Tag 100: Since the hotel room could be darkened very well, I slept incredibly well for a long time and feel almost refreshed for the first time in a long time. After breakfast at the hotel, we go back to the trail. After five minutes, we are picked up by Dick. When we pack our backpacks into the trunk, I notice a lot of soda cans. During the drive, Dick tells us that he hiked the PCT in 1979 and it is very interesting to talk about the differences between then and now. For example, he only knows of five other hikers in the same year, while now there are about 5000 permits issued every year. He also tells us that he is the Trailangel who maintains the coolers with the sodas that we saw the day before yesterday, which I already suspected when I looked into the trunk. And his trailname is now 'Magic Dick'. In any case, an incredibly nice guy. The trail is easy and fast today. If it continues like this, I understand why Oregon is crossed so quickly. However, I still need to get used to the new shoes. They are too soft and the soles are too thick for my liking, but we'll see how well I can adapt to them.
Today we cover 22.3 miles, which is really good for a town day. And today is the 100th day on the trail! It's hard to imagine, and when I think about everything I've experienced in these 100 days, I can hardly believe it. Although we still have about a third of the way to go, it feels like the end is slowly coming into sight.
Tag 101: Well, the new shoes are so-so. They're okay, but now I have blisters on both feet. My last pair for the trail, which I will definitely need, will be Altras again. The trail today is flat and fast again. So far, what they say about Oregon seems to be true. However, there are hardly any views because most of the time we are walking through the forest. Occasionally, we also walk across a field of lava rocks.
At noon, we come across trail magic. There are sodas and snacks from two locals who have just moved to the area and have already done a few trails themselves. We have a good time with them and a few other hikers. Otherwise, nothing exciting happens today.
Tag 102: Today we experienced another typical Oregon phenomenon: mosquitoes. While the mosquitoes haven't been a problem until now as long as you keep moving, it doesn't matter here. Even when running, you get completely bitten. For the first time, I use my bug net and end up with about 50 bites in the evening. Luckily, we get some mosquito spray from a few day hikers, which actually works well, and we will buy some as soon as we get the chance. And if you choose the spots for breaks carefully, you can somehow get by. Otherwise, it's mostly through the forest again, but in the evening, we reach a ridge with a beautiful view, which is once again a welcome change. Tag 103: Yesterday evening it was windy on the ridge, so there were hardly any mosquitoes. But this morning, there is no wind, so they are already waiting on my tent. So I pack up quickly and continue. Most of the time, we walk through the forest again, and there isn't much to see. The goal for today is Mazama Village in Crater Lake National Park, 26 miles away. We have sent our resupply boxes here. On the road to the village, we get some more trail magic from former thru-hikers, hot dogs, and an apple. Then we continue to the village, a campground with a small store and a restaurant. There is a special area for PCT hikers where we can camp for free. My resupply box has arrived, but Warriors box has not. Neither have her shoes, which she ordered here because she is very unhappy with the new ones. That is really a problem, and we hope that the items will arrive tomorrow. In the evening, we sit with other hikers in front of the charging station and eat pizza and drink beer. I am especially happy to see Double T, Momma Cow, and 9 Lives because I like all three of them very much and they are very funny. When we mention that we would like to shoot during our time in America, 9 Lives says that it could be arranged. His sister is visiting him next Monday in Bend and he asks her to bring his shotgun. It would be incredible if that actually works out. Later in the evening, Hasbeen also arrives in the village. The day before yesterday, he was picked up by his aunt and uncle and spent a zero day with them in Bend. Once again, it's too late for us, but the shop and the post office only open at 9 o'clock anyway. Tag 104: Warriors items actually did not arrive. The resupply box was sent to the wrong post office, and the shoes are still on the way. She decides to bounce both to Bend and resupplies as best as she can in the store. Then we set off together with Hasbeen, who wants to hike with us again for the next few days, and take a detour to Crater Lake. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the USA and the deepest crater lake in the world. It is incredibly impressive, and I can't remember ever seeing such blue water before. Before we start partially circumnavigating the lake, we have lunch in the cafe here. The whole lake is naturally swarmed by tourists, which is already too much bustle for us. But once we start walking, our backpacks become heavy again. In addition to food for about six days, we have to carry five liters of water because the next water source is 25 miles away. There might be a water cache in between, but we can't rely on it. Luckily, the view of the lake distracts me from the heavy backpack. In the evening at camp, I go through my supplies and sort out what I can give to Warrior, who doesn't have enough to eat without her resupply box. Since I want to start a 24-hour challenge before Bend, where you cover as much distance as possible within 24 hours, I can spare some things. Maybe even a little more, we'll see in the next few days. On the way to Bend, there is another small resupply opportunity at a resort, so Warrior should be able to make it to Bend reasonably well. Tag 105: Today, there is hardly anything worth mentioning again. The trail was fast and easy, and without much effort, we covered 30.4 miles and crossed the officially highest point on the PCT in Oregon, even though we will be at the same altitude again at the Timberline Lodge. Throughout the day, I tried to maintain a high pace to prepare myself for my challenge. In the afternoon, I encountered a group of horse riders who gave each hiker a package of trail mix. And in the evening, we camped at a water cache with many other hikers, which was fun again. Tag 106: Tomorrow is my 24-hour challenge. So today, I only hike 22 miles and say goodbye to Warrior and Hasbeen for now, right after we crossed the 1900-mile mark. I set up my tent next to a small pond, which will turn out to be the most mosquito-infested place on the trail later. While the other two meet up with other hikers at a resort, taking showers and drinking beer, I spend the afternoon and evening in solitude, planning my challenge. My minimum goal is 62.2 miles, or 100 kilometers. For that, I need to walk 2.6 miles per hour. In principle, that should be doable. But I know that the physical, but even more so the mental challenge will be very big. I wonder why I'm doing this to myself. Isn't the trail challenging enough? Do I just want to know my limits? Or do I want to prove something to myself and others? Someone in particular? Probably, all of these play a role, and I hope that the first one is the biggest. Maybe I will find out within the 24 hours tomorrow. Now I should sleep. Tag 107: 24-hour Challenge...running as many miles as possible within 24 hours. What a stupid idea. And of course, I have to try it. Originally, I wanted to start at midnight. But since I can't sleep for a long time, I set my alarm for 1:30 a.m., and I want to start at 2 a.m. at the latest to split the night in two. I fall asleep around 10 p.m. and wake up shortly before 1 a.m. Since I can't fall asleep again anyway, I get up and pack my things. At 1:33, I'm on the trail and start a 24-hour countdown on my phone. So it begins. Just as I start, I see a shooting star. I take it as a good omen. I'm moving very quickly, physically I have no problems, but I am damn tired, and a voice in my head constantly reminds me that I should actually be sleeping right now. Being on the trail at night is an exciting experience. Outside the beam of my flashlight, I can't see anything, above me the stars are shining, and it is absolutely quiet. At one point, I realize that I am walking past a small lake or pond because I see the reflection of the moon. At 5:10 a.m., I hear the first bird, and as it gets brighter, my tiredness slowly disappears. After 8 hours, I have already covered 26.6 miles and take a short breakfast break. I'm currently in a burned area, so there are no mosquitoes, which is very pleasant. After half an hour, I continue walking. There are several blowdowns in the way, but they are easy to cross and actually quite fun. Throughout the day, we walk through the forest again, occasionally passing by a lake. This morning, I passed a few hikers on the trail, but now I haven't seen anyone for hours. Slowly, my feet start to hurt, but I can still maintain a high pace. After 16 hours and 50.8 miles, I actually want to take another break, but the mosquitoes are so bad that I quickly refill the bars in the side pocket of my backpack and continue walking so that I can eat while walking. As I continue walking, I realize that I still have another 8 hours ahead of me. On the one hand, that's great because I could actually cover more than 70 miles. On the other hand, I am really exhausted at this point, and the prospect of another 20 miles is not very appealing. But I keep walking and try to maintain the pace as best as I can. I have one last climb ahead of me, which takes me to a beautiful plateau with nice views and open fields. But before that, the mosquitoes get so bad again that I have to put on my rain jacket. At this point, it is slowly getting dark, which gives the surrounding mountains an interesting light. But I can't really enjoy it anymore. After 20 hours, I sit down briefly at a water source to plan the last leg. Or rather, to decide whether I even want to continue. I am incredibly tired, and my feet are hurting. Two blisters that were actually healed are back. I already have 61.8 miles. My minimum goal was 62.2 miles, 100 kilometers. I could walk another 0.4 miles and just stop. It doesn't matter how many miles I end up walking at the end, it doesn't make me a better person, more interesting, or more lovable. So why should I continue to torture myself? But something inside me won't let me give up and pushes me forward. Over the next 4 hours, I sit down repeatedly, feeling sorry for myself, only to get up again and drag myself further. By now, there are small snowfields that I have to cross and that slow me down. Around midnight, I am walking across an open field when I pause briefly to look at the stars. And I see one of the most beautiful shooting stars of my life. It has a long tail, shimmers in several colors, and before it burns out, it breaks apart into several pieces. This sight actually gives me another boost of motivation. I have another hour and a half. In 3 miles, I will reach a closed camping area, but right at the border, there are good tent spots. That is my goal. In the darkness, I pass by tents over and over again. I try to be as quiet as possible and envy each and every one of them. At 1:23 a.m., 10 minutes before my 24 hours are up, I actually reach my self-set goal. I have covered 71.2 miles, 114.5 kilometers, and 2700 meters of altitude. In that moment, I couldn't care less about it. I find a campsite and set up my tent as quickly and quietly as possible. As soon as I lie down, I fall asleep. Tag 108: I wake up at 9:30 a.m. My right foot is definitely overstrained again, but otherwise, I feel surprisingly good. I inspect my feet and see new blisters underneath the old ones that caused me trouble yesterday. I pop them, eat something, and start packing. I have 12.3 miles ahead of me to McKenzie Pass, from where I want to hitchhike to Bend. When I start walking, it takes a while for my right foot to function properly again. And suddenly, I feel incredibly exhausted, so I have to take short breaks of five to ten minutes. But the trail is very nice, and I have long and beautiful views again, for example, of the 'Three Sisters'. And there are large lava fields, which are also very impressive. In the end, it takes me six hours to cover the twelve miles to the pass, and I arrive there around 4:30 p.m. But right before the pass, I find a cooler that must have just been restocked. I take an apple, a soda, and a candy bar and sit by the road with them. Not many cars pass by, but after fifteen minutes and maybe a dozen cars, two older couples give me a ride. Three out of the four have never heard of the trail, and I enjoy telling them about it. But since the four of them are only going to Sisters, I have to try hitchhiking again from there, which I do successfully. Once in Bend, I go to the Bunk & Brew Hostel. I don't get a bed, but I can sleep in a hammock in the courtyard for $30. The hostel is really nice, there is a food truck and a beer truck in the courtyard, and a very nice kitchen with self-prepared breakfast. At the hostel, I meet Yo-Yo and Gogart, and we go to dinner together. Afterward, we have a beer together at the hostel before I go to the hammock. I leave it around 1 a.m. and lie down on my sleeping mat because I can't sleep on my back for that long. So far, it has been quite comfortable. Tag 109: I have to say that I slept better in the courtyard at night than tonight in the room. One of our roommates talks, or rather shouts, in his sleep almost constantly. Despite that, I am quite well-rested when I finally get up and take a shower. We go to a nearby cafe for breakfast and do our laundry while we're there. After breakfast, I have a small talk with Warrior because I have had the feeling for a while now that she no longer wants to hike with me and also about the situation yesterday. Then we resupply. But before that, we divide the contents of a great care package I received from my parents, including pumpernickel bread and many great snacks and sweets. Thank you again for that. Unfortunately, there is an old fire closure ahead of us, and we will have to skip about 65 miles of the trail. I hope that the closure will open again, and that I will have enough time to come back and close this gap. After resupplying, Warrior and I meet up with 9 Lives and his sister, who is visiting him on the trail. We told him in Mazama Village that we would like to shoot while we are in the USA. So his sister actually brought his shotgun, and we drive to a nearby forest. There, we spend the afternoon shooting at clay pigeons that we place in the bushes. It is really a lot of fun, and I can understand the fascination with guns, especially when seen as a sport. But one must be aware that you are handling a dangerous weapon, and it is simply wrong that you can buy one here, often without a proper background check and without safety instructions or training. Anyway, the afternoon is great, and I am very grateful to the two of them for making this possible. Since they don't want to accept any money for the ammunition we shot, we want to treat them to dinner. We meet Sorry in the hostel, who is also in town. He goes to dinner and the movies with a few other hikers, but he might stop by later. We spend the evening with Double T, 9 Lives, and his sister Jessica at the hostel, eating together, drinking beer, and playing board games. All in all, the time in Bend was really nice, but once again, I'm looking forward to the trail. Tag 110: I have to say that I slept better in the courtyard at night than tonight in the room. One of our roommates talks, or rather shouts, in his sleep almost constantly. Despite that, I am quite well-rested when I finally get up and take a shower. We go to a nearby cafe for breakfast and do our laundry while we're there. After breakfast, I have a small talk with Warrior because I have had the feeling for a while now that she no longer wants to hike with me and also about the situation yesterday. Then we resupply. But before that, we divide the contents of a great care package I received from my parents, including pumpernickel bread and many great snacks and sweets. Thank you again for that. Unfortunately, there is an old fire closure ahead of us, and we will have to skip about 65 miles of the trail. I hope that the closure will open again, and that I will have enough time to come back and close this gap. After resupplying, Warrior and I meet up with 9 Lives and his sister, who is visiting him on the trail. We told him in Mazama Village that we would like to shoot while we are in the USA. So his sister actually brought his shotgun, and we drive to a nearby forest. There, we spend the afternoon shooting at clay pigeons that we place in the bushes. It is really a lot of fun, and I can understand the fascination with guns, especially when seen as a sport. But one must be aware that you are handling a dangerous weapon, and it is simply wrong that you can buy one here, often without a proper background check and without safety instructions or training. The afternoon is great, and I am very grateful to the both of them for making this possible. Since they don't want to accept any money for the ammunition we shot, we want to treat them to dinner. At the hostel, we meet Sorry, who is also in town. He goes to dinner and the movies with a few other hikers, but he might stop by later. We spend the evening with Double T, 9 Lives, and his sister Jessica at the hostel, eating together, drinking beer, and playing board games. All in all, the time in Bend was really nice, but once again, I'm looking forward to the trail.
