The PCT Volume 32: In Another State

[Brad Young]

What a great final trip for the 2016 PCT season. We finished in another state. And I finished in one too.

Tuesday, August 2:

Tricia and Vicki got back from Girl Scout Camp two days before this trip's Monday departure (while there, Tricia spent eight days backpacking with her group of girls, Vicki was a camp counselor).

After that much rest time, it was probably time to take off to THE trail again. We allowed a whole day for the drive, knowing that our "success" in our endeavor is making the drive longer and longer each time (but the drive isn't as long yet as it used to be to San Diego County!). Four of us start out on this trip; 11 year old Alex has joined us again (although to all of our disappointment, Steve and Laura can't go).

From a map, Mount Ashland Campground looks like a central, perfect place to stay for our first few nights. It's very windy when we get there though and the campground is dusty and not flat. Still the views are fantastic; from our campsite one can see Mounts Shasta, Eddy, and Ashland. The interstate is visible below, and regionally significant Pilot Rock can easily be seen ten or so miles to the east (here are three morning photos):










Naturally our first hike would start at Wards Fork Gap (where we left off last time). Twenty miles of dirt roads made for a slow, hour and a half drive out from camp:




The 20 mile drive parallelled and criss-crossed the PCT (they stay close all the way to Interstate 5). Since Vicki had to drive that same road back to our pick-up point, we decided that she'd wait for us periodically at crossings while we hiked. This meant that we got to hike packless:




The Dawsons spent a lot of time hiking (and climbing) with us when Alex was young (and they do now too). I like to think that my two girls played a significant role in making him the hiking fiend that he's now become (and I've grown proud of his hiking prowess). Yet, in the sometimes strange ways of the world, helping make him and my girls become excellent hikers, means that, on most hikes, I'm relegated to one of these two views (yes, I am their leader):







Our gentle uphill hike passed through Donomore Meadow:




And then we got there. Ten years in the making. Well over half of Tricia's lifetime. Always a thought in the back of our minds. California/Oregon, the border. We entered another state:













Tricia did a journal entry (and we found other entries blunt and funny):













Vicki walked down a quarter mile from the first PCT/road crossing to share this much-anticipated moment with us:







The rest of the hike involved gentle up and downs, mostly in the open, sometimes in the forest:













The open parts of the hiking gave us nice views. From the north moving clockwise/right, we saw the city of Medford:




Mount McLoughlin (which we first saw from much farther south in June with it's mantel of fresh snow):




Mount Ashland:




Mounts Shasta and Eddy (and Black Butte between them):




The Marble Mountains and Preston Peak:




We met Vicki again at Wrangle Gap, and then again at Siskiyou Gap:







I stopped to take photos and for another reason and the kids… they left me in the dust, a quarter of a mile behind:




Just past Siskiyou Gap we passed a second PCT milestone, the 1,700 mile mark (two fun points on the trail in one day!):







Tricia seemed proud to have reached now 1,700 miles from Mexico:




We then met Vicki at yet another Road 20/PCT crossing to end the first day, a nice start to what may be our final trip this year:

[squiddo]

Pretty cool stuff. Man, Trish is still upward bound. Happy family all around

[mungeclimber]

5 year old Tricia T, wow!

So many miles! 

When does Vicki get her Sainthood officially announced by the Church of the PCT?

[Brad Young]

5 year old Tricia T, wow!

So many miles!

Oh the number of times I've said exactly that to myself  

When does Vicki get her Sainthood officially announced by the Church of the PCT?

There are a fair number of through-hikers out there who've already pronounced it. And, brother, I tell it on almost every mountain where we see hikers, amen.

[Brad Young]

Wednesday, August 3:

Day two started with more wonderful, sunny weather:




An easy and pretty drive on Forest Road 20 got us back to our start point. We followed the same patterns today, Alex or Tricia in front, me (the trip leader mind you) bringing up the rear:







One great and fun PCT tradition that has developed over many years is the bestowing of "trail-names" by hikers on hikers. Normally through-hikers give their companion hikers nicknames as they get moving on a through-hike (the named person retains veto power though).

Some time ago Alex's mom and dad sort of gave him a trail-name: "Bear Bait." It comes from his habit of being way, way out in front of the hiking group (or, occasionally, way, way behind). He's resisted the name, but it fits him. Today Tricia and I tried to convince him to accept the name. We argued that it was a highly complimentary name, that it reflected how fast and powerfully he moves on the trail (at 11 years old). He disagreed. He argued that the name symbolized nothing less than his mom and dad's willingness to abandon him if they ever faced a bear attack. Of course, this was an argument only; Alex wanted a different name (that I've forgotten) which, in violation of all the traditions of trail-names he'd picked for himself

Bear Bait, or nondescript something or other? The verdict on this one has yet to be reached.

While we hiked in the cool forest for part of the day, open, alpine, pretty sections of trail predominated ("Sound of Music hiking"):













At 6.4 miles we left the PCT to join Vicki for lunch at Mount Ashland Campground. A little over nine miles then remained, easy and gentle downhill, paralleling the road all the way to the Interstate. The trail and the road cross at one point:




While crossing here I was amazed to see Tricia spontaneously do a cartwheel as she crossed the road:




Of all things, there was a decorated "Christmas tree" on the other side of this crossing:




The views remained expansive (straight across to Pilot Rock):




Soon we could see the interstate:




The trail then joins the old Highway 99 for almost a mile, "jogging" up past I-5 to an exit point where the trail becomes a trail again on its way up the northeast side of Siskiyou Summit:










We waited here for quite a while for Vicki to pick us up. Her "job" on these trips isn't all "wine and roses;" she'd had a hell of time getting camp moved from Mount Ashland to Hyatt Lake, east of Ashland (finding an open campsite and figuring out how to pay for it turned out to be ridiculously difficult).

Eventually of course, she arrived. As we drove over to our new camp we happened upon a hitchhiker/through-hiker on the road not so far from our now camp at Hyatt Lake. We stopped, but we were crammed full and had little room. He didn't mind though and we squeezed him in.

As we got to know each other he quickly decided to join us in our camp (it was almost 7:00 at this point). Of course we continued talking with our new friend. Tricia asked him a question she often asks of other hikers: "what's your trail name?" To her surprise and delight, he said: "T-Bird!" By chance we'd picked up the same T-Bird who's name she'd seen (and commented about) in two trail registers already this trip (recall that T-Bird has been Tricia's trail name since it was given to her in 2013). T-Bird and T-Bird both found great fun in "sharing" a trail name:

[squiddo]

Is it just me or is this the first post seen where Trisha is throwing Dio horns on her hand?

[Brad Young]

Is it just me or is this the first post seen where Trisha is throwing Dio horns on her hand?

If I understand "Dio Horns," then yes, sort of. I asked her about the hand out, fingers extended thing and she said, "yeah, but that's from the fireflies for me." (The fireflies are the group of Girl Scout backpackers that she spent eight apparently really cool days with just before this trip.)

[squiddo]

If I understand "Dio Horns," then yes, sort of. I asked her about the hand out, fingers extended thing and she said, "yeah, but that's from the fireflies for me." (The fireflies are the group of Girl Scout backpackers that she spent eight apparently really cool days with just before this trip.)

Ha ha ha very nice Brad. Hope to see you fall time for a rope and laugh

[Brad Young]

Ha ha ha very nice Brad. Hope to see you fall time for a rope and laugh

I accept.

[Brad Young]

Thursday, August 4:


Our third day was supposed to be 10 degrees hotter than the first two. And our hike started relatively low, stayed in the sun, and climbed for its first third. But we had to get up off of the interstate, so off we went:










The highlight of today's hike would be passing Pilot Rock. This "beacon" is visible from far away; it was a significant way-point for early settlers coming to this part of Oregon. And it was a bit of a beacon for us too; we'd seen it for much of the two days we'd hiked so far:







Approaching the rock I naturally wondered whether there were climbing routes on it (there are). I also wondered how a non-technical route could go to the top (one does, but it doesn't look possible):




Tricia and Alex continued singing their trail songs (like the song "Three Chartreuse Buzzards," which Tricia had just picked up with the Girl Scouts; I think I've heard that one enough). They called out different PCT signs, identifying them by their style and age (this one is "ancient"):




The rest of the hike after Pilot Rock was gentle, but quite a bit of it was in open and hot terrain (the forest hiking was much cooler):













The views into the town of Ashland made us realize how far we move day by day (although it doesn't seem so as we're doing the hiking):




A piped spring of cool water provided a nice break near Little Pilot Pond (glad we didn't have to drink from the pond):




The hike turned truly hot as we started our gradual descent to Green Springs Summit on Highway 66:







Vicki was waiting for us there:













A short drive took us back to our camp at Hyatt Lake. Once there the kids asked to go play in the lake and to swim (as if almost 17 miles of hiking wasn't enough). The answer was, of course, "yes;" I figured that they'd cool off and be right back to camp. No, actually, I had to walk down and insist that they come up to dinner 1 1/2 hours later! (Ah to have that much energy again!).

And finally a word about boys. I was one once. But I guess I've forgotten those years. I've got two daughters. I like them. I've enjoyed raising them. But they are girls. Alex is a boy. He may well be the closest thing I'll ever have to a son. This trip is the longest trip that he's taken with us without his mom and dad. And so I had to be more involved in caring for him than on prior trips where he's joined us.

Man oh man did I learn a lot about "raising" boys. Start with this fact: they/he don't seem to care at all about being really dirty (at all, really dirty; my girls don't care that much about being dirty, but they care some!):




(And, in case it isn't clear, he was a joy to have along and we'll take him again in a heartbeat if he hasn't been gotten by a bear by then.)

[Brad Young]

Friday, August 5:


We were back to better temperatures today and Vicki got us back to the trail fairly early. She joined the "touch the PCT sign" game that Katie started oh-so-many years ago (and that Tricia and now Alex have picked up to play occasionally):




A fairly new part of the PCT makes a gentle circle around Green Springs Mountain and Hyatt Meadow (adding two miles to the hike to avoid hiking next to a dirt road?):










The longer loop certainly lets a hiker look straight down into Ashland:




Today's entertainment included the "bash everything you pass with a stick" game (started by the boy, definitely a boy's game). I imposed one rule on their play - no bashing and no loud noise any time we were near other hikers:










And there were other hikers. Our place on the trail, combined with the time of year that we are there, means that we're seeing lots and lots of through and section hikers. Today we saw more than any day yet. Here's a bunch (including some of us) working around a fallen log):




We passed through the north end of Hyatt Meadow:







More of the large, carefully arranged rock cairns marked this part of the trail:




Little Hyatt Reservoir was overflowing:




And at just over seven miles into the hike we passed our campground. We ducked in there to have lunch with Vicki.

After lunch we set off on another nine miles of almost pure "forest marching." We make distance toward our eventual goal this way, but the hiking isn't highly inspiring and we've got to take our fun where we find it. Like this burnt out snag, which my ever-inventive child immediately called "The Eye of Sauron:"







We soon arrived near Howard Prairie Reservoir:




We crossed its outlet stream and made our way another mile and a half to Keno Access Road (what's with the name - is there a casino hidden in the forest nearby?):







The highlight of the day, at least from a "majestic view" standpoint, came on the drive back to camp. At one point, while driving along the reservoir, we got this clear view of Mount McLoughlin which we first saw on the far horizon while in California and are now about to pass and climb.

[mungeclimber]

One burnt out snag to rule them all!

[JC w KC redux]

I'm disappointed that there are no pics of Pilot Rock close up, no mention of the rock type and no one climbing it   Was the non technical route on it named High Lee and Unlike Lee?

Great report so far.

Nice fanny pack.

The best part is Tricia's shirt - Agent Orange approves  

[JC w KC redux]

We finished in another state. And I finished in one too.

I want to see disheveled pics of the last part of this statement 

[JC w KC redux]

Pilot Rock.

I looked it up and it is Basalt columns.
Apparently a volcanic neck.

I found a youtube vid of the scramble.
Hideously detailed GoPro footage.
I'll spare everyone and not post the link.
Bottom line is it looks super easy.
3rd class at most.

Who could resist such Crud?

After all, it is the Summer of Mud 

[Brad Young]

Who could resist such Crud?

We did. We had miles to go before we slept.

And besides, there's only one real Mud; who wants to play with substitutes?

[JC w KC redux]

We did. We had miles to go before we slept.

And besides, there's only one real Mud; who wants to play with substitutes?

Understood.

And...Not I said the little red mud hen 

[Brad Young]

Saturday, August 6:


Today we did a quick and easy hike. The just over nine miles from Keno Access Road to Dead Indian Road were easy, but more importantly, they were quick. And quick mattered since, after hiking, we needed to drive into Medford to stay the night near the airport for Alex's early flight home to his parents in San Jose.

This walk was true "forest marching." We also violated our tradition of trashing our friend Sharon with a long or hard walk on her first day with us (she'd joined us in camp last night):










We took only two breaks, but Tricia apparently found the first one somewhat entertaining:







One rare break in the forest allowed a view of Shasta from way north (the view came on the shoulder of a peak called "Old Baldy"):




Little things like National Forest boundaries and such provide the only way-points in this type of deep forest hiking (shown here with two resting through-hikers who'd we'd been passing and passed by since early on day two):




More forest marching led quickly to our pick-up point and Vicki, and we were done for the day:







We ended the day by checking out our next camping and pick-up points and then seeing even more of Oregon while making the surprisingly easy drive into Medford.

[NOAL]

Dirty Alex. Love it! He's fast and quick enough to get away from a bear.

[Brad Young]

Dirty Alex. Love it! He's fast and quick enough to get away from a bear.

YES! You get it. Tell him that next time you see him!