Pacific Crest Trail Oregon Section

The PCT in Oregon goes through so many lava fields that it kind of hurts your feet and your mind after awhile.  However, it also crosses some of the most beautiful landscapes on the entire Pacific Crest Trail.  This section of trail is sometimes called the Green Tunnel because of the days spent backpacking through forest with no real views. It’s still beautiful though and not to be missed! Compared to the California and Washington sections of the trail, Oregon is relatively level in elevation gains and losses.  There are still climbs.  And there are still descents, but nothing like in the neighboring states. Steve seemingly flew through the state!

A couple of the largest highlights in Oregon are visiting Crater Lake in the South and Mt. Hood in the North.  Both are exquisite in their beauty.  And both are well known for their amazing trail views.  We hope you enjoy this backpacking section of the PCT in Oregon.  Maybe you’ll learn about an area you can’t wait to tackle yourself!  Get out there hiking and happy trails.

My heart of hearts

My heart of hearts

Noelle here: We're coming in on the two year anniversary of Steve's open heart surgery, as I write this. He's so skinny now that I tease him about his pacemaker popping right out of his skin soon! I'm so thankful to be able to joke with him. I'm simply thankful to...

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Cardiac Failure

Cardiac Failure

Cardiac failure wasn't on my mind until three years ago. Two years ago today I had open heart surgery. The surgery has impacted nearly every single aspect of our lives. Our lives today have very little semblance to our lives of two or three years ago. Cardiac failure:...

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PCT: Cascade Locks

PCT: Cascade Locks

Noelle here: My whole post could be one picture. Okay. Three pictures. Welcome to Washington! Steve, Danielle & the Grands Grandkids (minus one) But I'll add some words to amuse myself. I got to Cascade Locks fairly early in the day. Found a not great parking...

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PCT: Day 140: Cascade Locks

PCT: Day 140: Cascade Locks

Miles today: 34 Trail miles sum: 1475.4 Trail location: 2147.7 Elevation: 78 Spinning on the turntable: Iron and Wine: Our endless numbered days Sun through the trees Today was the day to wrap up Oregon. Time to go big, or, well...uh...I guess we don't have a home to...

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PCT: last day in Oregon

PCT: last day in Oregon

Noelle here: Its 5:34am and Steve just left the van for his last day hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon. I couldn't be happier for him! The next time I see him will be this evening at the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks. Well I guess technically it'll be...

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PCT: Day 139: Mt. Hood

PCT: Day 139: Mt. Hood

Miles today: 17.3 Trail miles sum: 1443.4 Trail location: 2114.7 Elevation: 3444 Spinning on the turntable: Modest Mouse: Good news for people who love bad news I woke at 5AM and looked outside. Raining, windy and cold. I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep....

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PCT: Day 138

PCT: Day 138

Miles today: 23.1 Trail miles sum: 1415.1 Trail location: 2097.4 Elevation: 6017 Spinning on the turntable: Paul Simon: The rhythm of the saints Today was a gradual but progressive uphill climb. The temp is cooler than the previous weeks (months?) and hovering in the...

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PCT: Day 136

PCT: Day 136

Miles today: 27.9 Trail miles sum: 1392.6 Trail location: 2073.9 Elevation: 3369 Spinning on the turntable: Bleachers: Terrible thrills, Vol 2 Today was all about trying for speed and distance. I'm disappointed about yesterdays hike mileage being so low, so today was...

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PCT: Olallie Lake

PCT: Olallie Lake

Noelle here: Years ago, Steve and I drove to Olallie Lake. One of our coworkers had extolled its many virtues, building it to unattainable expectations in our minds. What we found were miles of gravel road, followed by miles of pot-holed dirt road, which our car...

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PCT: July blog posts and you!

PCT: July blog posts and you!

Hi Readers! Have we said thanks for following us? Thank you! We really appreciate the time you're investing in our PCT thru-hike attempt. As Noelle mentioned in her post PCT: Building Community, you're part of our trail family. Each month we're just tickled to see...

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PCT: Day 135

PCT: Day 135

Miles today: 18.6 Trail miles sum: 1363.8 Trail location: 2027.7 Elevation: 4950 Spinning on the turntable: All hiking days are not created equally. I've been pushing the miles the past week or so and today it seemed like it was body payback day. My body was just...

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PCT: Day 134

PCT: Day 134

Miles today: 26.9 Trail miles sum: 1345.6 Trail location:2027.7 Elevation: 4310 Spinning on the turntable: Billy Squire: Essential Billy Squire Today I passed my mileage halfway point of the PCT. Since I bumped up and skipped part of the Sierra, the actual distance...

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PCT: Day 133 Big Lake Youth Camp

PCT: Day 133 Big Lake Youth Camp

Miles today: 17.3 Trail miles sum: 1301.4 Trail location: 2000.9 Elevation: 4805 Spinning on the turntable: Talking Heads: Stop making sense Oh lava, how I dislike you. Even your mother, mother lava, dislikes you. I had hopes of making it to Big Lake Youth Camp for a...

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PCT: Day 132

PCT: Day 132

Miles today: 32 Trail miles sum: 1301.4 Trail location: 1983.6 Elevation: 5308 Spinning on the turntable: Anton Batagov: The complete Phillip Glass piano etudes: Live in Moscow Glad to start a new week! Last week my total hiked distance was 159.1 miles. This week I'd...

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PCT: Day 131

PCT: Day 131

Miles today: 27 Trail miles sum: 1270.3 Trail location: 1952.6 Elevation: 4901 Spinning on the turntable: Garbage: Garbage I'm enjoying the serenity of my early morning hiking. There's just a few moments when the sunlight is perfect and the landscape is golden. This...

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PCT: Building Community

PCT: Building Community

Noelle here: I was texting with a friend at home about how things are going out here. How's the van? How's the trail? I mentioned that the hardest part is being so disconnected. We rarely have reception and once in a while get crappy WiFi that every other hiker has...

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PCT: Day 130

PCT: Day 130

Miles today: 19 Trail miles sum: 1243.3 Trail location: 1925.6 Elevation: 5811 Spinning on the turntable: Yann Tiersen: EUSA Today was a low mileage day to wrap up my week. The lower miles allowed Noelle and I to meet in the afternoon and spend the night in the van. I...

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OST: Day 129

OST: Day 129

Miles today: 28.3 Trail miles sum: 1224.3 Trail location: 1906.6 Elevation: 4890 Spinning on the turntable: Vienna Symphony Orchestra: Strauss Waltzes The morning started out cold! For the first time in several months I wore my hiking trousers over my hiking shorts to...

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PCT: Day 128

PCT: Day 128

Miles today: 30.5 Trail miles sum: 1196 Trail location: 1878.3 Elevation: 5831 Spinning on the turntable: Alanis Morissette: Jagged little pill I'm finding some excitement in the bigger mileage hiking days. It's a very different mindset. I need to be focused on...

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PCT: Day 127: Crater Lake

PCT: Day 127: Crater Lake

Miles today: 26.9 Trail miles sum: 1165.5 Trail location: 1847.8 Elevation: 5924 Spinning on the turntable: Paul Simon: Graceland Word of the day today (actually since last week) is that part of the PCT trail near Crater Lake is closed due to aggressive mountain lion...

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PCT: Day 125: Mosquito 🦟

PCT: Day 125: Mosquito 🦟

Miles today: 24.9 Trail miles sum: 1138.6 Trail location: 1820.9 Elevation: 6177 Spinning on the turntable: Johnny Cash: At Fulsome Prison My view from my campsite this morning was amazing, but a little dark. I've noticed in the past week or two that I need to use my...

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PCT: Day 124

PCT: Day 124

Miles today: 22.3 Trail miles sum: 1113.7 Trail location: 1796 Elevation: 6697 Spinning on the turntable: The Clash: London calling Today was a long, slow, hot, mosquito infested climb. Yesterday my feet had wings, today my shoes are filled with an extra ten pounds....

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PCT: Day 123: The deer

PCT: Day 123: The deer

Miles today: 31.1 Trail miles sum: 1091.4 Trail location: 1773.7 Elevation: 5050 Spinning on the turntable: Kid Rock: Sweet Southern Sugar Today I saw 14 deer. 14! I saw a herd of about 7 deer early in the morning and then the rest were sprinkled throughout the...

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Van Life: Mice, Ashland & Oregon license plates!

Van Life: Mice, Ashland & Oregon license plates!

Noelle here: I waited for Steve near Mt Ashland, about six (?) miles south of the town. It seemed like a long wait, especially when I learned after the fact that there actually was a road I didn't see on the maps that could have taken me close to the border where I...

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PCT: Day 122: Forest fire

PCT: Day 122: Forest fire

Miles today: 23.9 Trail miles sum: 1060.3 Trail location: 1742.7 Elevation: 5084 Spinning on the turntable: The Allman Bothers: At Fillmore East (Live) We awoke to the pungent smell of smoke this morning. There's a forest fire burning about 100 miles away and there's...

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PCT: Day 118

PCT: Day 118

Miles today: 21.6 Trail miles sum: 1036.4 Trail location: 1717.7 Elevation: 4204 Spinning on the turntable: Rene' Aubry: Petits sauts délicats avec grand écart Today was primary a downhill trek with one notable climb. I was relieved to find no deer hanging outside the...

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PCT: Day 117: 1000 miles: Part 2

PCT: Day 117: 1000 miles: Part 2

Miles today: 20.9 Trail miles sum: 1014.8 Trail location: 1697.2 Elevation: 6617 Spinning on the turntable: Bruce Springsteen: Western Stars Leaving the cabin after lunch I had one thing on my mind, Oregon! It was, yet again, a uphill climb heading to the border. I...

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PCT: Day 117: 1000 miles: Part 1

PCT: Day 117: 1000 miles: Part 1

Miles today: 20.9 Trail miles sum: 1014.8 Trail location: 1697.2 Elevation: 6617 Spinning on the turntable: Imagine Dragons: Origins So, hitting the 1000 mile marker was a bit anti-climatic. It was just me. No markers, no singing, no dancing. (I made a dreadful error...

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PCT: Day 116

PCT: Day 116

Miles today: 19.5 Trail miles sum: 993.9 Trail location: 1676.2 Elevation: 6122 Spinning on the turntable: Bryan Adams; Shine a light A moonlit photo is an indication of an obscenely early start to the day. I woke at 4AM, hit the snooze twice, then ate breakfast and...

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PCT: Day 75

PCT: Day 75

Miles today: 16.6 Trail miles: 603.9 Elevation: 7520 Spinning on the turntable: P!nk: Hurts 2B Human Today I woke up at 5AM, ate breakfast, broke camp, and started hiking at 6:15. Seems like I should be a lot quicker by now! Today was a long uphill grind. I knew it...

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PCT in Washington

Join us on the Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail, where there was lots of Trail Magic coming out of the Gorge and lots of rain in the North.  From Mt Rainier to the Goat Rocks to the never-ending dampness of the North Cascades, the PCT in Washington demands a toll from its backpackers and hikers. We leave the Bridge of the Gods, as the annual PCT Days are wrapping up.  It was a fun time of catching up with trail friends before tackling the last state on the journey.  Steve flew through the PCT in Oregon and now tests his mettle in the last section on trail.   There are beautiful vistas, but also the sadness of hikers all around us throwing in the towel.  Washington saw almost as many injuries as the beginning of the trail did.  Come along for the ride!