We walked over to PCT Days Friday evening for beer and food trucks and had great conversations.  Teflon drive up from Portland, Couch Man was there, met MC Hobo and Peach Pie.  I faded off as it was getting dark.

The Luebber Driver picked us up Saturday morning, dropping me at a motel near PDX and taking Dan to Whidbey Island, then Seatac.

I flew to Medford, it’s just normal if you live in Alaska to fly places rather than drive or ride a bus.  Jackie picked me up, looking great, and we went to REI before Callahan’s Lodge where we had a beer.  I picked up my resupply and headed south, hiking, Monday morning.  It’s still Oregon, it’s still August, it’s still hotter than Hades.

It was odd hiking and camping by myself the first night out of Callahan’s.  I was glad when some people pitched their tent nearby and I slept soundly.

Just before reaching the Oregon/California border, there was Spoon!  Brewing fresh coffee for hikers with an Easy Up tent providing shade.  He hiked last year, but I never met him, just saw his name in the registers.  His buddy, Night Shift, though, my brother of the skirt, (Purple Rain skirts of course) was one of my favorite hikers on the trail.  We shared stories and I learned they were Army Rangers together.  Here too I met Ginger, another SOBO, although she’s got a more ambitious schedule than I do, and hikes faster.

I reached the OR/CA border in 4 days from Cascade Locks.  Cheater!  My plan is to come back, this year, and hike Elk Lake to Callahan’s SOBO, picking up the stretch I missed, but meanwhile I have to walk to Tuolumne Meadows by the end of September to meet friends and family for a beer festival.  Of course I could always catch a flight, right?