Paul Gerald - Day and Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon

Map Key

Trail Name

Part 1 SOUTH
California Border to Mount Thielsen

Part 2 CENTRAL
Willamette Pass to Santiam Pass

Part 3 NORTH
Mount Jefferson to Columbia River

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Day & Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon

2nd EDITION 2012

Copyright 2012, 2007 by Paul Gerald

Front cover photos copyright 2012 by Paul Gerald

Interior photos by the author

Maps and elevation profiles: Scott McGrew, Paul Gerald, and Steve Jones

Cover design and interior design: Ian Szymkowiak (Palace Press International)

Editor: Laura Shauger

ISBN 978-0-89997-689-1

Manufactured in

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Distributed by Publishers Group West

Cover photos: Main: Observation Peak ()

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map.

Dedication

TO THE PCT AND EVERYBODY WHO MAKES IT, MAINTAINS IT, PROTECTS IT, AND HIKES IT

The PCT crosses Dutton Creek on the way to the Crater Lake Rim ().

Acknowledgments

T HIS WHOLE PCT THING , for me, started with my friend Corky Corcoran. Hes the one who told me he was hiking across Oregon and asked if I wanted to go. That led to my quitting my job at an insurance company, selling off a bunch of my stuff, giving up my apartment, and spending four weeks in the woods. That trip ultimately led to the first edition of this book, which came out in 2007. For that one, I also thank the Fainos, Steve Moellering and his wife Diana, the Towanda Clan, Craig Schuhmann, the Thursday Night Boys, Jean Nelson, Beth McNeil, Jane Garbisch, Jim Sifferle, and Steve Queen.

Also, some fellow guidebook authors and their work must be acknowledged, because they helped fill in some gaps when I was sitting at my desk in November, wishing I had taken better notes back in August. Jeffrey P. Schaeffer and Andy Selters wrote Pacific Crest Trail, the definitive work for thru-hiking the PCT, and I leaned heavily on their OregonWashington volume. William Sullivans 100 Hikes series was helpful, as was Megan McMorriss Oregon Hiking. And if you see anything here about why a thing or place is called what its called, that came straight from the incomparable Oregon Geographical Names, sixth edition, by Lewis A. McArthur.

For this second edition, a whole new batch of helpers emerged, mainly to review the text and make sure I wasnt directing anybody off of a cliff. They included David Grimes at Crater Lake National Park, as well as Forest Service staffers Christy Martin, Mark Ellis, and Randy Menke. The bulk of the help came from the lovely people at the Pacific Crest Trail Association, starting with Executive Director Liz Bergeron and regional coordinators Ian Nelson and Dana Hendricks. Eventually these section volunteers looked at my scribbles: Kate Beardsley, Bill Carpenter, Brian Briggs, Paul Martin Smith, Ernie Strahm, Roberta Cobb, Ron Goodwin, Kim Owen, Leif Hoven, and John Vhay. And it was really cool to run into Isaac Daniel on the trail in Three Sisters.

If I missed anybody, its only because my brain doesnt work righttoo much time sleeping on the ground, I suppose.

Preface

I TS USUALLY ABOUT THE THIRD DAY OF A TRIP when I start to feel comfortable. The first day Im tired, the second I feel dirty, but somewhere around the third I start to adjust. My muscles get the hang of it, I get into the rhythm of the hiking life, and a plunge in a lake fulfills the purpose of a shower. Thats when the trail mind kicks in, and from there on out, life gets simpler and simpler, the senses more and more open, the days grander and grander.

Its my sincere hope that this book will lead you down the same path. If youve never hiked much or never backpacked, what youre holding can be a key to getting started. You could begin with some easy hikes, build up to an overnighter, maybe string a few together for a longer trip, and soon find yourself comfortable exploring Oregons wondrous Pacific Crest Trailor not. You can also use this book to day hike to the trails highlights. And if youre an experienced hiker or backpacker, I hope this book will give you some ideas for places to go that you didnt know about.

Either way, another goal of mine is to bring you a step or two into the world of the PCT. It isnt just a trail; its a subculture, a tribe, a way of life, a state of mind. Its a whole new way of looking at places. For example, we all know about Timberline Lodge, and we all know about Crater Lake. And we think of it as, say, a five-hour drive between the two. What I want you to do is see these places as a long-distance PCT hiker sees them: as about a two-week walk during which you will skirt the edge of towering peaks like Mount Thielsen, pass through glorious meadows near the Three Sisters, plunge into the lakes of the Olallie Basin, and slog over peak after ridge after butte. Thats why, throughout this book, Ive tried to tell you what a thru-hiker thinks of a place, or how many trail miles it is between points. Who knows? You might get so hooked you decide to hike all the way across Oregon; nothing would make me happier.

Writing a book is frankly not a lot of fun. Researching it? Sure. Driving around the state, writing off your expenses, going on hikes, camping out, dragging friends out with you, making new ones, seeing favorite places again, finding new ones all wonderful. Sitting for hours at your desk, with the November rain lashing the windows and nobody around but you and the computer and a pile of notes, maps, and photos? Not so fun. Hurts the neck too.

But as I write these chapters and sort through these photos, my mind wanders back onto the trail; it also has a fine habit of forgetting the fatigue, filth, and pain. I remember the butterflies swarming around the Twin Lakes, the waterfalls around Paradise Park, the clouds swirling around Mount Jefferson, the sunset from Observation Peak, the coyote at Timothy Lake, the elk at Crater Lake, and all the fine people I met along the way. Sometimes it all becomes a warm, comfortable blur that takes in the whole statea single trail, a single experience that stretches from the Siskiyous to the Columbia River, all the way across this amazing state were so lucky to call home.