1087 miles and the saga continues!

Here's the carrot!! ....

If we get Darrell through to Mt. Hood we'll all stay at the
 'Mt. Hood Timberline Lodge' some day in the future.

"We plan to take him up on it!!"

 

An easy two day hike from Timothy lake to here!
JR joins DA on the next, snowy leg to Mt Hood! (east side)
(hence the offer mentioned above)

Made it through!
Nice to leave the trees and get out in the open!

Perfect day! - Sunny, alpine hiking!
Just a few short steps and we'll grab that carrot!
(Thanks Darrell!)

The next leg around Mt Hood is to dicey so we skip past that to the west side of Mt Hood
'LoLo Pass'
It looks like it might be go!

Mt. Hood behind - heading up from LoLo Pass

First part seems OK!!

Unfortunately... It was not to be....

too much snow again and no trace of the trail...

DA comes trundling back into 'coaches' camp at 8:00PM

Coach Sandy gets a fire going and scrounges up some dinner!

After a huddle around the war table it is decided!!

We'll force our way through...

First step?.... a trip to REI in Portland....
For some necessary shopping!

.......need more gear!

Like an ice axe!
Didn't bring mine so had to buy a new one!
- all aluminum   -  only weighs 7-8 oz.
(Always wanted this axe so this was a good excuse!)

Had to break out the crampons...
(Had these with us so no problem there)

And put our GPS units to good use!
(not just an exercise any more)

Although the trail was gentle the slope certainly wasn't
A un-stopped slip here would be an 'owie'
(hence the need for an ice-axe!)

getting through it - starting to see some trail!

Got that done....Out in the open...
Mt Adam beyond! 

Hiking down from Indian Springs camp to the Columbia River Gorge...
The trail goes through a tunnel blasted out behind the falls!
Surprise, surprise - the falls are called 'Tunnel Falls'

The lowest point on the PCT - elevation approx 160'
DA walking over the 'Bridge of the Gods'
....Heading into Washington state for some low level hiking there.

A much appreciated work crew! - Often volunteers!
Clearing the trail in southern Washington.
They deserve our gratitude!

Early July!
Snow conditions are OK in Washington so we get in about three days of hiking.

DA pulls off the trail at Crest Horse Camp near Mt Adams

The next section of trail climbs to 6000' on the flanks of Mt Adams...

We'll leave that for later in the summer when we come back again.

Return to Northern California to have an other go at the 'Bartle Gap - Ash Camp' section!

(DA had to bail from this part earlier due to excess snow.)

Back at Bartle Gap - JR joins in this time.
conditions better.... But still not perfect
 GPS work still required!

Lots of fresh bear tracks -
No sign of cubs so that's a good thing!
(boot print - top left)

Walking through the meadows?
Hardly! all the meadows turn out to be Mazanita Bushes!
Worse than walking on slide alder! you don't touch bottom!
The bushes were wet so got soaking wet to boot!
(all part of the fun I guess?)

Somebody was here!... Left this cairn (Karen?) to mark the trail!
(this is exactly what we found!! great sense of humour?)

Getting easier....can start to sense the trail.....

Now lower down and out in the open...
Camp over night 2 miles west of Grizzly peak then
a pleasant hike down to ash camp and Sandy the next day.

COACHES CORNER:

When we wern't solving logistical problems and providing direct support to DA....
we were doing typical 'touristy' stuff

While Darrel was slogging up from LoLo Pass
........we took a nice, cool side trip to Ramona Falls.......
an enchanting grove on the flanks of Mt Hood

'Rhodos' everywhere - in full bloom!

A rare find... a 1950's something...... Studebaker
(we're dating ourselves by even knowing about this car!)

The 'Locks' at Cascade Locks...
(We had the opportunity to watch the whole sequence)

The generators (alternators) at the Bonneville power house
(The brown one in foreground is a rotor being rebuilt)

This is not an aquarium!...
These are Lampreys swimming up the fish ladders....
They 'suck' on to the glass to rest before moving upstream.
(the glass is the viewing window for the fish ladder system)

Fourth of July coming up!! - each flag represents a fallen veteran.
A name badge on each flag!

And the obligatory 4th of July fireworks.... These ones at 'Cascades Locks'
Not bad....need some Rx for a stiff neck afterwards!

And of course.... Not to be outdone!
CANADA DAY!!
(our 'Canada table' was all we had!)


Till the next post.......

see ya.....