PCT day 124 – Eagle Creek
I woke this morning early. Ugh. I heard One Of Us packing up and he thought I was a bear when I came into camp last night, until he realised I had a head torch on. He also thought he heard me talking in my sleep – more than likely. It was super foggy and the fog was rolling in towards us. I kept feeling sprinkles of rain. I packed up and was on the trail by 6:30am.
We took the Eagle Creek alternate route which 99% of people take. I guess it's an alternate because it isn't suitable for horses. The first few miles are really steep downhill with lots of logs to cross. We lose around 6500ft today.
The trail leads to a waterfall – Tunnel Falls – and the trail becomes very narrow with a long drop on the left side. It then goes behind the waterfall, which is pretty cool.
The next part of the trail is rocky and tough on your feet and ankles, there are also a lot of people on the trail. Day hikers and groups of kids. The falls are easy to get to from the other end of the trail so it's a popular spot. You can tell when you are getting closer to town because people smell of soap and washing powder and it can be quite overpowering. People also unfortunately become less friendly, they have the 'don't look people in the eye' mentality that you get from being someone who lives in a big city.
Dana and I got to Cascade locks around midday and it felt weird. It's the end of Oregon. Just 3 short weeks to cross a whole state.
We just have to walk over the bridge (the Bridge of the Gods where Cheryl Strayed famously finished / quit her hike) and we will be in Washington. It's amazing how many people think the trail actually ends here.
Our first priority was to eat, so we went to the Ale House and got food. Then to the post office and I picked up a package from home (thank you Sharon!). I stuffed a Twirl and a Curly Wurly in my face straight away.
While we were there Shrek (a trail angel) came in and offered us a ride back to his house which really wasn't far away. We hung out there for a bit with One Of Us, Courage, Beer Goddess, Hawaii and Cardboard. This is Shrek...
Dana and I went to the store to do the resupply for the next section. There was a power cut while we were there so we shopped in the dark and the back up generator was about to conk out so we were hurried into paying. It was quite stressful! God knows what I've gone and bought.
Back at Shreks place we saw Chicken Fat, Jeffe and Stinger who was dead chuffed with his hiker box find.
I had bumped into Night Feather when we were eating and she offered us a place to stay in her motel room. We could of stayed at Shreks but the indoor space was already taken and it was forecast to rain. So we knocked on her door. No answer.
We went to the Thunder Island brewery and got a free drink, donated throughout the year by patrons of the pub. At long last I could get a cider instead of a beer! I was happy.
We had dinner and everyone came down for drinks. Farmer came along and he said he had a motel room we could stay in - so Dana and I went there and took showers and crashed on the floor in his room.