PCT: Days 116 – 118

Day 116 – The views!
Start: Elk Lake resort th – 1953.6
End: Reese Lake – 1967.5
Miles: 13.9
Ascent: 2458 ft| Descent: 1392 ft

Start time: 8:26 am
End time: 3:45 pm
Current elevation: 6444 ft
Total PCT miles: 1230.1
Miles today: 13.9 PCT miles + 1 from Elk Lake TH = 14.9

We woke up to the smell of pancakes. Karen was in the kitchen making breakfast. We had pancakes, sausage and eggs. After breakfast we left to pick up All In from his hotel and the drive to the trail.

We got to Elk Lake trailhead pretty quick and after saying our big thank you to Ron and Karen for their hospitality and generosity and another group pic, we were on our way.

It was 1 mile back to the PCT and our little tramily was back together again. After about 15 minutes of being back on trail a Forest service ranger stopped us and wanted to check our PCT permits. Yay! Finally someone checked our permits. The ranger went over some of the restrictions and rules just to make sure we knew them. He allowed us to take a photo but we had to blur out the face.

The trail continued to be in the forest with occasional views of Mt. Bachelor and the South Sister peak. The Sisters are a series of three volcanoes all in a row: South, Middle and North Sister.

Before we knew it we were on our only climb of the day. It was a fairly long climb and took us by surprise. Once at the top we got a better view of South Sister. We got to our first water source, Sisters Mirror Lake. This lake was supposed to have a great reflection of South Sister but the water was not smooth.

The trail them went through a big open area. The east side of this area was a big wall of rock and lava. The trail followed this lava wall and guess what? No mosquitoes! What a great surprise!

Once back in the forest we found beautiful meadow with a stream for lunch. We had done 9.4 miles and only 7.5 more to our intended campsite.

After lunch, the trail went through a big old burn area and the blowdowns had made a reappearance. It was jungle gym time again. It was also uphill and it was slow going. After about an hour and a half we were done with the burn area.

We got to another meadow and had a views of both South Sister and Middle Sister. South Sister is the tallest peak of the three and it appears that the northwest top was blown off. Middle Sister is a perfect triangle.

The comments in our trail app mentioned that this small Reese Lake was a good swimming hole but barely mentioned anything about camping. We found that the north side of the pond had a bunch of great sites.

After setting up our respective camps, it was time for a swim. The water was clear and great. We all felt refreshed and we had an awesome view.

We made dinner around 5 pm and we were all in our tents before 6 pm. The mosquitoes for the most part had stayed away. But as it got later in the evening they came out by our tent.

It was a good day with great views and little to fewer mosquitoes.

Day 117 – Lava!
Start: Reese Lake – 1967.5
End: Lava Camp Lake – 1983.6
Miles: 16.1
Ascent: 2186 ft| Descent: 3090 ft

Start time: 6:33 am
End time: 2:25 pm
Current elevation: 5271 ft
Total PCT miles: 1246.2
Todays miles: 16.1 PCT miles + 0.3 miles to lake = 16.4

It was a rough night for Ellen. The chili mac she had for dinner did not agree with her. At one of her several nighttime bathroom runs, she lost track of the location of the tent. She spent several minutes with her headlight looking for the tent. However, once she found the trail, she found her way back.

We got a fairly early start. We had planned only 16 miles to an established campground just before McKenzie pass/hwy 242. Right away the trail was beautiful. We got to a awesome meadow with views of both South Sister and Middle Sister.

We next entered the Obsidian Limited Use Area. We believe this area was sacred to the native peoples and so camping was prohibited. The obsidian (black volcanic glass) was all over the place. We got to a very pretty meadow with glistening obsidian with North Sister in the background. We could have sat in that meadow all day.

Around 10 am we got to a the lava fields and walls. It was really beautiful. The black and red volcanic rocks stood out from the patches of snow. We hiked a steep climb that included many short switchbacks. Once at the top the scenery was unbelievable. Volcanic rock everywhere with snow and cinder cones.

We got to a ridge and we saw several of the volcanoes that we will soon be traveling past. First up is Mt. Washington, then Three Fingered Jack, then Mt. Jefferson and way in the distance was Mt. Hood. It was an awesome view.

It was getting close to lunch time when we found a nice little lake called Lower Matthieu Lake. It is a restricted area and PCT hikers were not allowed to camp at this lake and North Matthieu Lake. We had a nice lunch relaxing lunch in the strong breeze. Still, no mosquitoes to be found.

After lunch and a few minutes of hiking we ran into another Forest Service Ranger, Alyssa. She was checking permits and doing some light trail work. She explained that much of the area requires a permit to camp and there is a quota to prevent overuse. She also warned us that there were many more blowdowns ahead.

She wasn’t kidding. We accidentally got off trail by several hundred feet and had to bushwhack our way back to the trail.

Before we knew it it was 2:25 pm and we made it to Lava Camp Lake. We set up our tents at one of the walk in sites. It was really early but the next available water was 12.5 miles away and we didn’t want to go that much further today. So, we hiked 16 miles and felt good and refreshed. No guilt for relaxing and enjoying the lake and camp.

Day 118 – More lava fields!

Start: Lava Camp Lake – 1983.6
End: Big Lake Youth Camp – 1996.1
Miles: 12.5
Ascent: 1750 ft| Descent: 2270 ft

Start time: 6:11 am
End time: 12:00 pm
Current elevation at BLYC: 4697 ft
Total PCT miles: 1258.7
Total miles today: 12.5 PCT + 0.8 to camp = 13.3 miles

We got going a little earlier today because we wanted to get to Big Lake Youth Camp before lunch. Right out of camp we hit the lava fields. As we crossed McKenzie pass/hwy 242 a van stopped with the driver waving us over.and asked if we wanted muffins … oh yes we do! We talked for a few minutes and learned that he had just left the astronomical observatory nearby after shooting photos the night before. He also offered some fresh but we politely declined. Today was also All In’s birthday, so extra special for him.

After the muffins it was back to the lava fields. They are really beautiful but difficult to walk on and very hard on the shoes. The lava rocks are all kinds of sizes and it was very easy to twist an ankle. We took it easy and made it through unscathed.

As we descended into Big Lake the trail was smooth with a few blow downs. We did take a “packs off break” after hiking for four hours. Then we practically ran down the trail.

We arrived at Big Lake Youth Camp at 12 pm. This was by far the best set up we had seen for PCT hikers. There was a special building with laundry, showers, leftover camp food in fridge, plus we get to eat with the staff. All of this for a donation. We could hang out as long as we wanted but needed to camp off the property and stay out of the areas with the youth campers.

Lunch was burritos, apple slices and plantains. Delicious! We sat with the counselors and staff and got to know a few. Then it was back to the PCT Center for showers, laundry and unpack our resupply box that we had mailed there. We all even did an Epsom salt foot bath.

We hung out at the center for a few more hours taking with other hikers who came in and that we’ve seen before on trail. Right before dinner we walked to the coves and set up our tents.

Dinner was pizza and salad. Ellen had told the staff that it was All In’s birthday and the entire staff sang happy birthday to him. He got a brownie with whip cream. After dinner we went back to the center to give a donation to help keep the center open. Then it was back to our tent for bed. We didn’t get to sleep until after 8:30 pm.

It was really a nice day and the people at the Big Lake Youth Camp were so very nice. We learned that the PCT center had once been an abandoned building. A PCT hiker years ago donated the funds to fix and maintain the building with specific instructions on what was to be included such as laundry, showers, hiker box, refrigerator, towels, etc. Anything a dirty hiker might need when coming to the center.

Here is the next video!