[pct-l] Olallie Lake to about 6 mile passed Ramona Falls

[macdonto at engr.orst.edu (macdonto@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)]

Olallie Lake to about 6 mile passed Ramona Falls 
June 16th thru June 20th 

My pack 30 lb 
Fianc? pack 25 lb
Zoe (great dane) 7 lb

Passed a total of 4 hikers. One hiker from cascade locks who was heading to 
Olallie  and 3 just hiking down to see Little Crater lake. Very nice and 
peaceful.

Trail from Olallie to Timberline was great.  First night camped at Jude Lake.  
The water was so covered with spring tree pollen that our filter had to be 
cleaned several times.   The mesquites in Lemiti meadow was the only real bug 
problem we had and they came in masses. Used up most of the bug repellant 
trying to protect Zoe and had little to spare for the owners.  

Second night camped at Warm Spring River.  No bugs and the water filter worked 
much better.  A large deer decided to stalk us in our camp for about an hour 
and a half. I was cuddled up to the dog who proceeded to growl as the dear went 
back and forth across the river and would sprint to once side of the camp or 
the other peeking from behind trees.  It rained a little. 

Third night we camped just shy of frog lake.  

We lost the trail at Barlow pass. Some research student from Florida was parked 
in front of the trail heading up to the lodge.  She looked like forest service 
so I asked were the trail was.  She walked me to a trail that went steeply over 
the side of a hill and said ?she was not sure but she thought it was this one 
and had sent some other hiker down it.?  We had lunch in the parking lot and 
proceed back to the girl, on my map it showed us crossing the highway, and that 
slope did not seem like it was right.  She was parked in front of the sign and 
I feel real bad for the other hiker. If they are on this list, she will be 
there the rest of the week and just goes to show you a guy should really never 
ask for directions. 

There is no snow all the way up the south side of the mountain to the lodge. We 
camped about six miles north of the lodge in the snow. Followed the tracks of 
the hiker we had past and the hiker he had to followed down the mountain to a 
few mile past Romona Falls.  The trail was snow covered in many areas difficult 
to get down.  I lost his tracks somewhere near muddy fork.  It started to 
snow.  We where wet and cold, so we went back up to the lodge called the ride 
out and had dinner.  I did not want to end up like one of those hikers who get 
lost on the mountain.

What water filters do you suggest? We have a MSR mini works.  I had never used 
one until this trip.  

Boots Vs tennis shoes? I have been using tennis shoes but even fair weather 
provides a lot of dew when hiking at 5ish. Thus, the shoes get very wet.  What 
light waterproof boots do you suggest.

How does a hiker even try to find the trail in the snow?  I wondered as the 
prints where pretty accurate.