Day 92 : Oregon!

31 miles today

940 miles to go

Awake early, before the sun. I eat in the dark. Coffee laced granola! Cool and delicious. I am packed and moving early today. I am low on water, it's cool, I should be at the spring in a few miles. The trail’s character is changing. Or maybe it's me. I'm in an Oregon state of mind. Cold water at the spring rejuvenates me. I pass on, with rest and food and water I can keep this pace up all day, at least I hope to. On and on I hike. The trail is mostly in the shade of the trees. When it's not is cool with the breeze. 

I reach the Oregon border mid-morning. I have finally made it through the entire PCT trail in the state of California. I meet Batdance and Rockbiter at the border. We sit and joke and eat snacks. I take a few pictures. Five Hundred shows up. He shares a bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum to celebrate the moment. Time for me to move on. Only a few short miles into Oregon I experience my first Oregon trail magic. Pinnacle is serving fresh fruit, cold drinks, and hot dogs. It's not long till there is quite a band of us sitting there. I say my goodbyes. Thanks Pinnacle! I am imbued with energy. Was it the Cherry Coke? I don't know. I am climbing and setting a strong pace. Hour after hour I go. Mile after mile. The trail, at least what I've experienced so far, is up to my expectations. Smooth and foresty. A small creek is crossing the trail, it's mid-afternoon. Time to stop and drink more water. I include a peanut butter tortilla and some turkey jerky. For dessert I have a hunk of cheddar cheese. Oregon is good, I'm glad I'm here. Shady and cool, I anticipate being able to keep up my twenty five miles per day pace. 

I move on, I'll be hiking till five thirty in order to camp where I want tonight. Six miles from Callahan's Lodge. Two hour hike to breakfast is my plan. That means, keep hiking for now. I climb to the top of the last climb of the day. A young trail angel named Scout asks me if I want a cold Coke. “Do I? Absolutely I do.” He leads me up to the coolers that say. “PCT Hikers Only”, finds a Coke floating in the ice water, and hands it to me. His brother Bob is his older brother. Up in the trees I see others. I go up there and meet Karen, mom to the trail angel brothers. She has sliced watermelon, peaches, oranges. Bags of grapes, Snickers bars and more. I help myself to a handful of grapes and a Snickers bar. I sit and chat. Blazer and John are here too. Karen and her trail angel posse are looking to provide trail magic as well as meet some specific PCT hikers they'd met earlier. Oregon is a wonderful place to sit in the shade and enjoy an afternoon. I would love to sit for an hour but I can't. The snow is coming to Canada and I have to get there first. Time to get moving again. Thanks Karen and company. I say goodbye and head off. They were at the very top. It's all downhill to camp. I keep a brisk pace and arrive as the sun is setting. Dinner and chores are complete and I'm in my tent dreaming of unlimited pancakes. Life is good.