state: 2/3
Miles: 455
Favorite part: Timberline Lodge all you can buffet
Hardest Part: walking through past forest fires.
The Desert: Mile 1691 - 2146
Is the magic starting to fade?
They say Oregon is when things really pick up, not view-wise but mile-wise. By this point you got your hiking legs, you’ve overcome the desert and climbed the highest mountain in the lower 48 states. You’re physically and mentally strong – now it’s time to get through another state and continue being a badass!
As we continued to chip away day by day through Oregon we were first greeted with amazing views of Crater Lake and the Cascade range, which was pretty amazing! Looking back at it, my mindset at that point was to go as fast as possible and try to finish the trail earlier.
We continued hiking one day at a time and as we made our way through the state we were mostly shocked at how much of the trail has previously burned down. massive sections were just completely charred, leaving behind a compilation of dust, scorched trees, and nothing green in sight. As each year passes, I think forest fires will continue to increase, making it harder for future generations to thru-hike the entire trail in one shot.
Although my body had adjusted as best as it could and the views and company were amazing, hiking had become monotonous. It was the same thing every day. Wake up, pack up, hike nonstop, and set up camp again. Wasn’t that exactly what I was trying to escape?
I believe a lot of things in life tend to be over-romanticized. An example that comes to mind is how van life is glorified all through social media, but once you’ve actually done it, that enchantment goes away. It’s hard, uncomfortable, and sometimes very inconvenient, especially if you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
I guess for me, that feeling started in northern California and continued through Oregon. And don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it but the days started blending into one another, becoming one big blur, and all of a sudden you realize you’re no longer stopping to smell flowers. You’re just powering through, looking at your feet 80% of the time trying not to trip.
We continued to hike hard and finished the 455-mile section of Oregon. On the last days of the section, it felt as if a new chapter was around the corner. On the last day, we took a side trail and went through eagle creek, which provided us with an unreal trail behind a waterfall. As we walked off the trail and into Cascade Locks we saw the Bridge of the Gods. To anyone else, the bridge is nothing too specular. Just a cool-looking bridge. To us, This bridge represented a new chapter, A new and final state