pacific crest trail

Hiking through Three Sisters Wilderness was a day full of lava rock, obsidian, and mountain views.

I had walked over 150 miles of Oregon by my twelfth day on the PCT and I was headed for one of the most beautiful sections of the state – the Three Sisters.

Ten days of hiking leaves the body & mind weary. I had more snow to slog through & miles of burnt forest. My reward was the beauty of an old volcano.

One week into my PCT adventure and I was pretty sure I’d figured Oregon out – it’s a whole lot of nothing (forest) between somethings (mountains or lakes.) The best way to get to the somethings is to travel as efficiently as possible through the nothing. Which is precisely what I did for my seventh day on trail.

My fifth day on trail in Oregon saw me travelling along a small segment of the old Oregon Trail, walking soft and easy forest paths, and ending with a pair of beautiful lakes and a perfect campsite.

All that lay between me and a gourmet breakfast buffet at Timberline Lodge was a handful of miles and some suprisingly challenging elevation gain.

My third morning on trail brought a fresh perspective as I joined the Timberline Trail on the west side of Mount Hood, passing by beautiful waterfalls and through glacier-carved valleys.

The PCT follows a series of ridge lines north of Mount Hood offering up incredible views of the mountain and valleys between.

Every hike must come to an end. Our last day was a morning of hiking through pastures and tree-line canyons to meet up with friends in Warner Springs.

Our last full day hiking the first section of the PCT offered up incredible views of the high desert as we trekked through the dry San Felipe hills.