Entering the home stretch: WASHINGTON!

Today we crossed the Bridge of the Gods. It spans the great Columbia river from Oregon into Washington and marks a very significant milestone for thru-hikers... the last state! It is particularly meaningful for me because I am home.

As we hike these last 600 miles we are also pushing to finish our fundraiser for Inspiring Girls Expeditions. We are 86% of the way to our goal of raising 1$ for every mile we hike to help send high school girls on a wilderness-science expedition. Please consider donating even $10 to help us reach this goal. You can read more about the program here:

https://www.crowdrise.com/dashboard/chelanpauly/pct-fundraiser-raising-1-for-every-mile-we-hike-to-help-future-young-adventurers

Enjoy the second half of Oregon!

The team lined up in rainbow formation, thanks Aaron for joining us to get the red color we've been looking for!

 Rosary Rock reflecting in Upper Rosary Lake, it is a 400 ft slab known for great climbing!

Hitching around the fire closures in Three Sisters and Jefferson... seven hikers and eleven backpacks all crammed into the bed of a truck, no problem! 

Ring pops to celebrate Kareoke's birthday!

"Little Crater Lake" is a deep blue color with crystal clear water that comes out of a spring at about 40˚ F. Brrrrrr

Hey there Mount Hood, you are looking good!

Sunrise above the clouds from a campsite behind Timberline Lodge on the flank of Mount Hood 

Saying goodbye to Mount Hood after an incredible "all you can eat Breakfast Buffet" at Timberline Lodge. 

Enjoying the late season wildflowers on Paradise Loop at Mount Hood

Ramona Falls - a short but worthwhile alternate from the PCT

Sunset with the new moon shining in the background

Does it get any cheesier?

Yep, you just have to turn it into a selfie... Ungerwhere, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Otter, Lady, Wasabi, Peanut, Baby Carrots, and Bamboo from front to back. 

Lined up watching the solar eclipse

Eclipse viewing party complete with snacks and solar glasses

Hiking again

Made it to the Bridge of the Gods, hello Washington!

Time to celebrate the last state!

Took a day off to visit a dear friend in Portland... shout out to Katie Lei for hosting a hungry hiker and shout out to baby Jackson for being the cutest little guy on the block!

 Large ice-cream from East Wind in Cascade Locks... Olaf and I BOTH ate the entire thing

Hiker gathering at Basecamp in Portland... such a great trail family!

Oregon Adventures

Oregon has been wonderful. The day we crossed the border we were immediately hit with a giant thunder, lightning and rain storm... welcome to a new state! Generally it is drier and feels different geologically and ecologically speaking. Not to mention the more hippy/green vibe in towns.

There have been many challenges in the past two weeks due to an overuse injury on my left leg as well as multiple trail closures for wildfires across the state. These are causing logistical challenges but in the end it makes us appreciate the beauty all the more. Walking the rim trail at Crater Lake, summiting Mount Thielsen, swimming in alpine lakes, and gorging on huckleberries are just a few of the highlights so far.

Enjoy the pictures!

Marble Mountain wilderness

Enjoying the sunset

Made it to the border!!! After 1700 miles it feels good to finally reach a new state!

Doodling in a field of wildflowers

Red light from the smoky sunset streaming through the trees

Mount McGlaughlin at sunset

Appreciating the beauty of old burns

Snow lake, a glorious swim and short side trip from the trail

Western pasque flowers - reminiscent of Dr. Seuss

Huckleberries!!!

Yum yum yum! What a wealth of sugary deliciousness

Fields and fields of lava rocks!

Many of the miles in Oregon are tunnels of green so the ridge walls are moments of joy!

Loving those flowers!

Hitching in the back of the truck

Trail magic at Crater Lake! Shout out to the YWAM Salem campus! Thank you Jeff and Phil

A hiker who carries a fiddle on trail and plays at every opportunity

Crater lake, what a beauty!

Mount Thielsen - the lightning rod. And our summit goal for the morning

Part of the team cheesing big!

The ladies in pink walking together

Making my way up the ridge to Thielsen at sunrise

Climbing Thielsen with Diamond lake in the background

Sitting on the summit

The very end of California

I got off trail briefly to spend a wonderful weekend with Kyle in Sacramento. Enterprise wouldn't rent me a car with a debit card so I ended up learning how to hitch long distances... 7 hours, 7 hitches and a lot of fun new friends!

An example of the wonderful trail magic we sometimes stumble upon... ice cold lemonade!

Burney Falls, the river upstream is completely dry since all of the water soaks in to the porous and highly fractured basalt. It then runs along the contact with an impermeable conglomerate and creates this awesome waterfall!

Sometimes we feel like we are in the middle of the wilderness...  then we cross under buzzing high voltage power lines and remember just how close we are to major population centers. Not natural but you can still find beauty in the symmetry of these impressive structures.

Sunset on a dry volcanic ridge

Red morning light from a smoky sunrise illuminates the trail and trees

Just walkin

And walkin some more

Tired and contented after a 12 day stretch of 30+ miles! Time to find a hitch to town

Still walking

And walking

And walking

The volcanic rocks remind me a bit of Saddle Rock in Wenatchee!

Sunset outside of Shasta City

Pitcher Plant! An uncommon species with small hairs that trap insects inside and allow bacteria to digest them and give the plant energy

Mount Shasta

Snowy Shasta and bright wildflowers, does it get any better?

Sunset reflecting off of a small lake in the Trinity Alps

Enjoying the cloud cover

Clouds in the Trinity Alps wilderness!

Easy cheese on trail? Is this real?

Watching the storm roll in as we raced toward Etna... ended up enjoying a few hours of thunder, lighting, and warm rain before making it to town. What a spectacular show!

The team posing in front of the rambling ranch house in Etna with Al... hot showers, laundry, and home cooked meals, thank you Al and Robert!