Final entry! At this point, we are less than 20 mile from the Oregon border.
Day 11: Rough!
- Rough start to the morning: Woke up w/ an upset stomach, sore knee, shin splints and an all-you-can eat buffet of blisters.
- In addition, during the night, a thru-hiker arrived in camp, long after "hiker midnight" (aka 8pm) and proceeded to make what seemed to be a multi-course meal - later, the hiker is dubbed "Chicken Cordon Bleu."
- To make things rougher, day starts w/ 4 mile anonymous uphill, where I feel like I've got 0% energy left.
- Thankfully, we eventually reach the top, things level out a bit, and we are treated to some views, including Mt. Adams (now distant) - "Can you believe we hiked from there?!"
- Lunch in a campsite among tiny alpine trees.
- After lunch we begin to gradually shift downhill.
- Get our first views of the Columbia!! Also, amazing bluff-like hillsides.
- Make our way through first real clear cut on hike.
- As we near powerlines that we'd planned to be next rest stop, trail becomes a switchback of sharp rocks. Sarah becomes frustrated, I still feel sick, so we throw our bags down in the middle of a dirt road for an impromptu -pleasant- break.
- After break, the forest starts to feel more like a large, lush park.
- We become worried we missed to planned campsite, but right after we resign ourselves to hiking another two miles... we find it.
- "Toad water!" (My nickname for the muddy stream we end up filtering our water from. Because there was a toad in it.)
- Still feeling ill, I go to bed early w/o dinner.
Day 12: ...And Out (The Bridge of Gods)
- Wake up feeling thankfully better.
- Eat breakfast and take down the campsite for last time.
- Morning hiking similar to previous evening, almost park-like.
- Ow!! Get stung by rando yellowjacket.
- Cross a few small bridges and at one point Sarah spots two different types of snakes within a few feet of each other.
- Go around a couple of small lakes, and begin seeing more signs we are entering civilization -"private property" signs, the sounds of trains & machines, the distant power station/dam on the Columbia.
- Pass a couple of hours, and PCT beings to run parallel to highway for about a mile.
- Get first peaks of the bridge.
- Then we are there!!
- Take a few pictures under a PCT sign, then set out across Bridge of Gods. Ambika, not a fan of the heights, races out ahead again.
- No pedestrian lane, so you walk on the road, facing oncoming traffic. But speed limit is only 15 mph.
- "Entering Oregon"
- Exchange a "Enjoy Washington/Enjoy Oregon!" with hikers going other direction.
- Say "goodbye" to the PCT on the other side, feeling momentarily sad looking at it continue on. (Of the end of hike events, this one -surprisingly- caused me to feel the most emotional.)
- Then make our way to Thunder Island Brewing for some well-earned beers in the sun.
- After Russ arrives, we have lunch at an amazing fish market... then being the long drive home.
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