This backpacking trip is an out and back, starting at Mt Hood to Olallie Lake along the Pacific Crest Trail and returning to Mt Hood.
August 06, 2024 – Miles: 11.1 Cumulative Miles: 11.1 – We started the hike from Timberline Lodge at 9:30am under sunny, clear skies in the 60s. We got into camp at 3:00pm at Frog Lake Campground and rented a site. The trail was mainly downhill with good tread, although the first several miles were all sandy. Wildflowers were in bloom and so were the huckleberries. We all ate quite a few. The camp hosts were very nice and would have allowed us to camp on their site for free but the pay campsites were much better so that is what we opted for.
August 07, 2024 – Miles: 13.1 Cumulative Miles: 24.2 – We hit the trail at 7:45 with temps in the 50s. It was cold last night, I woke up and put on a shirt and battened down my quilt so get a good night’s sleep. It was sunny and clear skies today with great tread – some up but mainly down. We ran into a group of middle school teachers on the trail that pointed out cougar scat to us. We stopped for lunch at Little Creek Lake. The water was crystal clear and cold. I soaked my feet for about a minute which was all I could handle before they went numb. Around 1:00pm we missed a turn and headed down the wrong side of the Timothy lake. It was a mile before John realized the mistake (he went more than a mile) and we turned around. We go two bonus miles! Our campsite (“Tentsite (5) at mile 2078 on the Far Out app) is on a slope and no one got a flat spot. Liam, John and I went swimming in Timothy Lake which we are camped next to. Seems like temperatures are rising so I don’t expect a repeat of the cold temps from last night. We were all whooped and in bed early. It got chilly about 5:00am. I slept next to the side of the tent due to the slope. Liam didn’t complain about the extra miles.
August 08, 2024 – Miles: 11.2 Cumulative Miles: 35.4 – I hit the trail at 7:45. Sunny, clear skies again today. The trail is mainly downhill with some uphill. We camped at Warm Springs Reservation. We arrived early at 1:30pm and set up camp, cleaned up (minor) and put up all three hammocks. The bar opened at 3:00pm for John and at 4:00pm for Carl. Lazed around in hammocks until 8:00pm ish. Liam found a broken off spear from times ago on the trail today and found coyote poop according to a group we talked to on the trail Lots of huckleberries again today.
August 9, 2024 – Miles: 10 Cumulative Miles: 45.4 – We finished the day at Lemiti Meadows after 1,500 feet uphill and then downhill to camp. Got to camp at 1:00pm with lots of downfall. The best tent spots were all in the sun so I set up my tent in the shade, did a bunch of reading and caught a nice nap. Huckleberries were aplenty again today. Sunny and clear all day – 70’s. Camp has a bunch of widow makers but we decided there were enough downfall to mitigate the risk. I scrapped the hell out of my left leg stepping over one of the downed logs. There was a nice wildflower display near camp.
August 10, 2024 – Miles: 9 Cumulative Miles: 54.4 – Today was sunny, clear and warm – just like the previous days. Some moderate up and down all day – no big deal. The last 3 miles or so traversed through an area previous burned by the Lionshead Fire in 2021, which spared Olallie Lake resort. The area was hot, open, sunny, dry and barren. We started the day at, what else, 7:45 and arrived to Olallie Lake around 12:30pm. According to our plan we walked to an open campsite where we planned to stay for the next two nights. However, when we arrived we started discussing eliminating the zero day and heading back to Timberline Lodge a day early. Ed wanted to take Liam on a day hike on the Eagle Creek Trail. So we changed our plan, returned to the day camp only area where we got the best spots since we were so early. Ed forgot his trowel at our Warm Springs camp AND forgot to recover his hammock strap when packing us this morning (John recovered it and waited till Ed thought he a lost it before revealing he had it). We all got cleaned up in the lake, hing a line to dry our cloths, and strung the hammocks. The resupply boxes that John and I had previously left at Olallie Lake were intact. They contained 2 bottles of wine, 2 hunks of cheese, salami and olives, all of which were very tasty. We opened the wine at 3:45, set up tents at 4:00 and then salami, cheese, and olives. By supper none of us, except Liam, were hungry but we ate anyway. We had a perfect evening leaving all of us ready to head back tomorrow. We camped near 15 PCT thru hikers. It is really nice to have picnic tables, and trail chatter and laughter around us. Trail name: Liam-Huckleberry, or Hammock, or Huckleberry Hammock Hound (H3), Carl – Small OJ, and Ed – Ash (for Splash, Crash, and Stash-as in leaving equipment behind).
August 11, 2024 – Miles: 9 Cumulative Miles: 63.4 – Mostly sunny, some clouds, and warm nice weather, like all the other days. We hit the trail, you guessed it, around 7:45pm. I got cell service about a mile from Olallie Lake (no service at the lake) so I called and made hotel reservations at the Dalles Hotel since we were coming out a day early. Easy hike all day – arrived to Limiti Meadows at 11:30am and claimed the same campsites. Along the way Liam came up with a trail name for John – Chipmunk (quick like a rabbit but annoying in camp). The hammock were up and being used.
August 12, 2024 – Miles: 10 Cumulative Miles: 73.4 – Another easy day of hiking. Some threatening clouds early in the day but nothing happened. Walked in the clouds for about 20 minutes. The remained of the day was sunny and clear. Ed’s calf muscle is hurting him so he is slowing down. Got into camp at 11:30am (Ed and Liam 12:30). We stayed at Warm Springs Campground again. All in the same spots except me, I found something flatter.
August 13, 2024 – Miles: 14.3 Cumulative Miles: 87.7 – Hit the trail at the normal time. The weather was similar to yesterday, cloudy and looking like rain until 10:00am and then sunny and clear. Early on the trail was a gently uphill and easy. We had trail magic around 10:30am. The person with the trail magic was “Carbs” who had a SUV and trail set up on the trail and was cooking pancakes for all hikers. There was coffee and plenty of chairs all occupied by hikers. Liam had 3 ½ pancakes, Carl 1 ½ and these were large. We arrived to our planned camping spot, Little Crater Lake, around 3:00pm after Ed raced ahead to recover his stashed trowel at Day 3 campground. We explored the nearby campground but decided to stay in the nearby horse camp near the trail. A great decision.
August 14, 2024 – Miles: 8.3 Cumulative Miles: 96.0 – A lot of uphill today but gradual so no big deal. We made good time and got to the turnoff to Frog Lake at 11:30 where another example of trail magic occurred. A previous thru hiker and his buddy were supplying everyone with Gatorade and/or coke. I got a German lesson from a lady hiking the trail. “Alles gut zum Gerberstag” – Happy Birthday. Today is my 69th birthday. We rented a campsite and went for a swim in Frog Lake which was shallow and not clear. Not what we had been hoping for. Spent the evening relaxing and playing the card game 99.
August 15, 2024 – Miles 11.1 cumulative Miles: 107.1 – We hit the trail early (6:45am) and arrived to Timberline Lodge around noon. It was mainly all uphill trail today (the reverse of Day 1) with decent grade and tread until the final couple of miles. Those miles were severely uphill and full of loose sand and it sucked. We were really glad that we had slack packed today (left most of our gear at Frog Lake). We had lunch at the Wy’East café in Timberline Lodge and most of us had the taco special and an excellent Oatmeal Stout beer. After lunch we drove to Frog Lake (25 minutes) to recover our gear before making our way to the Dalles Inn in Dalles OR. We had our celebration supper at the Last Stop Saloon with Kathy who had flown in to spend time with John.