Folders |
Thinking Back- Looking Ahead
Published by
Birdlegs Gazette
REMEMBERING BACK-THINKING AHEAD
Well, my bride I have been married 34 years this year (2004). We have climbed most of the major peaks of both the northern and southern Cascades, and a few in the Rockies. I married a beautiful, well built woman for a reason: she's pioneer stock; rough, tough, and beautiful, puts up with my whining.............and she can carry me. We've traveled countless muds together through rain, snow, sleet, and heat..........and she just keeps on trudging along. For the last few years, we've been checking out the Pacific Crest Trail in 50-100 mile segements. This year we'll do 100 miles from the southern watershed of Mt. Adams to the southern watershed of Mt. Hood at Timberline Lodge. We'll take a short lay-over at Cascade Locks right after we cross the Oregon state border, and the Bridge of the Gods. That will have been about 50 miles in 5 days. That's the way we take it; 10 miles a day then set up camp..........no worry about burnin' daylight..........just doin' our 10, and packin' it in. Well, after we do up a little dirty laundry and have a hamburger or three, and restock at Cascade Locks, we'll do about 5 days more of uphill plodding in some of the most beautiful forest in Oregon with lots of streams, waterfalls, and pools. We figure that's a good exchange: precious prettiness for pushin' it like fools. We'll be climbing from sea level to about 6500 feet on the side of Hood. Who knows?...........if we get there early, we may even summit climb (uh huh, sure)............never can tell when ya got a bride like her. This summer I'll fulfill part of Lynn's dream; to fastpack the northern portion of this Pacific Crest Trail- 650 miles of rugged beauty. Then next summer I will do the southern portion. The best part of the trip, without doubt, is coming home on the come about. If you're gonna hike trails you should never miss that. We'll tell you more when we come back. Love, Dave and Lynn |
