The distance to Pamelia Lake trail head was a bit of a mystery to us because it’s not on the PCT. Our app didn’t really show exactly how far it was off the PCT but we took our best guess. Because of this unknown variable we woke up pretty early to ensure we were there for our 1pm pick up. We ended up doing 15.7 miles by 11am which left us plenty of time to eat and wash up in the creek. In that time we met another PCT hiker who had just been dropped off and was continuing his hike Southbound. He had gotten off trail for a bit to hang out with his family in Portland and we chatted with him and his mother for a short while. Once he left his mother asked if we wanted some peaches, an offer I joyfully accepted. Her son was in his early 20’s and as I sat eating my peach I couldn’t help but think about how cool it would be to follow your child on such an adventure. I imagine it would be both nerve wracking and exciting watching him walk back on trail, solo, into the unknown. I wonder how my experience would be different at 20 versus 37?
Devilfish arrived right on time and we started the long drive to Ollallie Lake. The PCT closure itself was only 23 miles but the drive to get to Ollallie Lake takes a bit over 4 hours. We made a few stops along the way and even picked up some SOBO PCT hitcher’s that were heading into Portland. I think all in all with all the stops it was about a 6 hour ride. To say we were beyond grateful was an understatement.
The 3 miles North of Ollallie Lake were also closed and so we decided to camp at Triangle Lake so as to avoid travelling on closed trail in the morning. Prior to getting dropped off here however, Devilfish took us up to Ollallie Lake because he said it was worth the view and he was picking up another hiker heading Southbound looking to get around the closure. There was also a store I was pretty keen to get to as I really wanted to grab some beer and snacks before it closed. When we got there I was surprised to see the Thrupple. They had decided to go through the closure and looked like they had a long hard day. They were covered in black soot from all the burnt trees they would have had to climb up and over. We chatted with them briefly and I found out the lone woman is from Saskatchewan. When she found out we were also from Canada she asked if we had ever done the Great Divide Trail. They were interested in doing it next year because they were a bit disappointed with the lack of wildlife sightings. I assured them they would probably see a lot more wildlife on the GDT. The lack of wildlife was something Peter and I noticed as well, although I wasn’t really bothered by that. In 2014, we only saw one bear in 1200 miles and we didn’t see any on this trip and barely any skat at that.
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Ollallie Lake |
We got dropped off at Triangle Lake and before setting up camp we decided to go sip beers by the Lake and watch the sun set. It was a fantastic way to end a big day of travel. Big cheers to Devilfish for being so selfless and helping hikers get from point A to point B!
Tomorrow we get to Timothy Lake and the following day a race to Timberline Lodge! Stay tuned…
Marathon and Pole Vault
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