July 27.
Set my alarm for 5 and was on trail by 645. I really need to work on heading out faster. I lose a lot of time eating and shitting. Not at the same time. Although maybe I could save some time doing both at once.
Bugs weren’t too bad early on. The first few miles were mostly downhill and flat down to Walptus Lake. But then it got bad. I knew from that nobo at Whites Pass that it was going to be bad but goddamn it was so bad. Long forest descent down into the pits of bug hell. It was maddening. I basically hiked nonstop for 6 hours because every time I stopped I’d get swarmed. I stopped for water at one point and got some many bites. I may have to switch to grabbing water in my bottle and just directly attaching the filter to it so I don’t have to sit around filtering. My water bag ended up with a small pinhole leak because of how hard I was squeezing it to get it to filter faster. Figured this would happen though I’d hoped to get at least through Oregon with it. Bummer but glad I got another one coming.
The whole section around Walptus Lake sucked. It was beautiful and foresty but I didn’t get to enjoy any of it really because of the bugs. Hiked most of the morning with my windshirt and wind pants and head net on, miserable and not having fun. The bugs really have affected this hike for certain sections and I don’t know if they’ll get any better in Oregon. My strategy of dry camping at exposed passes hasn’t really panned out with camping at Nannie Ridge and now at Killen Creek. But maybe going forward it’ll work.
Around noon I crossed a dirt forest road where I was actually able to lie down for a second after hiking for 6 hours around 17 miles. That was the fastest I’ve ever hiked 17 miles but felt it mentally. Not too long before then I ran into a bunch of PCTA volunteers clearing part of the trail. It was so cool to see them working to maintain the trail and when I make it through this thing I need to look into volunteering with them.
Right after the dirt road I hit the 400 mile mark though I almost went right past it. My plan to get pictures at every 100 mile point has not panned out. I made another marker but couldn’t really get a good angle for the picture and no one else was around.
After the dirt road I started climbing up though the elevation gain was much more gradual. I passed by a cool spring that would have been cool campsite had I not be set on making to Killen Creek. The bugs switched from mosquitoes to black flies which are also annoying but much more manageable. The tiny mosquitoes will swarm and bite and sting like crazy but the black flies will mostly buzz though when they do bite it hurts like hell.
Physically this was a much easier day than some of the previous ones despite doing a few more miles than normal. The lack of elevation gain and loss definitely helped although my left thigh was definitely letting itself be known on the downhills.
Made it to Killen Creek, a site I’ve been looking forward to for days after reading about it on guthooks. Absolutely worth the hike in. I ended up making in around 5 which is the earliest I have made it to a camp yet I think. Had some time to wash my legs and arms and soothe soothe some of the bug bites. I got in so early I haven’t even had dinner yet. Lots of bugs here too but they are more manageable especially since I was able to set up my tent on a nice windy spot.
There’s a beautiful meadow with great views of Mt Adams right under a waterfall. I’m currently sitting in my tent listening to the waterfall looking up at Mt Adams swapping a few bugs reading Walden more content than I have ever felt.
Tomorrow is an easy though still technically full day to Trout Lake. Since it’s Saturday I’m hoping to get an easy hitch to town but we’ll see. If there’s no room at the grocery store I may try to get to the abbey since I’ve heard it’s quite the experience. We’ll see how it goes.
Plants Outside 