An early snow storm on the PCT in Oregon

This morning I got up as early as I could. Then I did some editing before heading out for a continental breakfast. My hope is to be walking around 7:30am or a little later. I would also have to get a ride back to the trailhead. Once I packed, I went down to have breakfast. And I was surprised by the continental breakfast at this Best Western in Sisters. It was easily the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.

I’ve stayed in so many hotels this year that I think I can formulate a pretty good opinion about the continental breakfast. This one had everything you could want. We’re talking lots of hot food, tons of bread options, and really delicious food. I made a hot mocha and a breakfast sandwich with sourdough, scrambled greens, and some bacon. The lady working the buffet was ridiculously nice too. I couldn’t help but tell him that it was the best continental breakfast I’ve ever had.

Sprinter finally joined me and I finished eating. Then I grabbed what I needed for the day and off we went. Sprinter took me back to where the highway intersected the woodpecker trailhead road. That’s where I ended my day yesterday. Once I got there, he left me and I continued walking towards Santiam Pass. It would be about 26 miles per day. I hadn’t plotted it out perfectly, so, sort of.

Starting my day at the lowest elevation I’ve been in a long time.

My morning started at about 3000 feet elevation. Which meant there was absolutely no snow and the weather was perfect. But we had passed through Santiam Pass to get to the trailhead. Then I knew that in the higher elevations it was snowing and it was certainly accumulating. It was strange to see that and then keep going down. Then, throughout the day, I would gradually walk from 3,000 feet to 5,000 feet. Finally, we returned to the storm.

Crossing a river this morning.

It was a really nice quiet morning and time passed quickly along the way. I walked for a couple of hours and then Sprinter came by and left me something to drink and a slice of pizza. That was absolutely killer. Then I kept walking and tried to multitask and do some editing.

I had some uneven sections, but nothing too crazy. I think over the course of the entire day I would only gain about 3000 feet. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t anything too far-fetched these days. Additionally, road climbs tend to be very pleasant and gradual in general. When I wasn’t editing and doing speech-to-text stuff, I was listening to music. That helped pass the time pleasantly and quickly. And eventually, over the course of the day, he would return to duty as well.

Around 3000 feet you wouldn’t even have known there was a storm at a higher elevation.

I was just moving forward as much as I could. And after about another hour, Sprinter passed by once again. He left me another drink and another slice of pizza. Then I wouldn’t see him again until I left for the pass. As he hiked, he stocked up on all kinds of snow gear. There were a lot of things I didn’t think I’d need, but he insisted on picking up some just in case. So if I don’t use them, I could just return them.

He got boots, snowshoes, extra socks, extra gloves, and all kinds of random things. I don’t see myself using any of that. But there is definitely a chance that there will be so much snow accumulation that you will need to use snowshoes. But more than anything it was a relief to know that I had everything I needed. All thanks to Sprinter! It doesn’t matter what the weather conditions were like. Sprinter even managed to find sealskin socks! Which were pretty much the only item of equipment I really wanted. Waterproof socks are going to make or break these next few days walking in the snow. When your feet are cold and wet, it’s very difficult to keep going. And I need to be doing long days no matter the weather.

The higher I went, the more snow appeared.

Towards the end of the day I had to start climbing again. But it really wasn’t that bad. It was a really nice and comfortable temperature and super dry. It hadn’t rained on me at all. And it seemed as if the storm had eased a little as I got higher up. I just hope the storm only lasts part of today. That way the buildup isn’t as crazy at these high points. Tomorrow morning I have to climb to about 6,000 feet. And not long after that I will have to climb to over 7000 feet. Considering that two nights ago there was about a foot of snow at higher elevations, I was very curious to see what had happened in the last 24 hours.

These were the conditions at Santiam Pass. Even long after it stopped snowing.

All in all, the day went by pretty quickly. It always helps to be on the road. And it also helps not to walk in fresh snow. I ended up making it back to Santiam Pass shortly after 5 pm. I still felt like I had plenty of time to go into town, relax, and edit overnight. Which was a really good feeling. As I got higher and closer to Santiam Pass, the weather changed drastically. It was much colder and the wind picked up. Honestly, I was glad to finish the day.

If this is what it looks like at 5000 feet, I can only imagine what it looks like at 7000 feet.

I returned to the Santiam Pass and Sprinter was waiting for me there. It was really nice to be able to get in the car and warm up. Although today he hadn’t spent much time in cold or uncomfortable conditions. Luckily, there didn’t seem to be too much additional snow accumulating throughout the day. I really hope it’s at least rideable at higher altitudes tomorrow. It’s okay if I can’t do 35 miles a day. It’s okay if I have to go slower than usual. I just want to be able to walk every day and do a certain amount of miles. And I don’t want it to be too incomplete while I’m doing it. Is it too much to ask?

The most exciting part of today was probably that Sprinter was able to get me sealskin socks!

Once I got back to the pass, Sprinter took me back to Sisters. And I headed straight to the hotel to relax and take a hot shower. Sprinter planned to buy some food for dinner and basically just told me to pick a place and tell him what I wanted. Which was an absolutely ideal situation. I really just want to rest tonight and enjoy what rest I can. Plus, I have a lot of editing to do. So the idea of ​​going out to eat just didn’t jive with that productive energy. When he suggested just ordering some takeout, I was very happy.

Back in the room I ended up taking another bath, which was amazing. And I did some editing while I was there. Then Sprinter went out and bought some Nepalese food for dinner. Which was so ridiculously good! When he left the food in my room, he also left some drinks and a pint of ice cream. He doesn’t miss a beat. That guy has been a blessing.

Delicious Nepalese meatballs.

And somehow, I managed to eat two entrees and a pint of ice cream in just a couple of hours. I swear it was more food than I’ve eaten since I can remember. But I felt very good afterwards. Then I spent the rest of the night lying in bed, stretching, doing some editing, and watching some TV. Enjoying my last night inside before heading out into this mysterious storm. It is very difficult to say what the trail conditions will be like once you reach a higher elevation. I just hope it’s rideable and I can continue riding it! It’s crazy to think about how little mileage there is left in the state of Oregon. And about the PCT in general. Then of course a storm had to come through to slow things down a bit. But there’s nothing I can’t avoid.

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