Rose slowly and didn’t hit the trail till 6:45.
Most of the walk today was climbing. Got some great views of Mt Hood as we approached it, and once at Mt Hood, good views of Mt Jefferson.
I walked steady without breaks in an experiment with my asthma, testing some different breathing styles to see what is effective to take away the effects of asthma while I climb up significant grade. I pushed at close to 4.5 miles per hour for the whole time and think I have found a way that works for me and can control wheezing, which was become pretty much constant for me in this climate, unfortunately.
Our aim for the day was the Timberline Lodge. A large lodge that is for the ski resort on the south slope of Mt Hood. It is a beautiful lodge with great views, a cool design and execution.
From the lodge we can see Mt Jefferson, and also the fire that is next to Jefferson. We could see the very beginnings of the fire a few days ago and walked around the other side of the mountain. Now, the PCT is closed for that section, and we heard that 1600 acres are burning/burnt. We are always a step ahead of the fires, but this one was pretty close. Walking through all the burn areas is pretty new to me on this trip….having never lived in an area that is highly susceptible to forest fires.
At the Timberline lodge, we hit the lunch buffet. It was very good. Great meats and salads and desserts. It was not cheap, but it was really good, and there was a lot of food. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and playing ping pong….charging phones. Dinner at the large is quite expensive, so I just had a packet of tuna that had been left in the hiker box and some cookies that were in my food drop.
JJs parents came to visit here so it was nice to meet them. Will probably spend more time with them tomorrow.
We are camped above the lodge in an area with some trees right next to the ski slopes. Have a nice breeze, but it is not too cool yet.
Daily Distance: 19
Trip Distance: 2,099.2
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