Despite the nearby partygoers, I woke early and got going on my town chores. I needed to find a laundromat, a shower, and food. Asking around, I got the code for the campground shower and found out about a small laundromat that wasn’t on Google Maps. Gasp! After an incredible shower, I got laundry going, bought a coffee, and waited to switch my clothes over. A couple other hikers were there, Vortex and Tumbleweed. We chatted until the load was done, then I took the time my clothes would be drying to find Helen and food. I got a breakfast croissant sandwich at a small restaurant and sat outside with Helen to eat it. A couple in Sawyer shirts (a water filter company) were just getting into a car. I asked them what time the Sawyer booth closed, because I had planned on getting a new filter at PCT Days. They said that they were about to leave because they sold their entire stock. This was very bad news for me, because I had broken open my water filter to see what it looked like inside, fully expecting to be able to buy a new one. The incredible people from Sawyer gave me a Sawyer filter they had been using for demonstrations, for free. Trail magic really did come from all directions!

Helen and I went back so I could pack up my stuff. Addison (Squirtle) and Ran (Chocolate Chip) stopped to say goodbye, as they would resume the trail a ways south, where they had left off. Afterward, Helen and I slowly made our way towards the Bridge of the Gods, where the trail crossed the Columbia River. There we parted and I said goodbye to my friend and to Oregon, as I entered the last state on my journey. It began with a long hill, on which I tried and failed to avoid looking at the elevation profile. I noticed that in this section, the graph that mapped elevation was in increments of 300, rather than 100, as most of Oregon had been. Woof. The forest seemed different on this side of the river, more like a rainforest, with lots of ferns and moss. I was worried about finding tent sites because it seemed I had entered into a big bubble of hikers. I passed a group of fifteen or so, setting up camp and I continued to get a little distance ahead.

The next morning, I left early, intending to make some more space in between myself and the large group. However, I only saw a few northbound hikers that day, including Vortex and a guy I hadn’t met yet, named Squish. At the end of the day, I walked over lava fields like in Oregon, but these were covered in dirt and moss. I wondered whether these lava floes were older, accounting for the difference. Either way, it was a lot nicer on the feet than the ones in Oregon. I ran into Smiley Face at the 2200 mile marker and we helped each other take pictures. Later I met Vortex and Brownstreak at a lake. They were filling up for the dry stretch ahead. There were a couple of 10 and 12 mile waterless stretches before the town of Trout Lake. On the hiking app I used, there was a Trail Angel’s number that we could call for a ride. I called Doug, who said he was eating dinner, but would finish up and pick me up at the trailhead. When I got there, Smiley Face was there, about to leave with a different Trail Angel. I told them to go ahead, as Doug was probably already on his way and I didn’t have service to call off the ride. Doug picked me up and we chatted on the way down from the mountain. He told me about the Cheese Caves near Trout Lake, which were lava tubes that had been used to age cheese year round. He asked me about the bubble coming from Cascade Locks, because the town had to prepare for the onslaught. It made me think about how the PCT affects these small towns. I’d been asked before by a store owner what kinds of things would sell to hikers. It seemed the small store in Trout Lake had asked a hiker the same thing, because they were an easy resupply. That was good, because I only had about an hour to resupply and walk to the restaurant before they closed. I made it with 15 minutes to spare and got my classic burger and milkshake combo. I made it back to the general store as dusk came on. The store let hikers sleep in their backyard. It was literally their backyard, as I found out their house is about fifty feet from the store. Their dog came out to investigate and I played fetch with him for a while, before turning in.

I knew there was a car shuttling hikers to trail at nine in the morning, so I used that excuse to sleep in and laze around the store. I met Boss and he immediately gave me a pastry from the box he bought from the store. A true gentleman. The general store was also giving out free coffee, which was amazing. After days of instant coffee on trail, the real thing was so lovely. The owners’ cat came out as I was eating breakfast and demanded attention. The dog from the night before sat by me, hoping for a stray crumb of pastry. To complete the menagerie, a flock of domestic ducks cruised around the backyard. I watched them until Doug came back and took us to trail. We helped him set out more trail magic, which he stocked at the trailhead regularly. It was cool to help him and indirectly, to help make hikers’ days. I’ve often wished I lived closer to a long trail, to be able to give back more directly to a trail that gave me so much. Maybe someday…