We are walking out of camp at 6:30. When we arrived last night and set up, it was a beautiful site at 7:30 in walked three other hikers and decided they’re going to set up 4 feet from my tent and 4 feet from Jeff who is cowboy camping. Sometimes I don’t understand peoples lack of consideration. Oh they also had an alarm set and got up 30 minutes earlier than we did . Oh well back to the trail.
We took a quarter-mile side trail to Little crater lake. It is a crystal clear blue. It’s 45 feet deep. The camera does not pick it up but you can see straight to the bottom. There are some submerged logs down there and there is a vertical almost limestone lined looking Cliff that goes straight down to the bottom. It is said the water is 34° all year long. I’m not testing it out!
I’ve mentioned before I am goal oriented. As I started at the Trail, I was feeling good and making fairly good time. Today’s camp is timberline Lodge. And historic public works project from the depression era. They are said to have one of the better buffets around, and if I hike fast enough, I can make it for the lunch buffet. As I got closer, I could see glimpses of mount hood.
I didn’t stop to rest, take , or have a Trail lunch. There was another trail race going on today this time the runners coming from behind I kept a fairly fast pace and just move the side and continue taking as a past. I did get some hydration and small stack at their aid station and continue pushing on.
About the last uphill, mile approaching timberline, Lodge is in that fine sand as you would get at a beach. Brutal to hike, uphill in.
I made it to timberline lodge situated on Mount Hood, that we saw so far in the distance just a few days ago.
I made it to the Buffet by 1:30. There is a small hillside full of pine trees that we can camp in just above the lodge. I pitched my tent and headed down to eat. There was a day hiker waiting for a table as well, I asked him if he would like to join me, which pleased the host as the restaurant was fairly busy. I sat with Scott and enjoyed trail discussions. I can eat a lot at an all you can eat buffet!
After lunch, jelly and take charge arrived. We also bumped into two other hikers Sherpa, Cheryl, and Town Stop. They are a mother, daughter pair who are hiking machines. We enjoyed sharing stories of recent Trail adventures.
After dinner, and returned to the campsite set up my sleep system update of the blog and went down for the night.
Today’s PCT miles hiked 19.2
Total PCT Miles hiked to date 1557.7
PCT mile marker 2097.9
(Flipped over 542.8 miles)
