In the cold morning I walked beneath the craggy peaks of Mount Thielsen, its shadow completely blocking the warming sun from reaching the trail. Fall comes early in the mountains, and as the days continued to grow shorter and temperatures dropped I knew the clock was ticking to reach Canada. After reaching the highest point on the PCT in Oregon around midday (a whopping 7,560 feet! take that Forester Pass), I came to a dirt road with a large collection of water jugs and a box full of trail magic. There were even little solar panel batteries for charging electronics, although I was not able to get them to work with my phone.
From the road I decided to take the Oregon Skyline Trail alternate, shaving seven or so miles off the official route and passing next to some beautiful mountain lakes. Mushrooms were just beginning to emerge from the soft earth, slowly erupting as the caps pushed through the top layer of soil to reach the open air. Spectacular flowers blossomed along the path, their tiny white petals springing from a larger pink/purple array. I was excited to witness the changing of the seasons but the appearance of mushrooms also meant rain. As afternoon wore into evening dark clouds gathered into a small thunderstorm, flashing lightning and cracking thunder while I slept fitfully below in my thin tent.
Russell on the Road 