Day 140 Mount Jefferson – The Hike

23.91 miles
From Hunts Creek Trail Junction (mile 2023.1, elevation 5894)
To Upper Lake near Olallie Lk (mile 2046.3, elev 5390)
Upload 3904
Descend 4420

“Could you look over there?
A huge vine grows next to that small cabin.
It looks like a giant bean stalk reaching into the sky. “
Cinderella in Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim

I woke up while it was still dark, and after a short time outside, I returned to my tent to take care of whatever I could. When I came out of my tent, it was already light and I was surprised to see Mount Jefferson rising in the distance. In the fog yesterday, I had no idea that Mount Jefferson was there. It felt like Mount Jefferson had appeared there overnight, like Jack’s magic beanstalk.

Reflections of trees and rocks at the bottom of a small lake

Mount Jefferson across a lake that was out of the way.

Ceanothus snowbrush. I wasn’t sure if I had any photos of this, so I took this one. This is the bush that smells so good and that took me a few days to identify.

I liked the contrast of the solitary bush with the red berries in the middle of the burned area.

burning zone

These logs were my bridge across Russell Creek. It was a long climb to the top of the ridge north of Mount Jefferson. I reached 6850 elevation. And, as the weather forecast predicted, the fog has lifted, leaving only a few clouds near the summit of Mount Jefferson.

Mount Jefferson is a pretty amazing mountain. A couple of streams that drain the glaciers seemed very cloudy, as if from glacial flour.

Glacial flour (very finely ground rock) makes this stream appear milky

I had lunch on the ridge. My body needed rest and I took advantage of the break to enjoy the view of Mount Jefferson. But that also delayed things enough that I didn’t think I’d make it to Olallie Lake Resort today.

Mount Jefferson from the ridge where I had lunch.

And I didn’t make it to Lake Olallie. I stopped about 2.4 miles from the turnoff at Upper Lake. I didn’t arrive at camp until after 7 p.m. My legs still felt good, but I would quickly lose daylight. I found a tent spot by the lake and got to work on the night’s chores. It’s now 8:20 and I’m about to eat dinner as it’s been rehydrating a bit.

Upper Lake from my campsite

I love how well my cozy keeps food warm. I think I added the hot water 30 minutes ago and my food is still pleasantly hot. But for future trips, I must remember to slice the meats very thin in my dehydrated meals. They take much longer to rehydrate. The shrimp in jambalaya is okay, but the chicken in coconut garlic chicken has remained very tough every time I’ve had that meal.

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