[pct-l] PCT Closure in Oregon

[Cosmic Cat]

And... done. We are in Cascade Locks. We deviated from the official
alternate at Rainy Lake by taking the Nick Eaton Ridge trail directly to
Herman Creek rather than backtracking south to Whatum Lake.

There were about 27 miles of roadwalk, 17 on pavement. We took care of the
paved chunk by night and early morning hiking. The biggest drag was the
unpaved forest service road climbing up to Rainy Lake through miles of
clearcuts.

Present were Chillidog, Seahorse, Roo, Marmot, Pepe Lopez, Zm and I.
Camaraderie was essential during this semi-tedious detour.

We all left Timberline around noon yesterday and arrived in Cascade Locks
around 8 this evening. I imagine the total mileage to be around 53 miles.
Going South to Whatum Lake and hitting he PCT or Eagle Creek would tack
perhaps another ten on top of that.

Some highlights:
--- hitting the tiny espresso bar in Parkdale in the early morning and
overwhelming the poor barrista.
--- swim in Rainy Lake this afternoon  to get rid of the accumulated grime.
--- cold water bottles from random trail magic.
--- knee jarring descent down Nick Eaton Ridge.

Now for a nice full zero before the last big push.

Goodness
 On Sep 4, 2011 11:21 AM, "Cosmic Cat" <cosmic.cat144 at gmail.com> wrote:
> We are at Timberline and working with USFS for a detour. Looks like we
stick
> to the East of hood, take the timberline trail to gnarl ridge, elk meadows
> to hwy 35. They promise info at that trailhead by his evening for the
> roadwalks to come. Looks like the Dee Hwy through Parkdale. Then somehow
get
> to Whatum lake or maybe a shortcut to Cascade Locks. Fun stuff. Should add
> at least a half day to the section. The upside is a roadwalk through the
> Fruit Loop! Continuous steps!
>
> Goodness
> On Sep 4, 2011 8:47 AM, "CHUCK CHELIN" <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote: