20 miles
The sun woke us up again and Jay was already hanging out at the picnic table beside us. We chatted some more and slowly got around before heading out. The miles today started off easy enough, cruising through shaded trees. We passed a handful of SoBos, they also seem to think there’s a big bubble of them coming in the next week or so. Should be interesting to see them all pass by. We traded information about the upcoming segments and went on our way. Lunch was at the split for the Eagle Creek alternate. We heard the descent was rough, and it was every bit of that. Since it’s not the official PCT, the trail is not maintained to the same standard. Steep, lots of blowdowns, overgrown. But it’s also beautiful! The trail goes past a few waterfalls, most notably Tunnel Falls. You walk through a cave underneath the falls and the trail is carved into the side of the cliff. Very neat section of trail, although rough on the feet. Because it’s a popular destination for locals, we had to look a bit to find some open camp spots. Luckily, we found one with another PCT hiker. Turned out to be Paul, who we had met on Day 2 back at BLYC. Sitting my feet in the cool water felt amazing at the end of the day. Dinner around a fire ring with Jay and Paul was great. Just talking about anything and eating our various meals. Tomorrow is a couple hours of hiking in the morning and then Cascade Locks.
PCT Hike 