As indicated in the last bit of the previous report, we did it. We crammed all we could into a three day weekend and still made it home yesterday in time for Tricia to do her AP History homework. Here's how it went.
September 2, 2017:
Tricia was thrilled in early August when she made the J.V. Volleyball team. But, of course, she had to be at team practices every day after that, and as a result we didn’t get an August week on the PCT. So, I proposed a crazy three day run to Oregon over Labor Day Weekend. To my pleasant surprise, all three girls - Katie included - agreed.
The long drive up to Klamath Falls seemed worth it once we’d reached Windigo Pass on Saturday morning. Although Klamath Falls is still an hour and a half drive from Windigo Pass, we were there and ready to start hiking by late morning:
The trail in this part of Oregon is odd in a way. There are so many lakes in Oregon’s portion of the Cascades and yet significant portions of the trail stay along the crest and are bone-dry from about mid-summer on. As a result, most PCT through-hikers are pretty thirsty by the time they reach Windigo Pass. Trail angels have stepped into the gap though. Here’s Tricia looking at the Windigo Pass water cache (trail angels had left more than 50 gallons of water here, most of it in bombproof five gallon bottles):
Conditions upon arrival are very different than they were in July. It’s a little hotter. The roads and the trail have been used a lot more since then and are very dusty. And the smoke is just terrible (there are something like 30 fires within 50 miles):
Still, we make progress. Vistas (or what would be vistas) open up:
Soon Cowhorn Mountain is visible:
Cowhorn is like much of this part of the Cascades; it emerges directly and abruptly from rolling forest and is very dramatic:
Naturally the smoke continued. Here is our first “view” of Summit Lake (look especially in the gap between trees, about a third of the way from left to right, and then also right of that):
And, in what otherwise would have been a spectacular sight, here’s Diamond Peak as we were able to see it this day (look for patches of snow on the peak, just right of dead center):
More forest hiking:
After just under 12 miles we reached the shore of Summit Lake:
This is a big lake. We traversed halfway around its west shore, expecting to find Vicki somewhere (it’s Labor Day and we expect crowds, and she intends to set up camp where and as availible). Sure enough, when we find her, she’s found a spot well away from crowds; she’s set up and watching the trail, waiting for us to show up:
Although the lakeshore is crowded, we’re off the road a way and (other than the occasional car passing by on the dirt road and the pleasant- sounding wedding ceremony across the lake) we’ve got quiet and peace: