Oregon PCT 2016 Break Time

The next morning, I walked the last three miles to pick up Dorito's truck. Then the three of us waved goodbye to Hannah, who planned to hike the next leg with her father, and drove down to Eugene. Here we got food and dropped Burl off at the bus station for his trip to his home in Northern Californis. Then Dorito and I headed north to our own homes. It was a wonderful drive and a wonderful relaxing homecoming!

After getting off the trail at Odell Lake, I was home for a couple weeks. I spent one week working at First Evangelical Ski Camp. It was a fun camp and I got to know some great High School guys! It had been over a decade since I was at a ski camp. I tried inner-tubing and was more sore than I could remember in many years! When I returned I rested for a few days, nursing my wounds.

I was soon a little restless and Laura suggested that I finish the hike. I had not originally planned on it but I had no other plans and if I hurried I could make it. Originally, we talked about Laura dropping me off down at Odell Lake, where I would continue hiking until I arrived at the Columbia river. However, we ran into terrible traffic trying to get through Portland on my departure date... we sat in traffic for nearly 45 minutes and were not even able to get across the bridge south to Oregon!

Posing where we started our 2015 hike!

We drove home a little disappointed. Laura would not be able to get home in time for her commitments at the rate traffic was carrying us. So it looked like I could not start the hike after all... then a crazy idea occurred to us: Why not hike south? It is a short 30-40 minute drive to the PCT at Cascade Locks to the east. So we got back into the car and drove through Camas to the location on the trail we had begun at the previous year. Laura dropped me off here and I walked across the Bridge of the Gods to have lunch with her in Oregon. What happened next will have to wait until the next post!

Bridge of the Gods

I have been very blessed in my life. I am lucky to have a wife who encourages me to achieve my goals! I may never have finished the trail without her gentle encouragement and it meant a lot to me when she drove me back to the trail to finish Oregon!