So we went down our “sekrit” jumble of logging roads till we found our entry onto the PCT. If clearcuts from 10 to 30 years ago have one thing, it is HUCKLEBERRY HEAVEN. The first 1/4 mile was nonstop bushes, literally dripping in berries. We are talking ones the size of nickles. And ripe. Juicy. Mama bear was growling loudly, telling Hoosierdaddy to buzz off while she gorged herself sick. Or something like that…..

In my hand is a large Huckleberry with ripe wild Blueberries next to it.

PS: All those green plants below me were loaded with berries. Sigh!

Hoosierdaddy ahead of me as we entered the forest, heading South, leaving the clearcuts:

And there is the meadow for whiling away a sunny-for-now day:

Looking through the trees to the cabin:

More meadow:

Well who did we see first? I was sitting on the cabin, kicking back when I hear “Sarbar!” and I look down to see Basil coming up. Too funny, I have run into 3 times, 3 weekends in a row. You have to laugh! Basil is a great guy to sit and chat with.

Disco came in not long after:

We fed the guys – we had packed in snacks, supplies and more. We were hoping to see Tom and Tori today, but most likely they wouldn’t be clearing the meadow till an hour or two later. Oh well, I will see them this weekend when we have a picnic planned

The weather had slowly shifted during the day, clouding over and getting chillier. The hike out was nice though:

I waited for Hoosierdaddy as he went back – he had wanted to haul out a bag of garbage he had collected, but had left without it. So he doubled back and I took photos.

It isn’t seen easily but the orange fungus growing high on the tree was so vivid in the forest.

Ate more berries on the way out and said goodbye to the area for the season. Within a couple minutes the rain started spattering. It would seem the promised first bad storm was already brewing and coming in tonight in the Cascades. It should be a cold and miserable weekend for hikers.Fall is sliding in oh so quickly.

~Sarah

The event was held in the park at the locks where thru hikers can camp, but this time out on the island in the Columbia River, where one could camp. Teresa and I both dropped off our donations the gear raffles of books. Then we pulled up some lawn under our buns and settled in for the day.

Teresa and Warner Springs Monty. I had not met him before and he is about the nicest guy around.

Ran into Basil, who I met last weekend while trail angeling. He had hitched a ride back from Washington to come down.

Jared, Ford and I went looking for some food mid day and headed up to town where what did our eyes spy? Hiker trash! Oh, wait, that would Tori and Tom. Heh!

So good to see them after so long!

We found hamburgers being grilled up outside of Johnny’s Ice Cream and Deli – they were of the scrumptious variety.The also sold curly fries that were an entire massive russet potato that is cut in front of you with a Dewalt drill powered auger. Oh yeah!

Jared attempting to eat a single patty cheeseburger:

Back down in the action Tom and Tori were having Henry fix their Rainbow, Henry Shire’s was using Ron Moak’s sewing machine in his rig:

Tom happy to have the tarp tent back in top shape:

Tori going through food, figuring out what was needed for restock:

Everyone else hung out and listened to a band and more. I decided to go check into our hotel and go swimming. Yeah, yeah, real hard camping I know. Hehheh! We stayed at the only place to stay in Cascade Locks, the Best Western there. It is on the river, has a great staff, is clean and modern, a nice pool/hot tub/deck and a good breakfast. We got the last room, a family suite that was massive on the river. Not everyone loves trains, I do though and you could faintly hear them puttering along the river – I like that. I would stay there again without an issue.

For dinner everyone met up at the PCT Pub. Deja Vu – I was there what last weekend? Tom ate 2 ruebens I had a very tasty all veggie pizza after the meat-fest for lunch….

Eating Dinner in the Pub:

Nancy “why Not” and Tori in the Pub.Nancy won a copy of my book at the raffle drawing. Neat!

I watched the kids in the evening so Teresa could go see a new PCT movie being shown. Ooh, that was easy. Teresa’s daugheter fell alseep within minutes, I curled up to a good novel and Ford was watching a stupid film about a dinosaur era mega shark and octopus that are melted out of polar ice caps and wreck havoc on the world. So bad it was funny. Sure hotel “camping” ain’t car camping but it can be a hoot.

Up early, we met T&T in the hotel (they stayed there as well) and chowed down breakfast….then we packed them up. Teresa and I gave them a ride to a remote trailhead in Washington. It was a cool moment indeed as we crossed the bridge up high and entered Washington. T&T had finished two states, with just Washington in front of them.

I knew where the trail head was so I navigated:

And off they went, leaving us:

They disappeared into the woods, heading for Indian Heaven Wilderness and on North. I will see them soon, on their next leg. It will be good to see them once again.

~Sarah

We picked up a section hiker who was walking Wind River Road, from Stevenson to the PCT and gave Chris a ride. It was about 50/50 on those who do the true PCT to Stabler and those who road walk. Road walking cuts more than 1/2 of the miles off but is hard on the feet.

On Saturday we split up, with HD leaving me out in the wilds all day, near the crossing of Panther Creek. I found a road crossing, far from anything and found a spot in the woods where I was hidden from passing cars. It was indeed fun as hikers came hurtling through the woods and came to a halt as they saw our table there.

Lucky Larry came through:

I met day hikers (two were a great couple Steve & Yvonne from Sherwood, Oregon out for the day with their poochie, Sadie), campers from nearby Panther Creek Campground and then thru’s Stacey and Bernie, the nicest couple:

In the late afternoon HD came back – he had been down in the Cascade Locks area at the Marine Park, where camping is free for thru’s – on the lawn behind the RV area. A number had come in and HD did his thing for them. After HD came and got me we went and checked on water caches.

On the PCT in a remote area:

Looking North on a section of the PCT – I did some snooping and checking out. It was a fun road in – probably the most wash-boardy one I have been on this year!

On the way back, we were heading down Wind River Road and passed these 4 guys and stopped. They were coming from Stabler Store so we checked to see if they needed a ride. They didn’t, they were near the turn off for the PCT. They did though love getting a cold beer

I believe they are: Just Bill, White Fish, Coach and Peter Pan:

A shot of our register:

That night we drove over to Oregon and went out to dinner to the Pacific Crest Pub where unlike the reviews I had read on UrbanSpoon we got great service (really nice waitress!) and fast/good food. When HD and I came in The Lone Ranger and his wife were there. HD had met them earlier that day. They invited us to join them and we had a great dinner! It turned out T.L, Lone’s wife, knew who my mom’s family were and also my uncle, etc. It made the world feel so small to meet a stranger who had known my maternal grandfather, who died 4 or so years before I was born. Somehow though I did not get a picture of them. Boy, do I feel dumb!

Due to SOMEONES cell phone going off at 5:30 am I was awake early (boy is HD lucky I didn’t flush his phone)

We got up and headed back over to Oregon to find breakfast. As we crossed the Bridge of the Gods we passed Bethany and Steven walking over the bridge and we/they waved. HD mentioned I-Spy and Booty – HD had met them the day before, but they left even earlier – right at dawn.

Charburger was the only place open (we could find only one place that did breakfast in Stevenson, Washington and it wasn’t open yet). OK, I have this thing why I won’t eat there but it honestly wasn’t bad – if you can over the really awful “Indian” scupltures from back in the day. I was able to get a huge bowl of strawberries/blueberries, ice tea and sausages so I was happy. Just don’t get me going on the canned mushrooms they use ;-p

After breakfast we headed West on 84 to Eagle Creek Trailhead. A big majority of PCT hikers use Eagle Creek instead of the “true” PCT as it is VERY scenic (we did as well in 2007!) I cannot imagine taking the “true” trail. It just isn’t scenic nor is water easy. Eagle Creek though is not open to stock – and the PCT has to be horse friendly.

The start of the trail, before you enter the canyon with the dripping moss and waterfalls – and steep drop offs:

HD and I picked a spot near the trailhead. EC is one of the most popular trails in Oregon so by 9 am is nearly full – there are parking lots upon lots here and the goal was to be close. We snagged the first picnic table and set up – with a sign on the truck and a sign at the trailhead.

First up was Basil – who is fun beyond belief to yak with.

IDO and Woodie The Stick:

Sailor and Pasta Alfredo (Sailor knows my friend Teresa “Dicentra” so we had plenty to yak about)

We had a couple coolers full of beer, soda, ice tea, oranges, apples, carrots, tomatoes. Chips, cookies, chocolate and I emptied out my backpack of nut butter, veggies and more. Also gave out freeze dried meals and coffee that had been sent to us by the manafacturers (and as well ProBars that we had been sent). For lunch for me I made up a PackitGourmet Pecan Cajun Chicken Salad. HD and I shared it on buns. Yum!

We had brought plenty of chairs and they were well loved. Eagle Creek is about 3 miles away from Cascade Locks and hikers have to walk the road out of the never ending parking lots then find the multi use trail (which is the old single lane road of old days). It isn’t the greatest as it follows 84 the whole way. 84 is a loud fast highway – not easy on the eyes or ears. Many thru’s take a zero day in Cascade Locks or at least spend the night there – so they are not in a big rush when coming out at the Eagle Creek Trailhead.

Pasta Alfredo, Sailor, Basil, Wolffman and Hop-Skip (a section hiker who did a 30 day section in 15!)

Our register:

Wolffman had finished up his last big section to for the most part complete the PCT (congrats!) and had his car there. Between him and us we gave everyone but IDO a ride to Cascade Locks (IDO is walking every mile, be it road).

We took them down to the Marine Park and dropped off, where I got to meet Happy Feet and Hatman – who have hiked with our friends Tom and Tori this year!

We left not long after and headed to Stevenson to visit the Walking Man Brewery so HD could get a refill to take home in his collector jug. Hop-Skip was going to hitchhike into Portland but due to us heading that way anyways we offered him a ride and dropped him off at the BART near the airport.

Next weekend on Saturday the 29th is PCT Day in Cascade Locks. There will be a number of thru’s coming in (Tom and Tori!). Looking forward to it.

I have to say it was very enjoyable and I can see doing this again.

~Sarah

I spent yesterday getting 10 days of dinners ready times 2, so 20 meals. They are using the FBC method (Freezer Bag Cooking™) on their thru-hike. Tori is one of who our first book, Freezer Bag Cooking: Trail Food Made Simple, is dedicated to – she was the one who convinced me people would love to see the recipes we’d try on hiking trips.

The restrictions were plenty – they had to be as light as possible as it will be a long section, with lots of snow, elevation gain and long mile days. So knowing what I was facing I loaded up on freeze dried vegetables and freeze dried meats for them from Packit Gourmet. All the meals are ‘add hot water and let sit for 15 minutes’ type.

I had fun mixing up both new recipes and taking old ones and making a new version. Using the freeze dried roast beef and chuka soba (baked ramen) I came up with a noodle recipe that was soooo good. Hope they like it!

It has been a good experience in cutting the size and the weight of the meals, while at the same time keeping the nutritional stats up. Keeping protein, carbs and well, even fiber balanced.

Now I best figure out how to pack a pair of ice axes today and get them and the meals on their way!

~Sarah

A ULA Circuit pack -

She found she needs a new pack for her thru-hike so Mail Lady Sarah got to at least sniff new ULA smell before sending it on. I just need to order one now that you can get a short torso. That was what held me back. Finally seeing a short torso in person was a “OK, this would work” moment!

PS: T&T are having a great time and getting broken in to the trail. Now Mail Lady Sarah needs to get crackin’ and go make their resupply meals I am shipping.

~Sarah

I received an email from him this afternoon that let me know he finished up just a couple days ago, on the 22nd.

Congrats to doing it! I can only imagine how cold it was the past two weekends….brrrrr!

~Sarah