Date: September 2, 2017
Miles: 19 miles (30.6km), from Cascade Locks to Rock Creek at mile 2,163.7.
Health: Feeling great. Love hiking with old friends again.

We wake up late as last night went kind of late. Cascade Locks is a cool little town and after about a month of not seeing almost no-one else outside of our small bubble, catching up with everyone was super fun.

As I’m laying inside my shelter and trying to collect my thoughts Fireant sends me a message saying they’re arriving in town soon. As I still have to do the resupply for the next six days, I need to start moving.

I quickly pack up all my gear and head back to the grocery store to once more do a resupply. Thanks to all the hikers in town doing their entire Washington resupply from this one small grocery store, the selection has gone way down from what it was yesterday. I scrape up what I can and hope it’s enough for the next six days.

My pack got heavy fast.

Everyone else is at the restaurant by the bridge having breakfast and I quickly make my way up there. The restaurant is full of hikers and friends but I’m most excited to see Dandelion, Fireant, and Roadrunner again! We all sit together and have breakfast while looking at the view of the Bridge of the Gods right outside the window.

Soon we’ll be in Washington!

After breakfast and charging all our electronics, everyone slowly starts to head out towards the bridge as everybody wants to get to the new state. We say goodbye to Cannonball and Storyteller as they’re staying in town for another night. LL leaves a little bit earlier as she and Indigo are having this thing where they are trying to hike solo for the first time since getting on the trail.

As Indigo stays back in the restaurant and LL has already left, I hike out with Dandelion, Fireant, Roadrunner, and Sam. We walk the short walk up on the bridge, hesitate for a bit, make sure everyone’s together, and then start making our way across. I’ve never been this happy to cross a bridge.

It’s a strange and kind of dangerous to walk on the bridge as there’s no path for foot traffic. The bridge is quite narrow and we’re forced to walk between all the cars. Thankfully all drivers give us as much space as they can.

And then we’re in Washington – the last of the three states on the PCT.

We stop for a short photo session with the bridge and the Washington state sign and then find the small path where the trail continues again. Almost immediately Washington starts kicking our asses.

Columbia River Gorge is the lowest point of the PCT and to get back up on the crest, we have a 10 mile (16km) long climb ahead of us. To add insult to the injury, our packs are heavy with a six-day food carry and since there’s no water for the next 11 miles while climbing up in the midday heat, we have to carry quite a bit of water.

For the first few miles the trail stays under tree cover but it’s still over 95 degrees (35c). As we climb higher the forest opens up and crossing the open areas in the direct sun is quite brutal and I’m sweating buckets in the burning sun.

We finally reach the water source and after filling our bottles start climbing back up. We cross paths with some trail runners who are running a 50k competition. Soon we come to an aid station for the runners and the people running the station offer us trail magic. Getting to sit under a shade and drink ice cold drinks is quite heavenly in this heat. For some reason I thought Washington would be cold and rainy.

Once we reach the top of the climb Fireant and I turn to look back towards the river gorge and see a massive tower of smoke across the river. While there were a couple of small wildfires in that direction, this smoke is way bigger and looks brand new.

(We later learn this was the moment Eagle Creek fire started).

While doing another long climb I start feeling really bonked out. I instantly notice that my salt levels are low due to all the sweating. There’s not much I can do as I didn’t bring any electrolytes since I wasn’t expecting to sweat so much as I thought Washington was the coldest and rainiest state. Thankfully Fireant is close-by and saves me with some Mio Electrolytes. I chuck half a liter of the drink mix down and almost instantly start feeling better.

Sam’s feeling low on energy too and he stops to eat while we continue hiking. To pass the time we talk about Dandy and Fireant coming to Finland next summer and plan what we’d do there. How awesome would it be if that would happen!

The sad part about getting to Washington is that it feels like we can already start to see the end of the trail and the entire adventure. One can’t help but think what will happen once the trail ends. On the other hand we reach the goal we’ve spend the last five months walking towards, but at the same time, it means the end of an amazing adventure. And most significantly, saying goodbye to all the awesome people you’ve met along the trail.

But we have still plenty of miles to cover. Soon we reach a nice river and fill up our water bottles. The trail here is beautiful–lush and green–kind of like a rainforest. I feel like I’m walking in the forests of Endor.

We hike a little down along the river and find a gorgeous spot up on a small hill overlooking the trail. The ground is soft from all the pine needles and it’s a perfect spot for cowboy camping.

We set up camp and I try to keep an eye on the trail for Sam. I’ve left my hiking pole next to the trail so he could see it in case I don’t notice him. Usually, it doesn’t take him this long to eat so I go down and ask some of the other hikers if they’ve seen him and they say Sam went by about 45 minutes ago – dang! Hopefully he doesn’t go too far and we can catch him in the morning.

As we made it to camp a bit earlier, I take the extra time to wash my socks and shorts and take a small dip in the river downstream.

We go to bed early but I stay up late and just stare up towards the sky, looking at the beautiful night sky and the thousands of stars above us. It’s moments like these I love being out here. It’s good to be in Washington.

Date: September 1, 2017
Miles: 10.5 miles (16.9km), from mile 2,134.1 to town of Cascade Locks.
Health: Well rested and feeling good.

I wake up to the sound of the girls playing Jennifer Hudson’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from their phone. It’s still pitch black in the forest but the light of the sun is slowly starting to come through the trees. We cowboy camped right on the trail and while it was a bit cramped and uneven, I feel amazing and well-rested.

Today is a big day for us! Not only is today a town day but we’re also arriving at the town of Cascade Locks, meaning we have hiked the state of Oregon and will be arriving on the Oregon – Washington border. That means later today we have hiked two of the three states of the PCT. Only around 450 miles (724 km) of Washington standing between us and the Canadian border!

Everyone’s in an extra good mood and we take a little longer to enjoy the beautiful sunrise. Soon we’re back hiking and the trail couldn’t be more beautiful. The girls and Sam are really pushing it and I have a bit of a hard time keeping up with them. My knees have been acting up lately and it takes a while for my muscles to warm up in the morning.

Soon we pop out of the forest and get our first views of the Columbia River Gorge below us. The Columbia River Gorge separates the Oregon and Washington states and reaching the Bridge of the Gods along the river is one of the major milestones of a PCT thru-hike.

So far I’ve been nothing but smiles but the trail quickly starts descending towards the river and the steep decline is killing my knees. I have to slow down as each step hurts so bad and soon I lose the sight of Sam and the girls. The downhill feels like an eternity and I find it hard to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and all the little waterfalls along the trail.

Finally, after what felt like an agonizing eternity, I reach the outskirts of the town and the steep downhill ends. My knees sigh in relief as I walk under the highway and reach the town center.

My first priority is to do the resupply for the entire state of Washington. I’m in a bit of a rush as today is Friday and I have to buy food for the next 17 days, package it and mail it all before the Post Office closes. If I can’t get all of it done by today, as next Monday is Labor Day, the next time the Post Office will be open is Tuesday. I really can’t wait for four extra days.

I get to the grocery store and try to guestimate what 17 days' worth of food would look like. Lots of mashed potatoes and candy. I leave all my food with some of the hikers outside the grocery store and head to the Post Office across the street to get boxes for the food. I’m told they’re all out of boxes so I have to head back to the store. Thankfully they find some empty boxes from the back and I get to start dividing up all the food for each section.

As I’m running out of time, I just dump and divide all the food into the boxes and run back across the street to the Post Office. After labeling and addressing all the boxes and paying for the postal fees I’m finally done with the Washington resupply. I’m definitely not a fan of sending food resupplies. It’s expensive, takes too much time and effort, and I have no idea what I want to eat in two weeks.

After all the resupply stuff I ask for my bounce box which I had shipped here earlier. The bounce box holds all my rain gear and mid-layers I need as the Washington section is notoriously rainy and as the autumn is getting closer the air is getting colder. Sadly they tell me my bounce box hasn’t arrived.

As the Post Office is closing I have no option but to ask them to bounce my box to the next town and hope it will be there once I get there.

After all the running around I’m super hungry and head to the Ale House for a combined breakfast and lunch. I meet some hikers I’ve seen before and we share a table.

This place is known for free beer for PCT hikers and their Hiker Trash Burger. The Hiker Trash Burger is a burger and bacon sandwiched between two small salami pizzas and it looks just as gross as it sounds. I had to order one!

After stuffing my face with what I can only assume is a massive amount of salt, grease, and calories, Sam and the girls soon arrive. As they’re hungry and I don’t want to be the only one not eating I order extra fries and a small burger as an appetizer. Hiker hunger is real.

We chill at the Ale House for quite some time but then decide we need some fresh air. We get some chips and PBR (cheap beer) from the store and head out to the Thunder Island along the Columbia River. For the next few hours, we lay on the soft grass, relax, enjoy the sun, and watch all the boats go by.

As the sun is starting to set, we pack up all our gear and head to the campground in the middle of the town and set up our tents. Cascade Locks is a dream town for us hikers. Everything is within a walking distance, there are great breweries around every corner, and there’s a campground right in the center of the town along the riverfront.

After the sun has gone down we message Cannonball and Storyteller and join them and few other hikers at the Thunder Island brewery. There’s good music and food, and the rest of the evening is quite blurry. I just remember laughing a lot.

But since we’re all hikers, we can’t really drink too much or stay up too late so we all soon start heading back to the campground. I don’t feel like going to sleep yet so I take my camera and a couple of leftover PBR’s and walk to the river to take some night shots of the Bridge of the Gods. Sam soon joins me and we have another late night chat while drinking beer and watching all the stars above the river.

We soon run out of beer and both of us are getting sleepy so it’s time to call it a day. We head back to our tents, say good night to the girls, and go to sleep. What an epic day today was!

Date: August 31, 2017
Miles: 30.2 miles (48.6km), from Sandy River to Benson Camp junction at mile 2,134.1.
Health: Feeling good and motivated. Feels good to be on the trail.

We wake up before the sun rises, pack all our gear and hike the remaining mile to the Ramona Falls. The falls aren’t actually on the PCT but visiting them adds so little extra mileage that it’s well worth the little side trip.

Due to the early start and sleeping so close to the falls, we arrive there so early that we have the falls all to ourselves. We take a ton of photos and pose for our yet-to-be-released album cover under the falls. The falls are gorgeous but we have a full day ahead of us so we march on. We want to reach the city of Cascade Locks by tomorrow and that means we need to do about 30 miles (48.3km) today.

Cascade Locks is our last town in Oregon and the gateway to Washington over the Bridge of Gods. Compared to how long it took us to cover California, Oregon has been a breeze. Granted, we’ve had to skip a good portion of the trail due to all the fire closures but still.

The loop trail which gets us back to the PCT from the Ramona Falls is also really pretty. The path feels like we’re in a fairytale as we walk between little mossy hills and old-growth trees. I don’t enjoy walking in a green tunnel that much but this I like!

As the loop trail is much wider than the PCT, we can walk side-by-side and this makes talking within a group so much easier. We talk about weird songs and I soon learn that I have a massive hole in my music knowledge as the girls teach me the lyrics to the Safety Dance by Men Without Hats. How have I not heard about this song before?

We soon join the PCT again and everyone kind of goes back to doing their own thing. I hike mostly alone but catch up to LL and Sam when they’re crossing a river over two fallen trees.

After the exciting morning, the rest of the day feels kind of slow. Some days you feel like you’re not making any progress and today’s one of those. The trail is pretty uneventful and doesn’t have many views other than Mt. Hood occasionally popping up between the trees.

After more time in the forest, I stumble out of the forest on to a forest road and find everyone enjoying some trail magic. We enjoy sitting in chairs and some fresh fruits and vegetables. I also join some of the guys and end up downing a couple of beers – not the greatest decision. As I haven’t had much alcohol in a long time, I get an instant buzz which isn’t so nice when you have a mountain to climb in the mid-day heat.

After the trail magic the trail climbs up and the views get much nicer. Hiking along the top of the mountains on the ridgeline is exactly the kind of hiking I came here to do. My mood gets instantly better and the light buzz I was feeling earlier disappears.

At some point I notice a smoke bloom appear down to the left of the trail, on the opposite side of the valley. From where I’m standing it doesn’t look big until I see the helicopters and see how tiny they are in comparison to the smoke. The fire doesn’t look too bad but, oh boy, what a year it has been.

Soon the trail dips back down to the forest and I find Sam and LL on a snack break by a small lake. The same lake is used by the helicopters to get water to put out the fire I just saw. Indigo soon arrives as well and we eat while watching the helicopters fly back and forth.

We leave as the sun is starting to set and we still have miles to cover. The trail stays lower and we occasionally get a good view of the fire we saw earlier. It has spread a little but looks to be mainly smoldering now. If there’s something positive about all the smoke from the fires it’s that the sunsets are absolutely gorgeous. Again we watch all the yellow and pinkish hues of the sky as the sun slowly drops below the horizon.

We put our headlamps on and keep walking.

After walking so much in the dark we often opt to walk as close to each other as we can. This way we have more light around us and you don’t feel as surrounded by the darkness as you’d feel just by yourself. This also makes for some good storytimes and today is no exception. We hike long into the night and amuse ourselves with all kinds of stories.

Well past midnight we finally reach the 30-mile marker and decide to call it a night. Sadly there aren’t any camp spots close by so after some searching we end up camping right on a small side-trail intersecting with the PCT. As there’s no room to set up anything we all just pile up together on a small flat part of the trail and cowboy camp on the dirt.

Today was a long day but it was well worth it. We had fun and tomorrow we’re done with Oregon. Only one more state left!

Date: August 30, 2017
Miles: 9.6 miles (15.4km), from Timberline Lodge to Sandy River at mile 2,103.9.
Health: Feeling really fresh, motivated, and well rested.

I wake up late, around 8 am, and hear the others are already up. It was hard falling asleep last night as I haven't done any kind of physical activity for the past couple of days. My body is so used to hiking long days that just walking around town and doing city chores is not enough activity to tire me out.

Indigo makes us all a really good breakfast and as Kenny plays us some Ween on the stereos, we pack our gear and start heading out. Today we need to get from Bend to Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood. As the trail is closed due to wildfires, Kenny has graciously offered to drive us there. It's about two and a half-hour drive one way.

We load all five of us, plus our gear, into the car and start driving. The air is really bad today. There's no visibility and the smoke is hurting my eyes.

The drive goes by quick and we soon start seeing the shape of Mt. Hood between the smoke. As we get closer the air suddenly clears up and we see blue sky. It feels so good to be able to properly breathe again.

The Timberline Lodge is famous among thru-hikers for the all-you-can-eat breakfast and lunch buffet. We missed the breakfast but after the drive from Bend, we're all ready for lunch. The Lodge is also famous for being the place where they shot some of the exterior shots for the movie The Shining.

As we drive up to the lodge the place looks amazing! The massive wooden building stands right below Mt. Hood with views towards the mountain, and down towards Mt. Jefferson far in the distance. I'm so glad that the air is clearer today and we can see the views around us.

As we go inside the lodge, we discover it's built like a maze. On the way here I messaged with Cannonball and Storyteller and I know they're both here, I just can't find them as getting anywhere is like a miniature puzzle. Eventually, I pump into Storyteller on one of the many staircases and we hug and exchange trail stories. She's heading down but tells me Cannonball is right up the same staircase.

I climb up and find Cannonball sitting there. She’s wearing her headphones so I get to surprise her. I've missed these two for so long. They've left me messages on the trail registers along the way and we finally caught up.

Cannonball and Storyteller have already eaten so they stay back while everyone else heads towards the lunch buffet. We get our table and just a quick glance towards the food selection tells us this is going to be pretty awesome.

For the next few hours, we stuff our faces with all the delicious foods and deserts the restaurant offers – it's so good! Having the hiker hunger really comes handy at places like this.

After lunch, we wander around the lodge for a while and then Kenny needs to head back to Bend. We thank him for his help and say our goodbyes.

We should get back on the trail as well but none of us want to leave this place so soon. A day doesn’t feel like enough time to enjoy the lodge and I really want to come back here again. Preferably during winter!

To get the most out of the Lodge we go get drinks at the bar, play some table tennis, goof around with the axe from The Shining and just wander around the place.

The tempo of our hike has changed a bit and this allows us to spend a little bit more time in places like this. Due to all the fire-closures and having to skip around them, we went from being in a rush to get to Canada before winter, to having more than enough time to comfortably make it.

We've all realized that in less than a month this epic adventure is coming to an end and as that happens, we all need to go back to our regular lives. While for the past four months I've dreamed of nothing but reaching the monument, now, as it's getting closer, I don't want the hike to end so soon. I want to keep this adventure going, seeing new places every day, and spending every single moment of the day in the beautiful wilderness. And most of all, I want to keep having fun with all the wonderful people I've had the privilege and pleasure to share this trail with.

I know that once we reach the monument and have our celebrations, we might have a few days together in Vancouver, and then everyone slowly but surely starts heading back to their homes. Some of us go back to Europe, some to Australia, and most to different states around the US. And I'm going to miss all these people so much.

When you hike with someone day in and day out for months on end, you get to know them on a deeper level. You see people at their truest selves, at their weakest moments, when they’re absolutely exhausted and tired, and at the highest of their highs. And you have nothing but time to talk all day. You feel a different kind of connection with the people you hike with than you could ever form with anyone in normal life.

But now it's time for us to get back on the trail. Cannonball and Storyteller stay back at the lodge and we meet either later in the evening on the trail, or at Cascade Locks the day after tomorrow. Indigo, LL, Sam, and I head back on the trail.

The trail follows around the base of Mt. Hood and it's really easy to walk on. We make quick miles and run into a lot of day and section hikers along the way. The scenery is beautiful and the trail well-graded, no wonder there are so many people on the trail.

We wanted to do a little over 10 miles to the Ramona Falls but run out of daylight and decide to camp just under a mile short along a gorgeous river, looking up on Mt. Hood. We set up for the night, eat dinner and tell stories until it gets dark and then fall asleep under the starry skies while listening to the sounds of the river.

I'm going to miss moments like these.

Date: August 27 – 29, 2017
Miles: -
Health: Well rested. 

After a good night's sleep under the sink in the small two-person motel room the five of us shared, we all have breakfast and then head out to wander around the city of Bend. Our first stop is visiting the local REI for some gear purchases. I need to replace my shorts as they’re pretty much destroyed at this point and I’m afraid they’ll rip apart at any moment.

We ride around town on Uber and spend all day in different outdoor shopping malls and restaurants. People here seem to enjoy outdoors, good food and beer. I could definitely see myself living here. The proximity to the surrounding beautiful mountains doesn’t hurt.

The Patagonia Strider Pro shorts are all sold-out at REI so while we’re eating at a taco place close to the city center, I visit the Patagonia store close by and find the shorts but only in size small. They’re a bit tight but have to do as for some reason the Strider Pro’s are sold out everywhere.

We spend the day doing nothing particular but it’s just so much fun to hang out with everyone again. To finish the day we stuff our faces full with burgers and milkshakes at the Five Guys next to our motel and then head back to our room to watch some Netflix.

The next morning Dandy, Fireant, Roller, and Roadrunner head back out to the trail. I’m staying back as I promised Sam and the girls I’d wait for them in Bend. It’s hard to say goodbye to everyone as it took me so long to finally catch up to them, but I also miss Sam, Indigo, and LL.

I decide to stay at the same motel for the next night as there are good stores for resupplying close by, and the Five Guys next door. I wander around town for a bit and meet some trail friends for lunch. In the evening I visit the Five Guys again and stuff myself full. With the milkshake to-go, I head back to the motel to rest and work on some blog posts.

The next morning I do a gear shakedown and get rid of some extra gear I have no use for anymore, like the Thermarest Z Lite sleeping pad. I don’t like how the Z Lite fits inside the Pa’lante so I’ve carried a torso length part of the 1/8’’ Thinlight pad since Sierra as my back panel for my backpack.

I don’t like how the Z Lite sits on top of my backpack so I’m opting to sleep solely on the 1/8’’ (3mm) Thinlight. I’m a little hesitant about how well I’ll sleep on such a thin pad, but the best way to find out is to have no other option.

Soon I get a message from Sam telling me they’re on their way to Bend. Indigo’s family friend lives in Bend and they’ve offered to take us all in. They pick me up and we head to Jenny and Kenny’s place. They live a little outside the center in a beautiful house. While the others do all their off-trail chores, I take the opportunity to play with Jenny and Kenny’s dog Rico.

After everyone’s reasonably clean, we head back to town and visit the breweries and get our resupplies done for the next section. While we come out of the grocery store the air is suddenly covered in smoke. The wind changed its direction and blew all the smoke from the wildfires over the city. It gets hard to breathe and nobody wants to spend any time outdoor. We go to bed early and get ready for getting back on the trail tomorrow.

Date: August 26, 2017
Miles: -
Health: -

I wake up later than usual as I only have a short hike to the Shelter Cove Resort where I’m meeting up with the others. I’m quickly out of camp as I’m planning to make it to the resort for breakfast. Using Halfmile’s app I get back on the trail and keep on hiking.

The trail goes by a horse camp and as I spot a pit toilet I do a quick stop to get some morning business done. After I’m finished I get back on the trail. Soon the trail crosses a short dirt path. I see a little, unused footpath leading to the left and the trail leading to the right.

The footpath leading to the left is too small to be the OST but I keep my eye on the Halfmile app to make sure I’m not getting on the wrong trail. After about a half a mile the app still says I’m on the trail so I’m happy and put the phone away.

The trail keeps following along the Crescent Lake and keeps turning to the east. I’m fairly certain I should be going to the west so I take out my phone to double-check. Halfmile’s app still says I’m on the trail but something feels off. I keep walking but I can’t help feeling like I’m going in the wrong direction.

Soon the trail gets right next to a paved road and I get a little bit of cell signal. I manage to download just enough map tiles to confirm I’m heading in the wrong direction. I restart Halfmile’s app and now it’s telling me I’m over two miles off-trail – great!

Looking at the map there’s a mountain between me and the OST. Not wanting to backtrack all the way back as that would cost me almost two hours, I decide to do a short road walk to the bigger road and hitch a ride to Highway 58 and to hitch from there to Odell Lake from where I should be able to walk to the resort.

As it’s early in the morning and I’m on a small forest road, there aren’t any cars going to my direction and I end up walking all the way to a bigger road. Finally, I get a hitch on a bed of a truck to Highway 58. As I’m getting dropped off at the intersection I realize this might have been a bad idea. Not only do I look very out of place here, but it also doesn’t look like a spot anyone would pick up a dirty guy in short shorts and a backpack.

But before hitching, I need to get some food so I head into one of the roadside diners for a late breakfast. My thru-hiker uniform (tiny shorts, shirt, and a backpack) and dirty appearance get some funny looks from the denim glad truckers so I make sure to answer as loudly as I can when the waitress asks me what I’m doing here. After hearing what I’m doing, I have some nice conversations about the trail with the other occupants.

I try to clean myself up in the bathroom and get out to try hitch a ride. After over an hour of no takers, I start to get desperate. Realizing I might not get a ride to the resort, and feeling really shitty about the entire morning, I decide to try to get away from the highway and see if I can get a ride to the next location – Elk Lake Resort.

I roadwalk along the highway for about 3 miles (4.8km) to an intersection and in a couple of minutes I get a ride. Not only do I get a ride but Christopher, an avid hiker, is on his way to pick up his girlfriend – a PCT hiker – from Elk Lake Resort.

There’s a fire closure which has closed the trail from Elk Lake forward all through the Three Sister Wilderness – one of the highlights of the Oregon section of the PCT. My plan is to wait for the others at Elk Lake and then hitch with them to Bend.

When we get to Elk Lake Resort I get my stuff and step out but I’m immediately told to get back in and that we’re going straight to Bend. Pipes, Christopher’s girlfriend, tells me to hop on and before I have time to think we’re all heading to Bend.

I send out some messages and learn that Dandy, Fireant, Roller, and Roadrunner are in Bend. While this day has been a disaster so far regarding hiking, at least I get to see these guys! I send Sam a message briefly telling him I got lost, ended up getting a ride all the way to Bend, and that I’d wait for them there.

Once in Bend, I get dropped off where everyone is eating and soon we’re reunited. Rest of the day is spent eating, getting a motel, and enjoying many of the breweries in Bend.

In hindsight, this day was a chain of poorly made decisions by me – made worse by being tired and the decision to not eat breakfast. Luckily I was close to the civilization and all it cost me was missing about 46 trail miles (74km), some pointless road walking and bruises to my ego.

Date: August 25, 2017
Miles: 31.2 miles (50.2km), from Thielsen Creek to Windigo Pass and from there along the Oregon Skyline Trail alternate to Crescent Lake.
Health: Feeling good.

We wake up early to try to get most of the 22 mile (35.4km) dry section done before it gets hot. Everyone else was up except for Topo. I go over to see if I can wake him up. As he doesn’t wake up I write him a note to let him know what our plan for the day is. Just as I’m about to leave the note he wakes up and we have a short chat.

We walk back to the creek to get water for the dry section. I camel up a bit and then fill up 2.75 liters, my full water capacity. I wasn’t expecting Oregon to be this dry so I got rid of my extra water bottles.

We’re hiking before 6 am and the trail is soft and easy, just like yesterday. The air is nice and cool — we make easy miles. On the way, we meet a few southbounders and hear there’s still plenty of water left at Windigo Pass — our next water source.

After a few hours, we reach the highest point of the PCT in Oregon and Washington. At 7560 feet (2,304m) it doesn’t feel that high. The fact that the point is also on a small hill doesn’t help. We take a quick snack break and then keep on hiking.

Even if the trail isn’t anything special today, the mood is high. Sam and the girls are getting along well and having more people around makes the time fly faster.

At one point Topo catches up to us. With all the talking and taking breaks, our pace has been a little slower than usual.

While hiking along a ridgeline I find some cell reception and make a call to Finland to discuss some work related stuff. I still don’t have any idea what I want to do after the trail when I get back home, but it’s time to start figuring something out.

I spend over an hour on the phone and once I’m finished, start hiking again. I hike for less than a minute to find everyone else having a lunch break not far from where I was sitting talking on the phone. They are already finishing and ready to leave so I take out some snacks and hike out with the others.

The trail is easy and I soon reach Windigo Pass with over a liter of water left. That was an easy dry section. There’s a well-stocked water cache at the pass and once everyone arrives, we stop for a second lunch.

I’ve read comments and recommendations about an alternate called Oregon Skyline Trail (OST) from Windigo Pass. The alternate cuts about 7 miles (11.2km) loop off from PCT and is supposed to be nice. While I feel like seeing something new, others want to stick to the PCT. We agree to meet up at Shelter Cove Resort the next day.

While the others continue straight on the PCT, I take a right from the pass and soon find the OST. After a short dirt road, the trail heads back into the forest and is pretty easy to follow. This is great since I don’t have a map for this trail and I’m following directions on an app called Halfmile. The app tells you when and where to turn, and whether you’re on or off the trail.

While I’ve been hiking alone a lot on the PCT, it never felt like I was actually alone. The PCT is so well traveled that if I’d sit down, someone would surely come by soon. The OST feels much less traveled and I don’t see any hikers at all. It feels kind of nice to really be alone on the trail.

At one point I have to stop to get some of the volcanic sand out of my shoes and socks. The volcanic sand gets everywhere and is really hard on your feet. I add some Leukotape to my feet and keep hiking.

I come to a fork on the trail and as the app doesn’t mention this I hesitate for a moment. The path to the right looks more worn out and it would make sense that would be the OST. I head to the right but keep my eye on the Halfmile app to see if I’ve left the trail. After about 500 feet (150m) the app says I’m off-trail. I walk back to the fork and head left. I keep checking the app every few minutes but it says I’m on the trail so I’m happy.

I soon make it to Crescent Lake where I had planned to camp and I’m almost done with the OST alternate. From here on it’ll be a short walk to Shelter Cove and I’ll be there early next morning way before the others. I made good time on the easy trail.

As I don’t have a map, and there are no signs, I can’t find the campsite mentioned in the trail notes. After walking around on a small forest road I find some people camping with a big horse trailer. I walk over to ask for directions.

The people seem surprised to see me and before I get directions they offer me food and cold beverages. It’s really hard to say no and I soon find myself sitting on a lawn chair with an ice cold beer and a nice big burger. We talk about the trail and they tell me about the horses and all the work they do here. Before I notice it’s getting dark and I have to find a place to sleep.

I apologize for having to leave so early and start heading out to find a spot for the night. Before I leave they fill up my water bottles and hand me one more cold beer for the night. I thank them for all their hospitality and then head on.

I find a nice camp spot close by and set up my shelter. I drink the ice cold beer while laying in my sleeping bag, all nice and warm with my tummy full of burger. This was a lovely surprise.