Encore In Paradise

 "UNBELIEVABLE!! SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE!": This is what Ben and I kept saying to each other throughout this entire early-fall backpacking trip.


We had been so sure our season was over with autumn fast approaching our part of the world; the leaves changing colors all around us.  The wind has a "Holloweenie" sort of feel to it, so for us to get a few days of clear warm weather in the middle of October to go out on one more hiking trip was....well...."SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE!"

We started out this trip at the world famous Timberline Lodge parking lot.  The Timberline Lodge is a WPA project, and well worth a trip up to Mt. Hood to tour it.  Four years ago I did this exact hike with several of my family members.  I was the trail boss of that trip out, and I am sad to say I almost killed everyone...including myself on that trip.  I was too inexperienced to take out that many untried backpackers for that many miles.

I have been curious to do the exact same hike now that I have some experience under my boots to see if I would do any better than I did on it four years previous.  Ben and I saw the weather report and saw that this would be our window of opportunity to close out our 2010 backpacking season with this hike.  So buckle on your packs!  Here we go!!

For a lot of years I had some vague idea of what the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) was.  This trail runs through the mountains in California where I grew up.  So I had always known that there existed a backpacking trail that connected Mexico with Canada.  It was not until about sixteen years ago that I was on a backpacking trip in Oregon, as a chaperon to a church youth group, that I actually set my boots on the actual trail itself.

It was at that moment all those years ago that I fell in love with the PCT.  The idea that  people walk from Mexico to Canada all on one long, mostly remote trail lit a fire in my silly little heart.

This was w-a-y before I actually took up backpacking as a serious hobby.  The PCT represented something romantic and wild to me.

Always in the back of my mind I planned to hike some of it.  That is why four years ago I wanted so badly to share some of this very trail with members of my family--not knowing that I would be grinding us all down to sore puddles of goo.  So anyway...this was my chance to retrace that ill fated trip and see if, this time, I could do it better.

Ben, Bella and I jumped on the PCT just above the Timberline Lodge.  This is the official PCT marker (below) that you see all the way from boarder to boarder.  We were headed to Paradise Park, which would be our first campsite.

After walking under a Timberline Lodge ski lift, the trail climbs away from civilization and in and out of several steep canyons north on its way to Canada.

                                         There's me (middle-bottom) heading north!..

                                                We were in and out of patches of trees .

 These canyons are beautiful.  They give you great views of the Zig Zag and Sandy Glaciers that cling to the sides of the south face of the great mountain above.

 We made several small stream crossings at the bottom of these canyons.  Bella always stops for a cold glacial drink at these opportunities. Can you see the stream below?

 Below is a picture near the spot that my daughter Joleen, just one week earlier, had came upon a female black bear and her two cubs!!!

 There are few very dangerous river crossings on the Timberline trail/Pacific Crest Trail in this area.  Below is a sign that is posted at several different locations on these trails by the family of Sarah Bishop.  Ben and I always stop and reread these signs, and it reminds us that these water crossings are to be taken very seriously.

 Here I am contemplating my plan of action to make this crossing at the Zig Zag river.  This is extremely cold run-off from the Zig Zag glacier.  I really hate to stop and take off my boots...it's such a hassle, but hiking in wet boots is not a good idea if it can be avoided.

 OK...here I have picked out the best place to cross after looking up and down the bank for some distance.  I have put on my water shoes.  Unhooked my backpack hip belt and chest belt.  This way if I lose my footing on the rocks under the water I won't be drug down-stream by the weight of my pack.

                                                  In I go!  It is cold....but very refreshing!

                                                   Below I am putting my boots back on.

                                    Back on the trail, and another safe water crossing behind me...whew!

 Back into the forest where the afternoon sun dapples the trees with an enchanting light.  The smell of the pines swirl inside my head and carry me forward toward the nights camp.

         Up and out of another canyon before starting a stiff climb up into the immense meadows of Paradise
         Park.

In the summer the meadows here are filled with wildflowers and humming birds zip everywhere....but now it is almost the middle of October.  The fall colors are emerging all around us.

                        Up closer to the South side of Mt. Hood we climb through beautiful meadows.

 In the picture below is a shot of our camp for that night.  This shot is taken from across the stream bed.  There are other camps on the other side of the stream that are right in Paradise Park, but we liked this small camp set off by itself.  We could see that there were two older guys camping over across the stream in one of the other campsites.  Joleen had stayed in the same camp we were just a week earlier.  She had recommended that we stay here because it is more private.  Joleen had also seen a big, fat, black bear here in Paradise Park when she had been there....we were not so lucky...or unlucky, perhaps.  All we saw was two old guys and lots and lots of stars!  There was no moon, and a clear sky--perfect for star gazing.  We slept right below the Milky-Way while the Big Dipper pointed our way to the North while we slept...or tried to sleep...more on that below.

 I had pitched the tent in a hurry not expecting rain....and we didn't get any rain.  But the wind started up right after we crawled into our sleeping bags.  The dirt had been so hard packed that I had not been able to fasten the tent stakes down as tightly as I normally like to...so, yep, the wind came whistling down the mountain at us slamming into the side of our little tent like a Sumo Wrestler most of the night!  Just as I would be dropping off to sleep...BAMB!  I would wake up with a start!  Dropping off to sleep...zzzz....BAMB!  This kept up until daylight.

Then of course the wind stopped and the sun came out.  Another warm clear day...."UNBELIEVABLE!", We said to each other with big autumn jack-o'-lantern grins on our faces.

 Below is what remains of the Paradise Park Shelter.  There are several of these old stone shelters along the Timberline trail.  In some of my other blog entries I have shared the pictures of those shelters.  Unfortunately this shelter is just about all gone these days.  Just a few stones left.

 The next morning we headed west on the PCT where we were able to catch some very up close and personal views of Mt. Hood.  Up here above the timber line it feels like you could just walk on up and touch the top of the Mountain.

                                      Here the Fall colors are taking over the upper meadows.

 Here I am thinking...."Hummm...maybe some day I will go to the top..."

  A few wild flowers are still blooming here.  Such a treat to see them as we pass by, this late in                          
  the season.

 Onward we hike.  Stopping often to just marvel at the views that are spread out above and below us.  We are on the top of the world here....and loving every step we take on this trail.

 Mt. Hood looks purple here.  The words, "....Purple mountains majesty"  from the song "America The Beautiful"  keeps running through my head as I walk on with the peak over my right shoulder.  Perhaps it was this mountain that the author of that song had in mind when he wrote it so many years ago.  North America surely is beautiful in this spot!

 These are my favorite shots from the whole season.  I wish I had a better camera to capture the colors with.  If you click on these pictures they will enlarge for you.

 After leaving Paradise park behind us we steadily descended past a few very dangerous cliffs that had outstanding views...at least that is what Ben told me.  I stayed safely back or just continued on walking by them all.  I do not like high places, and try to avoid them when I can.

I knew that in a few miles were would be coming to the dangerous Sandy River crossing that had taken the life of Sarah Bishop.  I have crossed this river a few times but never this late in the season.  We were not sure what we would find when we got there.  I had been there a few weeks earlier when Jim and I had day hiked up to Ramona Falls.  At that time there had been a makeshift log bridge and I was hoping it would still be there for Ben and I use.

The official PCT guide book says of this crossing: "During flood, the river can be wall-to-wall, up to 100 yard wide, and when it is, it can obliterate the trail.  Generally, however, the river is only a few yards wide, and depending on what a past flood did to the trail, you'll hike down either one side of the river, the other side of it, or perhaps even between two parallel streams."

When we got to the crossing, the logs were gone, but the river was not too crazy wide.  We walked up and down for awhile looking for the safest place to cross.  When we decided what our plan would be I pulled off my boots, put on my water shoes, and off I went.  The current was not nearly as strong as I feared it might be, but just the same, I was glad to be safely on the other side.

Ben wanted me to throw my water shoes back over to him, so he could now use them.   I had a better idea.  I tied them onto Bella's collar and she swam them back over to him!

Just on the other side of the Sandy River crossing here, the PCT winds past several nice campsites.  We had planned to walk on up to Ramona Falls to spend the night, but these sites are more private so we just stayed there instead.

I had always heard that there was a old guard station in this area...but had never found it.  When I went looking for firewood I came upon it.  Below is a picture.

 After a windless, restful, quiet night under the stars we were on our way to Ramona Falls, and our last day of hiking.

 Ramona Falls is always a treat to stand in front of.  The fine mist that sprays off of this beautiful fall of water is always cooling and quite welcome after a full days hiking.

 We took a few quick pictures here before turning our backs and heading down to the Ramona Falls trail head where Jim would be meeting us.

We arrived at just about the same time Jim pulled in to pick us up.  He had yummy turkey sandwiches in the ice chest for us, that we wolfed down while we compared this trip to the trip on the same trail four years earlier.
Back then?...horrible.  This year?...piece of cake!  I think maybe I am now a backpacker.

We left the trail head and drove back up to Timberline Lodge to get Ben's truck where we had left it in the parking lot 2 days before.

While zooming down the highway at 50-miles-an-hour the thick trees that line each side of the road are just a smear of green going by.  All the cars are going so fast!

I am so glad that I get to slow down; to walk among these trees now and then.  There is a mystery in the forest....there is romance, and danger, and wild animals.  There are dangerous river crossings, and beautiful water falls.  There are trails to be hiked, and memories to be made.

 Long live the Pacific Crest Trail!