July 27

1984-2001

We had plans to leave town as early as possible, but I have some missing socks that have caused us to have to delay our departure. Where could they have gone? No one knows. It is the same place all lost gear goes- the hiker bin at the outer limits of reality. It is best not to dwell. We just have to accept the loss and move on. So far we have been lucky- only losing bread, handkerchiefs, and other non-essential pieces of gear. There is a word of message board associated with our mapping app on our phone, that is frequently used as a lost and found. We have noticed mostly losses, and very few rounds.

We have coffee and pastries at a local cafe. All the outfitters in town do not open until late, so I make due with bargain bin socks from the Dollar General. I usually use expensive, hiking specific, socks. It will be interesting to see if I notice a difference. Amber’s friend Kim is vacationing in town with her family, and she generously offers to drive us back to where we left off on trail.

Back on trail we walk through the remains of the massive lava flow that poured out of Little Belknap Crater 3,000 years ago.

We can see volcanoes stacked ahead of us leading us northward- Mt. Washington close by and Mt. Jefferson in the distance.

This Section remains quite dry, with no water for tens of miles, so we stop off at a 7th Day Adventist camp that welcomes hikers to fill up our water bottles. They have been welcoming hikers for nearly 20 years. Previously they had a small canvas tent available for hikers, and would accept and store resupply packages for hikers who wanted to avoid going into Sisters, OR.

In 2017 a wealthy hiker asked the owners of the camp what it would cost to build a small shelter for hikers who pass through. When they gave a dollar amount, the hiker wrote a check for that exact amount. Now there is a standalone apartment for hikers to stop in, complete with laundry and shower facilities.

Due to the fires, and Southbound hikers intersecting us, we are seeing more people than ever. Folks that we passed on trail have now skipped ahead of us to avoid smoke and fires. It is a little overwhelming to be around the larger crowds if people, so we quickly get back on trail and get a few miles in before camping for the night.