then Andrew and I head out do some kayaking on the Columbia River. It’s super peaceful out on the water and I let my kayak drift to the shore so I can pick some raspberries and blackberries. They are everywhere around here.
The rest of the day concludes with me getting some good food and beer at Andrew’s brewery. It’s a relaxed evening and I fall soundly asleep in Andrew’s guest bedroom at the pleasant hour of 9 pm.
7/26-
I wake up a little before 7 am, getting something like 9 hours of excellent sleep. I walk straight to the local coffee shop in Cascade Locks. I spend something like 3-4 hours there, doing some writing and taking a look at upcoming trail. I ask my mom to repack a box (thanks mom!) and include some new shoes I bought for myself before the hike. I also buy a bus ticket from Timberline Lodge to Bend, in order to avoid the official 20 miles of closed trail. I think I figured a plan that will have me hiking the equivalent miles, but not hiking the closure.
In the afternoon, I leave Andrew’s and stop at the market on my way out. I do a mini-resupply and then pack out a Cobb salad, avocado, a yogurt, and some fudge to eat at the park before I leave Cascade Locks for good.
After my meal, there is nothing left to do but walk. I’m taking an alternative route called Eagle Creek trail for the next 12 miles or so. It’s a popular alternative route and I’ve had several NOBO hikers highly recommend it to me. It features several waterfalls and meets back up with the PCT, 12 PCT miles south of Cascades Locks.
I start walking toward the Eagle Creek trailhead which is 3 miles away from town. I’m walking on a paved road, which I find hot and lame at first. But wait! There’s lots of history on the road I’m walking, as I read a sign that states I’m walking on the historic Columbia River Highway. It was built in the 1920’s when automobile travel was still a novelty and was one of the first paved highways in the Pacific Northwest. The sign says that the highway may have created its own demise, as it offered faster and easier travel, it soon become overpopulated and too slow. Hence, Interstate 84 was built, a multiple lane freeway that I can hear cars roaring on as I walk now.
I get to the Eagle Creek trailhead and start hiking on the official trail around 4. I hike 4 miles, passing by some really good scenery that includes waterfalls and deep gorges. I stop hiking early in the evening, finding a good spot that features a swimming hole and the sound of running water. It’s a really relaxed night that includes a cold dip, reading, dinner, chess on my phone, and writing. I decide I’m going to cowboy camp on the sandy shore here. Tomorrow I’ll finish the 8 miles of the Eagle Creek trail that will drop me back off on the PCT. And then from there I have something like 35 miles to Timberline Lodge, where I’ll be picking up a resupply box. Timberline Lodge is where parts of “The Shining” were shot, but also and of more importance, it features a breakfast buffet that is supposed to be of epic proportions. Breakfast buffet….
