Day 94: Walter and Ethel go for a woodland waddle

Day 94 – 8/6/16

Lemeti creek 2052.09 to 2079.27

Total miles: 27.18

We wake up at 6 and start to pack up as quiet as we can. Which is not quiet at all. Lots of rustling. I’m sure the other hikers hate us. I eat my pop tart as I wait for Tami to finish. I pour out the crumbs behind this log I’m sitting against. A few minutes later a Gray jay flies down and picks up a crumb. I pick up a piece and hold out my hand and channel my inner Disney Princess. A few seconds later one lands in my hand and picks up the piece. So cool. I’m a regular pocahontas.

Tami finishes up and we crunch our way over dead fall and leave the camp. We start walking and I see a huckleberry patch full of big berries. I couldn’t resist and ate a handful. They taste so good!

Today was kind of boring scenery wise. Just a green tunnel. No spectacular views. At least for most of the day. There was lots of stopping to scavenge for huckleberries though. We crossed a dirt road and power lines and when we got back into the trees we stopped for a lunch break. Tami had too much food so she made me a hot meal. Corn Chowder. Was pretty good. We sat there for awhile and relaxed. Tami made a call on her satellite phone and I wandered around to deplete the local huckleberry supply.

We got up from our unexpectedly long break and continued on. I make lots of old man noises and say “Walter isn’t happy!” We entered Mt Hood wilderness and then crossed a paved road which had a neat PCT archway.

After we crossed the road the trail started to go by Timothy Lake. Tons of people! People everywhere. People on the far side where there were cars and a boat launch. On our side there were huge tents with boats on the small beach shore. So many civilians.

The trail was also covered in horse poop. It really annoys me that horse owners can get away with that. Where is the Leave no Trace outrage for that? This lady and her daughter pass by us on their horse heading south on the trail. We walk a but further and I see smoke on the side of the trail in an old tree stump roots. I can see it smoldering good. What the heck?! What’s wrong with all these nobletts? I use my precious life giving water and channel my inner Smokey the Bear since only I can prevent forest fires.

We pass all these fantastic places to camp but they are full of civilians and their giant tents and we still have another 4 or 5 miles to go. We come to where it looks like the trail was rerouted. There is a nice flat spot and so we stop to have dinner before continuing up to our camp spot. Tami makes me beef stroganoff. It was really good. We sit and relax for a bit watching the civilians walk by. A couple dudes walk by with logs. Why? For a fire? There is dead fall and logs everywhere. Nobletts.

A girl PCT hiker walks up and asks if we are camping here. We say no just a break and we are leaving soon if she wants the spot. Her name is Last Call and we talk for a bit. She tells us about the lady and her daughter on their horses and how the lady asked Last Call if she could pick up her lighter that fell on the ground. Last Call said she reeked of weed. Smoke pot and ride horses with your young daughter. Great parenting skills.

We say goodbye to Last Call and plod up the last few miles to our camp spot. It’s uphill and we both are pretty tired. We come across a flat spot big enough for two and decide to stay instead of risking another situation like last night.

We set up our tents and talk for a bit before I start typing up a storm since I couldn’t write last night. We also compare our nasty feet. Tami then brings up that  our feet and legs are probably covered in horse fecal matter. As I’m touching my feet. Wonderful.