Cowboy camp under Vulture Rock - PCT campsite at Fish Lake Resort
Mile 1751 - 1771 on PCT + 2 miles side trail to Fish Lake
Total 22 miles
Waking up just before sunrise, I notice a funny looking creature sitting still on my jacket. It is a kind of grasshopper, but one with special forest mimicry. I watch him while eating breakfast. For more than half hour, he does not display a single hint of movement. Then he makes three graceful long jumps back into the depths of the forest.
After a gentle uphill climb, a sign points towards water. A short side trail leads to a strong flowing spring where I fill up my water supply. A group of hikers who raced past me yesterday is camping nearby, some still in deep sleep.
From a south facing slope with thick manzanita bushes, Shasta can be seen again. The volcano of Mount Shasta appears to be omnipresent on the PCT. The first time I saw her was 350 miles ago.
So far I have enjoyed walking in Oregon. The slopes are gentle, the elevation gains are low, and most of the time the trail is in shade of tall trees. A sign "900" means that only 900 miles are left to Canada!
A fresh tree stump is a perfect place for cooking lunch. However, yesterday I must have lost my spoon somewhere on trail. It is nowhere to be found even after I search my backpack for a second time. I am thankful for having a knife and carve a little wooden spoon for myself and then cook a delicious lunch. Shortly after getting back on trail there is a sign about lifetime of litter. I really hope someone will find my spoon and pack it out. I don't want the spoon to remain in forest for the next 100 years! All hikers are human beings, human beings are forgetful, and I suspect most of us have lost something on the trail. But it is not too late. If everybody picks up all rubbish they find along the way, then the PCT remains wild for all future generations.
In winter there are cross country skiers king along this section of the PCT. They can stop to warm up in a little wooden shelter with a stove inside. Beside the shelter stands a water pump where I fill up for the upcoming 13 miles. There is also a box labeled "trail magic" with soda cans, grapes, and one last item of fruit. I am thankful for the free food left here for hikers by a kind person. At the same time, I am upset. On the wall of the shelter is clearly written "PLEASE pack it out!" And yet, I see a hiker throwing his empty soda can into a big plastic bag that is overflowing with rubbish. I remind him about the "pack it out" sign and do my best to put as many empty cans and plastic bottles inside my big backpack and I also pick up rubbish lying on the floor. Hope other will do the same to keep the nice little shelter neat and tidy!
Shortly after leaving the shelter, the PCT enters a huge lava field. As the lava cooled down, immense piles of rocks were left behind. There are numerous deep holes in the rocky ground; if I wanted to hide for ever from the outside world, this would be the perfect spot.
The lava flows are overlooked by the cone of Mount McLoughlin, one of the young volcanoes of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. Geologists estimate its last eruption occurred around 30,000 years ago. At that time the ground under my feet must have been liquid and hot like hell.
After a long walk over sharp lava rock I reach a trail junction. My next destination is clear: Having my backpack full of rubbish from the shelter, I take a side trail to Fish Lake resort. When I come to the resort, the restaurant is still open. I order a veggie burger with curly fries and watch a squirrel who is anxiously sniffing around and waiting for an occasion to snatch away some of my dinner.
I don't let her have any of my food. I'm too hungry myself and feeding wild animals with human food is not healthy for them. The restaurant also has a hiker box with a bag full of oatmeal, a shower, and a free PCT hiker campsite. The water in the Fish Lake reservoir is a bit smelly and full of algae, and so I don't go swimming this time. The campsite, on the other hand, is nice and comfortable, has a picnic table, and I have all of it for myself! Listening to the sound of goose wings flying over the lake, I quickly fall in deep sleep.
Mile 1751 - 1771 on PCT + 2 miles side trail to Fish Lake
Total 22 miles
Waking up just before sunrise, I notice a funny looking creature sitting still on my jacket. It is a kind of grasshopper, but one with special forest mimicry. I watch him while eating breakfast. For more than half hour, he does not display a single hint of movement. Then he makes three graceful long jumps back into the depths of the forest.
After a gentle uphill climb, a sign points towards water. A short side trail leads to a strong flowing spring where I fill up my water supply. A group of hikers who raced past me yesterday is camping nearby, some still in deep sleep.
From a south facing slope with thick manzanita bushes, Shasta can be seen again. The volcano of Mount Shasta appears to be omnipresent on the PCT. The first time I saw her was 350 miles ago.
So far I have enjoyed walking in Oregon. The slopes are gentle, the elevation gains are low, and most of the time the trail is in shade of tall trees. A sign "900" means that only 900 miles are left to Canada!
A fresh tree stump is a perfect place for cooking lunch. However, yesterday I must have lost my spoon somewhere on trail. It is nowhere to be found even after I search my backpack for a second time. I am thankful for having a knife and carve a little wooden spoon for myself and then cook a delicious lunch. Shortly after getting back on trail there is a sign about lifetime of litter. I really hope someone will find my spoon and pack it out. I don't want the spoon to remain in forest for the next 100 years! All hikers are human beings, human beings are forgetful, and I suspect most of us have lost something on the trail. But it is not too late. If everybody picks up all rubbish they find along the way, then the PCT remains wild for all future generations.
In winter there are cross country skiers king along this section of the PCT. They can stop to warm up in a little wooden shelter with a stove inside. Beside the shelter stands a water pump where I fill up for the upcoming 13 miles. There is also a box labeled "trail magic" with soda cans, grapes, and one last item of fruit. I am thankful for the free food left here for hikers by a kind person. At the same time, I am upset. On the wall of the shelter is clearly written "PLEASE pack it out!" And yet, I see a hiker throwing his empty soda can into a big plastic bag that is overflowing with rubbish. I remind him about the "pack it out" sign and do my best to put as many empty cans and plastic bottles inside my big backpack and I also pick up rubbish lying on the floor. Hope other will do the same to keep the nice little shelter neat and tidy!
Shortly after leaving the shelter, the PCT enters a huge lava field. As the lava cooled down, immense piles of rocks were left behind. There are numerous deep holes in the rocky ground; if I wanted to hide for ever from the outside world, this would be the perfect spot.
The lava flows are overlooked by the cone of Mount McLoughlin, one of the young volcanoes of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. Geologists estimate its last eruption occurred around 30,000 years ago. At that time the ground under my feet must have been liquid and hot like hell.
After a long walk over sharp lava rock I reach a trail junction. My next destination is clear: Having my backpack full of rubbish from the shelter, I take a side trail to Fish Lake resort. When I come to the resort, the restaurant is still open. I order a veggie burger with curly fries and watch a squirrel who is anxiously sniffing around and waiting for an occasion to snatch away some of my dinner.
I don't let her have any of my food. I'm too hungry myself and feeding wild animals with human food is not healthy for them. The restaurant also has a hiker box with a bag full of oatmeal, a shower, and a free PCT hiker campsite. The water in the Fish Lake reservoir is a bit smelly and full of algae, and so I don't go swimming this time. The campsite, on the other hand, is nice and comfortable, has a picnic table, and I have all of it for myself! Listening to the sound of goose wings flying over the lake, I quickly fall in deep sleep.
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