Miles Hiked 406
PCT Mile 911.6
Elevation feet 5,047
Miles Hiked Today 7.6
I left the Klum Landing campground at 6:15 a.m.. The trail was going up several hundred feet, and I wanted to get an early start to do most of the elevation gain when it was cooler in the early part of the day. This the end of my Oregon PCT hike if I can find a ride off the trail. The prospects are not that good since there are only a couple of rarely traveled roads in the next 15 miles.
As I moved down the trail, I finally got a cooperative deer. She wasn’t that far off and just beside the trail. I pulled out my phone slowly so as to not spook her, and snapped a picture. Not a bad shot considering the distance and growth beside the trail.
Saying goodbye to my camera subject, I continued down the trail at a good pace. The temperature was warming up fast and I was not looking forward to the high 80 degree forecast for this day. This part of the trail is more than a 1,000 feet lower than the trail of the past few weeks. That difference in elevation comes with a higher air temperature, unfortunately.
The scenery on this section was great. Parts of the trail can be quite boring, but the views of the trail ahead and far off lakes and ponds make it interesting.
Just before noon, the trail ran into a road and the sign for the Hyatt Lake Campground. I stood there on the trail a few feet from the paved road and wondered if this is a place to get a ride. There were a few cars entering and leaving the campground, but I wasn’t sure in which direction Ashland, OR was.
After a few minutes and a look at a map, I realized the road led out to another road and Ashland. Then a car pulls up with two guys and they ask me which way is Ashland. I point the direction and then ask for a ride. After a few moments of hesitation, they agreed and that’s my ride. Simple as that.
In the car, I tell the driver I really need to get to Medford, OR, but I’ll take a ride anywhere in that general direction. The driver tells me they are actually going to Medford. Wow! Talk about luck. The ride was about 45 miles. While in the car, I located a hotel to stay at near the Medford airport. The driver knew of the hotel and said he would take me all the way there. And that’s what happened. The car dropped me at the front door of the hotel, so I’m set. This is indeed the end of my Oregon PCT hike
Later in the day, I made my usual pilgrimage to Walmart. My hiking clothes were beyond dirty and my hiking boots were finished. I bought pants and shoes at Walmart along with a few other things. When I got back to the hotel, I made plane reservations to go home and afterwards, took a shower.
That’s it! I hiked a few miles over 400 miles and spent five weeks in Oregon. My boots and hiking clothes went into the garbage. The got me through this hike and I was grateful for that. The next thing to go will be my backpack. I hiked thousands of miles with it over eleven years and it served faithfully, but it was ripped and tattered. The next time I hike, it will be with a new backpack.
