I started in Sisters, Oregon to hike 17 miles between McKenzie and Santiam Passes. I completed it in a day before heading to Bend to visit friends from the PCT.
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| On the PCT, Mt. Washington in the background. |
My plan was to then hike a section in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, near Etna, California. Unfortunately, road construction made the shuttle between endpoints prohibitively long, so I headed over to Mt. Shasta. I hiked up the 14,179' peak via the Clear Creek Route.
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| The summit of Mt. Shasta. |
I hoped to climb Lassen Peak while in the area, but the trail was closed for maintenance. This allowed me to spend more time in Sebastopol with another PCT friend and his wife. We went into San Francisco and then out to the coast, where there were whales within a couple hundred yards of the shore.
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| Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. |
On the way north, I spent the night in the redwoods before visiting friends in Eugene and Portland.
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| The Tall Trees Grove after camping along Redwood Creek. |
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| Hiking through the Lady Bird Johnson Grove as the fog was breaking. |
Finally, I will not be returning to the CDT. I have been waiting for the day when I wake up with an itch to get back on the trail, but that has not happened. Right now, I do not have the deep drive the trail requires. My only regret is that I will not be able to spend more time hiking with the good friends I made along the way; the trail itself will always be there. I would like to thank everyone who supported me along the way and helped me learn about myself and what I value.
My next adventure will hopefully be non-adventure. Living out of a duffle bag or backpack for the last couple years has been a valuable experience, but I think I am ready to be in my own bed at the end of most days.
