Start point
Timberline Lodge Campground, mile 2099.6
End point
Tentsite at mile 2124
Miles hiked
24.6
Wilderness area
Mount Hood National Forest
Mount Hood Wilderness
People I met
Bobcat and Ariel, Snickers’ tramily
Evelyn
The day on trail
It was such a lazy morning. I loved it. There was a little cell service, so I wasted some hours on social media and did some writing in my journal. I edited some photos.
The plan is to meet up with Ketchup around 10:30, so we can get the tail end of the breakfast buffet and the beginning of the lunch buffet. We want that food!
I slept well, despite how windy it was. But my tent had a great lookout over the mountains.
I packed up and headed down to the lodge. It was maybe 1/3 of a mile. Easy walk. The side trails from the parking lot were a little difficult to navigate, but I found it.
Welcome to the Timberline Lodge. Where they filmed the exterior of the house in The Shining.
It was so cool. The inside was carved stone with lots of old ski and hiking tools for decor. It had a preserved room and historical plaque.
I plugged in my battery bank, headlamp, and phone. I wanted to get everything topped off while I could. Even though I’m just a couple days away from my next chance at charging, it’s just good to recharge in case something happens.
Ketchup got there and we caught up a little. I got her oriented where the wall plugs are so she could top off, too.
We got a table and then Vibes and Splash arrived. We gave them hugs and asked them to join us. There were a few others there who we knew. Mostly, we just wanted to eat.
So we did. Coffee (decaf for me) and water for everyone.
Breakfast was good. Lunch was better.
When they brought the check, they tried to charge us for both coffee and soda. Their excuse was that it was a compromise since we ate at both the breakfast and lunch buffets. Supposedly the drinks were included, and they never told us we should only be at one. The host even told us we were welcome to stay for lunch.
Whatever. It’s pretty obnoxious to be seen as just a cash cow to these businesses. Oh well. We ate our share, and then some.
It was about time for me to get going because I had another 24+ miles to go and now I’d be slow from an overly full belly.
Ketchup and I went to the courtyard and walked around and talked. We cried and hugged. I’m really going to miss her. She was such a strong, wonderful figure in my hike. Us taking care of each other and looking out for each other is something I’ll cherish forever. I’ll cherish her forever.
But I had to hike. It’s what I’m here for. This view of Mt. Jefferson reminded me of that.
This part of the trail overlaps with the Timberline Trail. It’s 41 miles and circumnavigates Mt. Hood. It overlaps the PCT for about 16 miles. I’ll cover all that, plus more today.
The views of Mt. Hood were nice. But this wasn’t exactly the most beautiful side of the mountain, according to people who were on the trail.
There was a cool area where water was seeping out of the ground.
The trail descended to a small creek.
There was a cool little overlook that I stopped at. I met Bobcat and Ariel, two of Snickers’ trail family.
Shortly after crossing that glacial river at the bottom, the PCT and the Timberline Trail split apart and I was no longer hiking with the slow bubble. As nice as it is to hike around others, I missed my solitude.
I found some mushrooms. So, yes, Oregon is still delivering.
Then I came upon Ramona Falls. They were stunning. And so, so busy. Like, so busy. There were people in camp chairs just sitting there watching them like Netflix.
It took a ridiculously long time to be able to get just me in a photo. It was so crowded. There was even a couple of guys who had a can that had sticks and a campfire. Which was wholly illegal and dangerous. And I let them know they shouldn’t because the last thing Mt. Hood National Park needs is a freaking fire.
Tired of the crowd, I left quickly. I also had more ground to cover, but Ramona is such an iconic spot it would’ve been nice to hang longer.
There was another creek.
I crossed it on a narrow bridge with a single handhold.
I freaking love these kinds of bridges. Way too much.
Oh, here’s the marker for where all the people at the falls came from.
And, other than the falls, the reason they didn’t go the direction I did.
I sailed across the log. I couldn’t have done that months ago. Who am I?
I came across a weird cutout tree.
Some questions just don’t have answers. Or at least, answers immediately available. To me. I wouldn’t know who to ask why and what that was done for.
The sun was going down and I was losing light. I turned around and caught a beautiful angle of Mt. Hood.
I can’t believe I came from there!
I didn’t want to run in too late, so I kept on. I had another 9-10 miles to go, so I pushed on.
I got to camp a little after dark. It was quiet. I was alone. It was perfect.
Tomorrow I’ll reach Cascade Locks. Tomorrow I’ll be done with Oregon. Tomorrow I’ll be ready to cross into Washington.
My next big mental challenge is up next: crossing Bridge of the Gods. A metal grate bridge over the Columbia River Gorge. I’ll have to deal with my fear of heights while handling my emotion of what I’ve accomplished.