I strolled easier than normal through the woods, whistling while trying to take everything in before it is all under snow.  The few waterfalls that grace the trail were flowing liberally, showing the saturation of recent rains.  Although I prefer to hike in the sunshine, like it shown today, I don't mind the rain as it makes the forest smell fresh and clean.

My easy three mile per hour pace led me to Big Cedar Swamp Camp.  This seemed a magical place with many campsites among huge cedars, sheltering you from the hot sun of winter.  It had a couple of small creeks running through the ends of the camp, providing water for it's occupants.  The smell of cedar was delightfully overwhelming as I thought this a great place to stop and take a quick break.

After an easy ford of Herman Creek, I climbed the few switchbacks that led me to the Anthill Trail.  As I had plenty of water, I did not want to make the run to Wahtum Lake and decided to simply keep going.  Somewhere around here, there is a unmarked trail leading you to the summit of Tomlike Mountain, but I never saw it.

Past the Anthill Trail fork, the path flattened out and became very easy walking.  It was not even noon as I flowed through the forest, taking in everything I could, admiring the dense woods that in a couple months would be under feet of snow.

I merged with a Jeep track and soon continued past the Wahtum Lake Express Trail.  A few steps more got me past the Chinidere Mountain trail as I rounded the bend, joining the PCT  Tomlike Mountain came into view as I stopped to ponder.  I was hiking on he PCT, if only a section and felt a sense of longing.  What would it be like to hike this trail all the way from Canada, more than 2000 miles south?

I soon made my way through an old burn area and admired what the flames had provided.  Views, and lots of them, in every direction. 

To my north, I saw Mt. Adams, still covered in snow.  I thought I would climb it someday, but St. Helens would have to be first as it would give me a little taste of what climbing steep terrain would be like at a higher elevation than what I was used to.

The trail's grade steepened as I came across a horse camp named Camp Smokey.  Although I have been here before, I never approached it from the south so it took me a while to recognize it.  I fetched water from the springs a tenth of a mile down the Eagle-Benson Trail and took a long rest while making lunch.  I was at peace here as the exercise always leaves me in a state of complete relaxation.

Lunch over, I packed everything up and made my way towards the cutoff to Herman Creek Bridge.  One last look back up the PCT gave me a stunning view of Mt. Hood with Mt. Chinidere in the foreground, just in front of it.  An absolutely beautiful day this was as there was much to gaze at, making the miles flow easily.

While crossing the bridge, I stopped to ponder the things thought about during the hike.  Would the PCT be possible and how?  Could I get in one more quick hike before the snows came?  What would all these places look like in winter?  I decided that I had seen and thought enough for one day and just stared out, watching Herman Creek flow by.  26 miles were hiked today in the hopes of finding something to think about during the winter.  I found all that I needed and continued to watch the water flow under a setting sun.

Home