August 4

Distance: 24.3 miles | Ascent: 4640′ | Descent: 2230′

Mile marker: 612.4

Lunch: J – chicken stars soup (B+), A – spicy bacon mac (B-)

Dinner: J – Mexican surprise (C), A – chicken parm (A+), shared at Lake Olalie lodge – Chef Boyardee ravioli (A+)

The day started fairly slow. We didn’t get a great night of sleep due to nearby creaky trees, and sleeping in an extra hour until 6am didn’t help as much as we hoped. Jason also spent time in the morning sewing his pack some. The frame was slipping and putting pressure on a piece of taut fabric that probably shouldn’t be stressed. Alex used the time to craft a new solar panel mount from a stick found at the campsite. We ended up leaving much later than planned, hitting the trail around 8:30.

On our way out, we stopped by Warm Spring River to get water and rinse some clothes. The name is a bit of a misnomer. The river is very cold. Alex’s sock attempted an escape while being rinsed in the river, quickly shooting downstream. Jason lept to the rescue and, in the bravest moment of his life, he forded barefoot into the 12″ deep river to save the sock.

The climb up from the river was uneventful. It wasn’t steep, but it was constant. Because of our late start, we made it to the top for lunchtime. Later, we found where another hiker helpfully labeled our 600th mile. We hadn’t been checking our distance, and the milestone was a pleasant surprise.

Then we sorta bobbed through the forest. It was pretty, but certainly less dramatic than some of the previous scenery we’ve seen. Eventually, we found our way to the Lake Olalie Resort. It was quaint. It had retro vibes but was chock full of Kirkland branded products (someone must have a Costco membership and the willingness to drive a long way). The cabin offered great views of Mount Jefferson. The log book had some SOBOs we knew, but fewer than we expected. The two people we know from Boulder are days ahead.

Before and after the resort is a neat burn zone. Not as baren as some others we’ve been through, but it’ll be a long while until the forest truly recovers. For now, loaded huckleberry bushes line the trails for miles and miles, with few animals around to eat their berries. We helped.

We got one last good view of Mount Jefferson for the day before making camp in a meadow by a pond. The wind blew away any mosquitoes but also made for a chilly evening. Fortunately our sleeping setup was plenty warm once we were settled inside.