August 11, 2022 Mile 1974 to Big Lake Youth Camp 21.1 miles I wake to the sound of Jumbo opening his oatmeal packets. He always tries to do this quietly so that Tribute and I don’t wake up and he has more time. So I go back to sleep. The next time I wake, I …
August 10, 2022 Elk Lake Junction at mile 1952.6 to mile 1974 21.4 miles It’s cold and my tent is covered in condensation. This is not going to be an early morning for me. I sit up and do all my tasks, but I can’t bring myself to get out of my tent. Tribute and …
August 9, 2022 Campsite by Taylor Lake at mile 1930.3 to Elk Lake Junction at mile 1952.6 22.3 miles Despite passing out last night before I could write a word, I still feel exhausted this morning. Worse, I can feel the ever-present pain in my arch and achilles and the millions of mosquito bites I’ve …
August 8, 2022 Highway 58 at Willamette Pass to campsite by Taylor Lake at mile 1930.3 22.4 miles (60 miles skipped due to the Windigo Fire Closure) Morning arrives, and we all pack up quickly. It’s fifteen minutes between the time I’m awake and the time I’m more or less packed and ready to hop …
August 7, 2022 (Technically illegal) campsite on the Crater Lake Rim Trail to Highway 138 on the PCT to camp at Lemolo Lake in Umpqua National Forest 8.6 PCT miles 3.5 non-PCT miles 12.1 miles We cowboy camped, which usually means faster packing up, but for some reason, I really can’t get it together this …
August 6, 2022 Campsite at mile 1812.1 to (technically illegal) campsite on the Crater Lake Rim Trail 10.9 PCT miles 7.8 non-PCT miles 18.7 miles hiked The 8.7 miles to Mazama Village fly by this morning. I walk with Jumbo for a bit, then I fall behind when I realize I have service. I text …
August 5, 2022 Campsite at mile 1784.8 to campsite at mile 1812.1 27.3 miles The question I’m contemplating as I pack up this morning is: “How much can I get done in here before I have to go back out into the mosquitoes?” The answer is, surprisingly, a lot. I reconfigure my system so that …
August 4, 2022 South Brown Mountain Shelter at mile 1763.4 to campsite at mile 1784.8, with a midday detour to Lake of the Woods Resort (LOW) for lunch 21.4 miles We mean to wake up early to make sure we get to Lake of the Woods with plenty of time to chill, but we end …
August 3, 2022 Campsite at mile 1741.1 to South Brown Mountain Shelter at mile 1763.4 22.3 miles Since I fell asleep so early last night, I have way less of an issue than I normally do waking up at 5. I lay in bed for a while writing, then pack up fairly quickly and get …
August 2, 2022 Campsite at mile 1717.6 to campsite at mile 1741.1 23.5 miles I wake up slow. I feel blah. I don’t feel enthused about hiking. I wonder who else we’ll be seeing out here, and I think about the friends either ahead or behind or on a totally different trail now. I’d tried …
Sarahmarie Specht-Bird 