Trail Days 99-110: Ashland to Bend

Invisible Lines

I woke up on day 99 of my hike with an eagerness to pack up camp. Today, we would be walking across state lines into Oregon. This border was more than an imaginary line, it represents a new chapter of the trail. We had spent so much time in California, pushing so hard to make it here. And as we walked along the trail that morning, I soaked up the rays of sun and the final steps of California. We rounded a corner and there it was, the sign that read California/Oregon border, Mexico 1694, Canada 958. Dan, Cam, and I signed the trail register and celebrated with a breakfast and applauded the other hikers walking by.

Time to Celebrate 

The trail continued up towards Mt. Ashland that day and as we approached a dirt road, we were met with some smiling faces. “Would you like some fresh tomatoes or a cold drink?” The answer was always an astounding “YES PLEASE!” These lovely folks had even more trail magic in store for us, as their friends came up the road in what I could only describe as a party RV. They came out and set up drinks, sandwiches, snacks, and overall good vibes. What an amazing way to celebrate our arrival into Oregon! I truly felt so much gratitude that night for this community. You really never know what a day on trail will look like until it happens.

Nero in Ashland

The next day we made it into the town of Ashland. I was looking forward to taking a Nero day (almost zero miles) to rest and explore the town. We had an amazing stay with Caroline, who graciously opened her home to us. I was beyond grateful for a hot shower, nourishing food, and a bed. I also tried vegemite (an Aussie classic) for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the salty spread. This was by far one of our best town days since the start of trail. The town of Ashland was very hiker friendly, walkable, and had an amazing food co-op.

Magic Hiking 

We reluctantly made it back on trail and enjoyed the new terrain of Oregon. The environment around us was changing slowly, walking through lava rocks, forests, and fields. On day 104 we hit 1,800 miles and made it to Crater Lake National Park. We camped at Mazama Village and met up with a few other hikers, including Forest Gump, who we shared a site with. We sat around the picnic table, swapping stories from one trail family to another. The next day we got our first view of Crater lake. The deep blue of the waters was captivating and the glow of the sun and smoky skies made it feel magical. We hiked around the rim trail and got 360 views of the lake before meeting with Judy and Tony who would be giving us a ride around a fire closure. Unfortunately, this would be our biggest skip of trail miles and there was no detour to take. Judy was nice enough to pick us up and take us to Shelter Cove Resort before continuing on trail. 

Sounds of the Forest

On day 107, we woke up to dew covered tents next to the lake. My sleeping pad felt extra comfortable this morning as I fought the urge to fall back asleep. Once you turn the valve and slowly deflate until you feel the hard ground underneath you, it signals the beginning of our morning routine. We had about 30 miles to do today and planned on stopping by Elks Lake Resort for lunch. The day started off nice with little elevation and I enjoyed listening to the sounds of the forest. There were quite a few hikers on trail today and I ran into Ranch Fingers from Germany. We ended up talking for about 8 miles before stopping for a quick breakfast.

The elks resort was about 1.3 miles off trail and we enjoyed a mid day feast of cheese curds, burgers, and a milkshake. Even taking a decent break during the day we were able to make good mileage. It’s always hard to leave the comfort of relaxing by a lake but we forced our packs back on and continued up into the sisters wilderness. I was excited to get our first views of south sister and hiked with anticipation. 

The Glow of the Sisters

We made our way up into the forest and had some climbing to do before we emerged into a meadow. That’s when it happened. I paused and said “Dan look!” I was in shock of the south sister appearing seemingly out of nowhere. We both stood there in awe of its beauty. It was a unique view, the smoke from wildfires added a haziness and the golden hour of dusk made it seem mystical. We followed the path along the open meadow and found camp for the night. The river lulled us to sleep.

Anticipation Building 

The trail was green and lush with wildflowers and flowing rivers, along with more fields of lava rock. We got our first views of Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Fingered Jack. My anticipation was also building as we made our way closer to the town of Bend. This meant I would see my sister for the first time since leaving for the PCT. We made it to Mackenzie Highway and I was beyond happy to be reunited with her. It was my first and only zero day in Oregon and we took full advantage of the time off including a visit to Trader Joe’s, a game of Pickleball, and walking along the river.

See you back on trail,

Emma