~Timberline Lodge to Cascade Locks.

Miles 2,099 – 2,150.

Days 101 – 104.

After Mount Hood, the Pacific Crest Trail drops dramatically. The trail reaches its lowest point at Cascade Locks, a mere 140 feet above sea level. Here, the northbound hikers cross the Columbia River, on the border of Oregon and Washington.

Day 101

It was very windy where I slept, on the side of Mount Hood. As the sun rose, I found my quilt, gear, and face covered in a fine layer of sand from the gusty night. By the morning light, I could also see the ski lifts going up the semi-permanent snowfield on the side of the volcano. I’d seen some bright lights on the mountain last night and wondered if it was a hiker climbing the peak. It seemed too high to be a car. Now, I realized it was likely a snowcat grooming the ski trails – in mid-August!

Swish and I packed up and hiked one mile to Timberline Lodge. There, I ran into AC and Snake Eyes. We all gorged ourselves at the All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet. Afterwards, we all felt too tired and full to keep hiking. So we lounged around in the main room of the lodge. While at the lodge, I also picked up my resupply package that I shipped to Guest Services at the ski area.

In fact, I lounged around the lodge for most of the day. In the late afternoon, the four of us set off down the trail.

The PCT cut a semicircle around the side of Mount Hood. I recently heard a thru-hiker refer to Mount Hood as “the sand castle”. And I can see why. The lower parts of this mountain consist of huge slopes made of loose sand. Melt water from the snowfields up top feeds many rivers, which drain in all directions off the top of the volcano. The running water erodes deep valleys into the mountainside, with many waterfalls. Consequently, my evening miles were quite beautiful.

After a long downhill off the side of Mount Hood, we all stopped and made camp near a small creek. It was an unplanned shorter day. But a good one.

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Day 102

Today was a day of waterfalls and wild berries. The day began with a side trail to visit Ramona Falls. This is a relatively short waterfall on a small creek. But what makes it interesting is the blocky basalt rocks underlying the waterfall. The water bounces down the stacked pillars of dark black rock in a mesmerizing display sure to entertain any geology enthusiast.

I made my way back to the PCT on the side (“blue blaze”) trail. After that, it was several miles of ridge-top walking. This section of the PCT reminds me a lot of the Appalachian Trail. The trail followed a forested ridge with plants in the understory that looked suspiciously like rhododendrons seen in the southern Appalachians. It was even misty today, reminding me of the weather out east.

When the trees opened up occasionally, I caught some great views looking back at Mount Hood. I also caught my first glimpse of the next volcanoes to the North; Mount Adams and Mount St Helens. The two massive mountains appear tiny on the horizon. But soon I’ll see them from closer by.

The best parts of this moist forest were the many delicious wild berries in the understory. Everything seems to be ripe right now: huckleberries, thimbleberries, salmon berries, and blackberries. With shrubs overhanging onto the trail, I enjoyed snacking as I walked.

In the evening, I opted to diverge from the PCT and take the Eagle Creek side trail for 15 miles. This is a popular alternative route, as it goes by several waterfalls. But to get there, I had to descend several thousand feet on a loose, steep trail through a lightly charred burn area. Not my knees’ favorite activity.

Once I made it down the descent, I was rewarded with stunning views of Seven Mile and Twister Falls. Most excitingly, the trail went behind Tunnel Falls – in a manmade tunnel blasted out through the rocks behind the waterfall. I had the song Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls by TLC in my head the whole time.

Shortly after Tunnel Falls, I made camp on the side trail. I’m just a few miles from Cascade Locks. Tomorrow morning I’ll hike into town. Conveniently, almost coincidentally, tomorrow is the first day of PCT trail days – a hiking festival that takes place in Cascade Locks each year. Hikers from all over converge on this small town to celebrate long-distance hiking and the PCT. I don’t really know what to expect, but I know that I’m going to be hiking into town just in time for the festivities.

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Day 103

The day started with a downhill walk along Eagle Creek. The creek is deep in a ravine, which is filled with thick fog overnight. The misty morning miles flew by, and soon I found myself walking on a paved bike trail alongside a highway into Cascade Locks.

Eagle Creek feeds into the Columbia River, which separates Oregon from Washington. The Bridge of the Gods spans the river and Cascade Locks sits on the Oregon side. I headed into town, which was already filled with hikers. That’s because today and tomorrow are Pacific Crest Trail Days!

PCT Days is a 2-day festival celebrating long-distance hiking and the Pacific Crest Trail. Thru-hikers, former thru-hikers, locals, and outdoor enthusiasts from all around the area flock to the tiny town. There are booths from many outdoor brands, food trucks, and a beer garden.

But best of all it’s a big reunion. Current thru-hikers hitch up or back to trail days from wherever they are on the trail. I was lucky that I timed my thru-hike to walk into Trail Days rather than getting a ride there.

I was excited to be reunited with many of the hikers I’d met along the way but hadn’t seen in a while. These included Dylan, who I camped with the first 3 nights, GTA, who I hiked with for most of the desert, Stealth, who I leapfrogged with for the first 900 miles of the trail, Gordo, who I met at Deep Creek Hot Springs, Miranda, a friend from back home who is thru-hiking this year too, Cheeky and Cherry, who I hiked with at the end of the Sierras, and Presto, who I hadn’t seen since near the California-Oregon border.

I also stopped by the Gossamer Gear tent at the festival. It was cool to see the brand new version of my backpack – so clean compared to the one that’s traveled well over 2,000 miles with me. The Gossamer Gear folks even hooked me up with a brand new hip belt for my pack!

In the evening, I took the $1 bus over to the neighboring town of Hood River, where I stayed in a hotel with Stag, 100 Grand, and Swish. I hadn’t really planned to stay the night. But the weather was dreary and the company was good. So I decided to put off hiking into Washington until tomorrow.

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Day 104

Well, I didn’t walk into Washington today either. I’m unsure how I fooled myself into thinking I wasn’t zeroing for trail days. But today I didn’t hike and enjoyed another day off in the Cascade Locks area for the two-day trail festival.

Over breakfast, I caught up with Sian (now trail-named Siren), whom I hadn’t seen since Deep Creek Hot Spring. After, I headed back to the Trail Days grounds for the afternoon. It wasn’t the most eventful day, and there wasn’t any hiking involved, but I felt like it was an experience that added value to my thru-hike.

In the evening, I tried to hitch back to the hotel in Hood River. While I had my thumb out, some locals walked by on the sidewalk. They offered me a ride, asked me about my trip, and even bought me a soda for the drive!

This time, I mean it when I say I’ll walk into Washington tomorrow. The vibes among the hikers at the Oregon-Washington border is quite the contrast to the California-Oregon border. When we reached Oregon, everyone said “We’re in Oregon! I can’t wait to go fast!”. Now everyone says, “We’re in Washington! I can’t wait to slow down!” Many of us are realizing we are approaching the end and want to savor it. So far, I’m off to a good start.