Tuesday, September 1
Start: campsite near Three Corner Rock
End: Cascade Locks
Miles: 15.0 miles
Gain/loss: 2562’/5738′
Listened to: book- Words of Radiance
After a solid night’s sleep with tons of dreams, I woke up at 5:25am with a lot of condensation on the inside of my tent, despite leaving one of my vestibules completely open. I think it was because I was still damp with sweat when I went to sleep, so as I dried it went into the air. I wiped it down first thing to give it time to dry further. I packed up and was on trail by 6:25am, with a small wooded view of Mt Hood and clear sunrise views of Mt Adams, St Helens, and Rainer.
I made good time all day, spurred on by the promise of town, despite the large holes in my shoes that allow small pebbles and particles to get inside. I nearly fell a few times as I slipped due to my shoes’ tread being just about gone. I crossed paths with perhaps a dozen or so NOBO hikers as they headed out of Cascade Locks or from campsites just out of town. I chatted with a NOBO (Wildcat) for a few minutes before continuing on my way.
The path into town wasn’t very pretty, with walks through clear-cut logging areas, but I could see Cascade Locks about 10 miles outside of town, which was encouraging.
I arrived at Bridge of the Gods by noon, and walked across the Columbia River, walking against traffic since there isn’t any pedestrian walkway. It’s metal grating, which made for a bit of anxiety, what with the high winds and vibrations from passing trucks and cars. I took what pictures I could on the way over and of signs on both sides.
Once I made it to Cascade Locks, I went to the Best Western to see if I could check in early. They had my room ready and handed me the key. I was in my room prepping laundry by 12:30pm, and back out on the town freshly showered in clean clothes by 1:30pm.
I got a bite to eat with some ice cream too from the old-school drive-in at the end of town, and went to the park to eat. Then I walked to the brewery for a drink before heading back, hitting up the grocery store for dinner I could eat in my hotel room.
It was weird to know that I wouldn’t be pushing forward, not looking at Guthook to figure out where my next campsite would be. Until I left on the bus, I could pretend it was just a day in town. I’ve already started thinking about my next PCT trip – maybe I’ll take 2-3 weeks in late March/early April to head NOBO from the border with the 2021 crowd!
Really enjoyed your posts and photos from this hike. It all looks so gorgeous!
(P.S. It’s Jonathan from Queer Out Here.)
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