Day 33
Today’s Miles: 8.9
Total Miles: 364.5
Olallie Lake to Lemiti Meadows Camp
I got SO lucky with the weather on this trek – it rained again last night, but since I was camping with Carl, all of my backpacking things (including my tent) stayed dry.
We had an easy 8.9 mile day today, so we were in no rush, and enjoyed the morning with the boys. Michelle was able to dry her tent out in the sun, once it decided to pop out.
A morning fire would have been really nice, but it gradually warmed up. Carl made us all an epic breakfast of hash browns, veggie sausages, pancakes and loads of fruit. Michelle and I got all our resupply items sorted for our next four days.
Our support crew drove us to the trailhead to take pictures (so we could have a non-selfie). Hux ate a bunch of berries that we decided were safe. I still felt a little nervous about it – but that’s my nature. The little lake near the trailhead provided some entertainment before we got back on the trail around 1:30 p.m.
This was my easiest day on the trail. Nice and flat, with great conversation. We stopped on a bridge looking at pretty Jude lake. We wove through some not-so-pretty powerline, and clear-cut sections as well.
One peek of Mt. Hood showed us that we were still heading in the right direction.
Arriving at our destination in no time around 5 p.m., we could have kept going, but there weren’t any solid camping locations for several more miles, and Lemiti Creek camp was great.
It was the real-deal – spacious, with three separate spaces for groups of tents, and nice benches; one of the comfiest backcountry camps I encountered, although, not the most scenic.
We were now on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, so we were careful to follow the rules mentioned in my book:
- Camp only in designated sites
- No swimming or bathing in water sources (lakes/rivers)
- No berry picking or other edibles
- No gathering or cutting wood
- Alcohol prohibited
- Firearms prohibited
Interestingly, we could have a fire, which was a little confusing, but we took advantage of the awesome fire ring and enjoyed a cozy fire all night. I guess we did gather a little downed wood, but we mostly used pieces that were already piled in camp.
A thru-hiker joined us early in the evening. He had already hiked 24 miles, and wanted to get a few more in, but again, there weren’t any great camping options ahead. He was on his 3rd or 4th time hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail in consecutive summers. He had also hiked the Appalachian Trail, but he let us know he hated it, preferring the PCT.
After our initial conversation, he climbed into his tent, and we never saw him again. Michelle and I shared a Mac-n-Cheese backpacker meal, and a fun cobbler dessert. We intended to eat half of the cobbler since it was a serving for 4, and save the other half for breakfast, but we had no problems just finishing it.
The grey camp robber jays were in full force here, and none too shy. We settled into our tents after talking quietly around the fire for a bit. I was glad Michelle was with me. Our thru-hiker company was harmless, but a little rough around the edges, and I would have probably been a bit nervous had I been on my own. We prepared for a COLD night.
Did you miss the beginning of my Oregon PCT journey? Begin with Day 1: Here
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