Important milestone today! The last day of Oregon. We walked 455 miles from border to border in less than three weeks. A lot of trees and mosquitoes but also some epic spots along the way. The timing was good with flipping up – we still had enough snow for it to be challenging and fun but little enough to make good progress.

Since I am still German some intersting stats. As you know you have a lot of time during the hiking part and you have to keep yourself busy. So math games are a good thing 🤓: Our average milage for the last 900 miles since we flipped up to Northern California has been a bit more than 20 miles per day. That’s including all 0-days, town stops, etc. 20 miles is 32km!

Since we left Ashland and pushed it a bit through Oregon Kaylee and I even manged to get up to 25+ miles per day – and that includes two full days off in Bend when we met Kaylee’s parents. Wow… 😳 We have done quite a lot of 30+ days and more in the high 20’s. Even the half days were mostly between 20 & 25. So it makes sense. But it is still incredible what your body is actually capable of.

Well, enough numbers… Since one idiot didn’t put out his campfire in the Eagle Creek and with this created a forest fire and of course a closure of this area. Pretty sad! So we took an alternate recommended by one of the locals we met. He said: “If you are in for an adventure and you don’t mind it being steep go through Ruckle Creek!”. And how I was in to get a change from the green tunnel. And yes, it was steep! And rocky. And narrow. Definitely not the PCT-standard. Jiehaaaaa!!! Couldn’t stop smiling. 3000ft in 3 miles downhill. And the middle part of it was flat respectively uphill. It was so good that I actually could feel my legs after we were done. Soooo goooood 😊

We also got our first view on the Columbia River, Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods:

 

And then we arrived at Cascade Locks. A milestone. The border to Washington. A whole state. And the Bridge of the Gods. And with this we have exactly 1000 miles left on the PCT. The Sierras & Washington.

 

After a few chores at the post office and burgers & beer at the Ale House we hitchhiked to Portland. Kaylee’s friend Lacy let us stay with her – showers, laundry and a place to stay. She also took us out for dinner to a vegan restaurant. Thanks Lacy & Love for the great evening!

I don’t know how my body will coop with all this healthy stuff I shuffled into myself after my “pure-candy-and-fat-diet” of the last weeks but it was good. And guess who is following me everywhere? Sweet As beer on tap… Is this a sign? 😇🇳🇿

Tomorrow we’ll take a flight to LAX and a rental car back to Bishop – the fastest and cheapest way to get there. Then we will finish the 490 miles of Sierra we had “parked” due to the snow and river crossing conditions. 490 miles of mountains 😍😍😍 Can’t wait!