Day 24 – Flora – The Trek

September 8 – Blue Mountains TrailNE Oregon

Redmond’s rating

I got going before it was light. Not the best night’s sleep, but that’s okay. Leaving early worked really well today because I had a big climb to start the day and it was nice to get it done before the heat kicked in. Also, I met up with my friend David again for a resupply and our plan was to camp on the west rim of Joseph Canyon and then he would hike with me to Joseph Creek tomorrow.

When the sun came up, I was walking down the gravel road known as Redmond Grade. It was launched abruptly from the Gronde Ronde River and shifted to the top of the ridge above the river.

Only a few cars passed me as I was heading. One guy slowed down but didn’t stop, and as he slowed down, he yelled, «Do you need anything?» Since it was already happening before I could respond, I just gave him a thumbs up. A guy in a truck from Wallowa County stopped and asked what I was doing. He was very amazed and supported the BMT. The third trip of note here was the woman who made me lunch yesterday at the Wenaha Bar & Grill. She had seemed much friendlier than anyone else there. And today we had a brief conversation before she continued.

Nicoson Cemetery near Flora.

Flora

As I approached the little settlement of Flora, the guy from Wallowa County (Cody, I think) came back driving the other direction. This time, however, he stopped and had all kinds of goodies for me: a cold power, a trail mix, and fresh cucumbers from his garden. He was ready to give me his entire lunch if I wanted it! The support I have received along the trail, both from friends and strangers, has warmed my heart. I was very grateful to Cody because this stretch of trail has no water.

Although today was a road hike, it was very rural. I didn’t get passed by many vehicles, and the views were great. It’s a pretty nice hike, especially with the addition of some trail magic.

I was having a good time because it was paved since I uprated Redmond. Plus, I had that early start. That’s when I realized I was going to arrive very early for my meeting with David.

The old school in Flora that is being renovated.

Joseph Canyon overlooking

I reached Highway 3 and the place where David and I were planning to meet, but as I looked around it was obvious that it was private land. We couldn’t set up camp there. Fortunately, I now had a cell signal and was able to reach David. We decided that instead of camping, I would spend the night at his house. I would meet him in the look of Joseph Canyon, which I thought was close.

I got to Highway 3 a long time.

I started walking down Highway 3 and the same guy who slowed down but didn’t stop earlier in the morning. He had a barking dog and loud music, so when I told him I was going to the Joseph Canyon lookout, he thought I said the town of Joseph, which was pretty far away. Anyway, I thanked him for offering to give me a lift and goodbye. But then 10 minutes later it came again from the opposite direction! This time he stopped and insisted that he go in because Joseph’s canyon walk was still a few miles away. I laughed and went in, especially since this wasn’t even part of the BMT route and I wasn’t skipping any of the trails.

So there I was, waiting for David at the Jospeh Canyon Overlook. The view is amazing from the overlook, and I was trying to explore my route out of the canyon since tomorrow’s route out of there would be off the trail.

Looking down Joseph Canyon, feeling more than a little intimidated about the off-trail hike off that distant slope tomorrow.

I was also able to reach Pip, the BMT Trail coordinator, who explained the private land situation to me. It turned out that Pip was also driving on Highway 3 earlier, and he thought he saw me, so he turned around to go back to where he was. But when he got there, I was gone, having been picked up for the third time is kind of a charm. For if it seems to have disappeared.

Therefore, today ended with another unexpected gift. I spent a good night with David and his family at Enterprise, getting ready for the next week on the trail, taking a good shower, eating pizza, and sleeping in a real bed. I was 120 miles away for my next resupply, so this timing was perfect.

Elevation Tracker

Day 24: 4,193′

Total: 66,122′

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