Day 125 : The Oregon Skyline Trail

22nd August 2013
Mile 1871 to mile 1912 : Miller Lake trail to Shelter Cove

Mileage : 35

Average mileage since day 101 : 23.1

Today was one the first time on the trail where I took a short cut. The short cut in question was the Oregon Skyline Trail which would cut about 7 miles off the official PCT. From the beginning of my hike I decided that my goal would be a continuous hike, i.e. with a continuous line of footprintsfrom Mexico to Canada, only allowing myself a detour if that detour be at least as long, difficult, or scenic as the PCT. The one factor I hadn't considered at the planning stage was safety. Since leaving Crater Lake, the view to the west has been essentially one long line of dark black clouds illuminated by flashes of lightning every once in a while. Yesterday, the clouds were sufficiently far enough away that I didn't really worry about them, but in the evening they were much closer and I decided to put up my tent in case it rained. Although it didn't rain last night, the sky was dark and omminous and I prepared myself for a day hiking in the cold and wet. As I headed toward the junction the decision was made for me. From a prominant bit of section, I could see the ridgeline of the next section almost completely obscured by the dark clouds, except for the strobe-like effect of multiple lighting flashes along its length. My near miss with lighting coming into Etna only 10 days previously was still fresh in my mind, and I decided I wasn't purist enough to risk being hit by lightning. My decision made for me, I turned onto the OST and made my way along it to Shelter Cove. Although not as long, in my opinion the trail wasn't any easier than the PCT it was mostly very sandy, which is very time and effort consuming through which to walk. The first half of the detour to Cresent Lake passed uneventfully, with a few minutes of rain here and there but nothing of any real note. During the second half however, the heavens opened. I knew that I would be a Shelter Cove that night, so wasn't really worried about the rain, but the lightning was close and continuous for miles and miles. I was thankful that the trail was easy enough to allow me to almost jog or trot at times, and that i wasn't having to negotiate lava fiels as I made my down to Shelter Cove on the north western shore of Odell Lake. By the time I emerged out of the trees next to the lake it was almost pitch black. It was so black that at first I didn't see the double line of railway tracks right infront of me. I did however hear the air horn of a freight train about to pass in front o me. I had my head phones and hadn't noticed the low frequency rumble that accompaies these mile long train, and so almost jumped out of my skin. It wouldn't have made for a good Hollywood nailbiter as I wasn't really close to being run over by it, but I did have to stand by it and watch it rumble passed me for about 5 minutes getting colder and wetter with every second. Thoroughly knackered, I made it to the resort store and found it closed. I hadn't known what to expect, but I had thought i'd be at least able to get a beer and something hot to eat, but it was not to be. Two hiker sitting outside the front of the store on the porch offered me a beer and some cold leftover pizza, which i accepted without hesitation as I had no intention of eating hiker food that night. Given as the rain was showing no signs of letting up, I slept on the covered porch knowing that I'd probably be shouted at for it in the morning by the store owners, but being too tired and wet to care. The long, cold, wet day coupled with the beer knocked me out almost instantly, and I forgot all about the weather until being woken up by the store owner who was indeed less than pleased to see me sleeping on his porch.