August 8th, 2022 by Jon
When we woke up in the morning, our stuff was damp and covered in condensation. It didn’t rain overnight, but the moisture in the air lingered from yesterday evening’s rain. We packed up and got ready to go, then headed back down to the hiker area by the water for breakfast instead of at the tent site. We did a few last internet chores before packing up and heading out with Tits. Stealth has to wait for the store to open so she can get more food, and Biscuit and Missile left already since they plan to do a big day today. Missile is heading back to Boston for a wedding, and he leaves in a few days, so he wants to push to get to Elk Lake Resort and go into Bend from there. Biscuit agreed to keep him company until then, and she enjoys the bigger days.
We had about 2 miles of road walking around the side of the lake and up a large hill to get back to the highway. We had hoped a car would pass so we could potentially score a ride, but not a single car passed. When we got to the road, the rain started coming down hard for about 5 minutes. We crossed the highway before beginning the climb up the first ridge. The rain let up, and we took our jackets back off. It would continue to sprinkle on and off for the rest of the morning until about 11:00.
We walked through lush, moss-covered pine forest as we climbed the ridge. The forest had a strong, damp, earthy smell to it that reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. As we get closer to Washington, I’m definitely getting more and more excited. We got to the top of the ridge and came to the edge of the first of the Rosary Lakes. They were crystal clear and a wonderful pale blue with the lake set in a basin at the foot of a rocky cliff. The water was completely still, and we took a break there to enjoy a wonderfully peaceful moment. The longer we’re on trail, the more we find ourselves pausing to look at things. Maybe it’s because we hike faster and feel like we can, or maybe it’s because our priorities are just different. Either way, it was one of the best breaks on the trail so far.
We continued walking after the break, and I noticed small raindrops falling on the water’s surface, although they were so small I could barely feel them as they fell on my skin. We hiked higher into the hills, passing the other two Rosary lakes. They were smaller, but just as beautiful. We switchbacked up a steep ridge after the third lake and wound our way through the forest as the morning cloud coverage began to burn off. We came to a small side trail that led to a backcountry ski cabin and headed in to check it out. They had solar-powered lights, a wood stove, and a cool sleeping loft area. It would be fun to come back and do some cross-country skiing in the area and stay in the cabin.
After another break at the cabin, we pushed another 4 miles to a small pond where we could get water. The trail took us through more pine forest along the bottom of a valley, with no views, but the tranquil forest felt comfortable and calming. When we got to the pond, it was about noon, and we grabbed water, feeling uneasy at first with how brown it was, but it ended up tasting great! Sometimes brown water just tastes like dead plants, so we felt the hesitation was valid. We had lunch and enjoyed a smorgasbord of snacks and hanging out with Tits and a few other hikers. Afterward, we headed out, and it was 7.4 miles to a lake where we could get water next.
The trail had us do a long, slow climb up and over a ridge before we could descend into the next valley. As we climbed, the smoke from the Cedar Creek Fire began to roll in. It was white, thick, and it made you want to choke on the air. It was pretty gross. Thankfully, it was somewhat breezy, and the wind seemed to blow it away periodically before it came back again. We passed by a number of very small, gross-looking ponds, and I ran from the mosquitoes that lurked in the shade near those cesspools. We passed by rock piles, napping hikers in old tent sites, and dried-out creek beds. Soon, we got to the top of the ridge and had a few small views through the trees at the surrounding mountains before plunging down the other side of the ridge. The terrain was the same as before, and after an hour of gentle downhill, we got to Charlton Lake.
The lake was absolutely gorgeous. Tits, Singsong, and I sat and had a snack, drank water, and gazed out on the lake for about half an hour. We saw a hawk dive and catch a fish, which was super cool. The smoke drifted in and out, but it didn’t settle down in the lake basin as much as hang high overhead, making everything look hazy. We collected more water and chilled more before pushing out once again. The next section passed a few amazing-looking campsites along the lake’s shore, which we followed for a while before climbing up onto a plateau, and then we entered the burn zone. There were a lot of white trees with all the limbs fallen off, and it seemed like they were just waiting to fall, as many had already. There was a good amount of regrowth coming in already, which was encouraging to see. The first service has done a good job of keeping the trail clear, and you can tell how many fallen trees they have chainsawed to clear. That said, there were still plenty of blowdowns, and there probably will continue to be many for the next few years.
As we walked back into the forest beyond the burn, we enjoyed the shade of the larger trees once again. We passed by the first Irish Lake, ignored a few tent sites we saw there, and eventually came to a dirt road that we followed to the water’s edge, where we found some wonderful flat spots to pitch a tent and logs that made a perfect sitting spot. The water was nice and close by. We made camp, had dinner, and then Stealth joined us an hour later! We caught up for a bit, and we found out we likely have a ride for the weekend to get up to Timothy Lake from Bend. The Lionshead closure is still closed, and there isn’t a good road to get around it, so we will have to skip about 75 miles to go around 20 closed trail miles. But that’s okay, it’s part of the PCT experience.
We are all really enjoying this section so far. The lakes we have been passing have been completely amazing. Tomorrow we have a relatively flat-ish day, and we might try to do a longer mileage day to make our last day into Bend a little shorter.
