Cascade Locks
Miles: 0
Total Miles: 2144
I'll be entering Washington tomorrow to start the final 500 miles of my thru hike. I spent today preparing for this last stretch. It has been a very busy but worthwhile double zero here in Cascade Locks. I was so busy that I didn't really document my time too well. Most of my time was spent rewriting the posts for my last update. I'll try and fill you in on the last 2 days, and expect the blogging to return to normal when I hit the trail.
I slept in the park by the river on my first night. There were over a dozen other hikers there too, but none of us slept. Trains were running about 100 yards away every hour, and when they went by the ground shook. At 5am, workers started setting up for a half marathon that day. I didn't care about getting no sleep because I was headed to a motel anyway.
Today was my 4 month trailversary! I can't even describe what that means because I've been too tired to think about it. All I know is that the end is getting closer. I stayed at the cheapest place in town; the Columbia Gorge Inn.
The rooms are old and basic; perfect for hikers. The bathroom was very odd. There is no separation between the shower and toilet. It's like a locker room:
I collapsed on the bed and laid there for a few hours before venturing outside.
I went to the East Wind Drive In, which is very popular here. There is usually a huge line and over an hour wait for food.
I got there when there was no line and ordered a large ice cream come. Little did I know, the ice cream was 10.5 inches high. They put the whole thing into a cup for me since it was so tall:
I don't think I need to tell you how awesome this was. A food highlight of the trail. Many hikers were in town, and we all spent time hanging out. At this point, many of us have been hiking together for 4 months, and we've become friends. I ate dinner at a local bar with Dr. Pounder, a hiker I met all the way back on day 2. He's from Berlin.
I didn't really sleep too well even though I was so tired. I don't sleep very well in towns. I was so fascinated by the small, and staticky television that I just stayed up watching nothing in particular.
I woke up at 6am on Monday and started working on my hiker errands. I washed my tent on the shower, and flushed my water filter. I duct taped some holes shut on my tent and other gear. I went to the laundromat and sat in the hear wearing all of my rain gear as I waited for my clothes.
Apparently, this building sold guns.
I ate breakfast at the nearby Cascade Inn. It looked pretty shady and was connected to a bar.
Something was peculiar about these pancakes... They were either missing an ingredient, or had one too many. I couldn't tell. I still ate them. The lounge was filled with these penny casino games.
I went to the post office, hoping my package would be there.
It was! About 2 weeks ago, I emailed Merrell, the company that makes my hiking shoes, and told them I was thru hiking and had worn my current pair of shoes for over 1400 miles. I sent pictures of the shoes, and they sent me a free pair, no questions asked! Can you tell which is the new pair?
I resupplied at the local market. I'm gonna have a heavy pack, carrying food for the next 150 miles.
I saw so many hikers in town that I haven't seen in hundreds and even thousands of miles. I spent the afternoon catching up with many people.
I saw Legend, of course, and I saw Senor Whiskers!! He gave me a bag of gummy bears way back in Acton, in the desert.
I watched the smoky sunset over the Columbia River with Crunchmaster and Houdini before going back to my room to organize all of my resupply.
I'm all caught up! I was in Portland/Seattle 10 days ago and saw Multnomah Falls, just a few miles away from the Cascade locks! Funny how that happens. So which looked cooler Mt. Jefferson or Mt. Hood?
ReplyDeleteGreat question Jeremy. I think both mountains are beasts, and I saw more of Jefferson than Hood. I thought Jefferson looked cooler because its surrounded by wilderness, whereas Hood has ski crap and cell towers all over it.
DeleteThe friendships you have made along your journey will remain with you forever. It must be surreal to run into them after such a long time on the trail. I looked today, and yes the fire situation is certainly not the greatest. Cannot believe 4 months. You are a real trooper and so proud of your determination.
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I miss home more than I ever imagined. There's still no place like our central coast.
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