Posted by Mile 1773.2 to mile 1804.3 (31.1 miles, 50km)
Plus 2 miles from Fish Lake back to trail
Another uneventful day.
An easy 2 miles saw me back on trail having spent the night camped at Fish Lake Resort.
Stocked up on water, enough for most of the day anyway, it was just a matter of putting in the distance. I was aiming for around 30 miles to get somewhere near a half day into Mazama Village the following day.
It was flat all morning, the trail snaking a narrow path amongst pines. With no ridges to follow or hills to climb, there were no views to be had at all. This is where hiking becomes hard. The walking part is easy, the monotony of it all, not so in unchanging scenery. The only way to mark progress is by keeping tabs on your location on the phone, otherwise it’s easy to believe you’ve walked past that tree or rock or log before. I swear there were a couple of times that my body was just doing its thing, my mind completely switched off and basically sleep walking. Eyelids closed or close to it and feet continuing forward momentum.
It is occasions like this where podcasts come in handy. It’s a good thing I uploaded a few audiobooks back in Ashland.
Waterpoints were few and far between today as well. There was a spring 0.1 mile off track around 10 miles in and another at around 26 miles. The first spring was delicious. Crystal clear and cold water running straight out of a hillside.
After lunch, entering the Skye Lakes Wilderness the terrain finally changed, becoming slaty rock for many miles and a few hills thrown in to spice things up, hillsides strewn with white rocks around the size of your average TV set.
Fire smoke is still hanging around obscuring views from up high however clear patches of blue sky to the north are a good sign that things might be on the improve. I’m hoping for clear air when at Crater Lake in a few days time.
Mick Beckers 