Hamburger Wanderjung

Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

26 Big Lake Youth Camp - Cascade Locks 154 miles

Big Lake Youth Camp

Rockpile Lake 20.5 m

Whitewater Creek 18.5 m

Lemith Meadows 22.5 m

Clackamas River 20.0 m

Salmon River 22.0 m

Muddy River 15.0 m

Indian Springs 18.0 m

Cascade Locks 17.0 m

I had a very big breakfast at Big Lake Youth Camp before moving on. Near the camp there has been a very extensive forest fire a few years ago. The camp itself was spared from the flames. They had many photos and a map showing the extent of the fire. No more lava stretches from here until Canada even so the PCT runs through volcanic areas. The trail became much easier to walk.

Olallie Store is directly adjacent to PCT. There wasn't much on offer. The whole area including the store and camp had been closed until a few days ago due the forest fires. It was enough for a couple of cold drinks.

Two of my Platypus water bottles started leaking on the same day; one in the morning and the other later in the day. My sleeping bag and long johns got quite wet. Fortunately it was my outer fiber bag and not the inner down bag. I could dry both mostly during the day. Near Breitenbush Lake we could luckily hike the PCT as the trail was reopened. We did not have to take the long reroute. We were only prohibited to leave the trail or to camp in the marked area. And here I crossed the biggest continuous snow field. It was hardly worth mentioning.

We were invited by a fellow hiker to join him for breakfast at the Timberline Lodge. In total we were 13 hikers. That was a quite upscale breakfast. The film "Shining" from Stanley Kubrick was made here. Today it is a major ski resort at Mt. Hood slopes and can be reached easily by car from Portland.

Near Ramona Falls I took the old PCT. I did not want to miss the fall. It was a very nice sight. And then we took an officially closed bridge across Muddy Creek. It seemed like it was closed by the National Forest Service to stay legally on the save side. If something happens it's everyone's own fault.

As almost every other thruhiker I left the PCT and took Eagle Creek Trail to get down to the Columbia River. The first couple of miles were in a very bad shape and rather steep. Soon it became better and then I arrived at famous Tunnel Fall. The trail runs through a tunnel behind the fall. There were some sections with a hand rail for safety. The nearer to Columbia River I came the more day hikers I met. This is a well visited site from Columbia River.

Three Fingered Jack