Day 120, 20 miles, endpoint PCT mile ~1912 (approx)
This morning we left the PCT and started on an alternate route that was a bit of a short cut to our next resupply location of Shelter Cove Resort. The alternate saved us about six miles. That, plus the thirty miles we did yesterday, helped us get into Shelter Cove a day earlier than planned. The alternate trail was also open to mountain bikes, and seemed like it would be a fun place to come back to sometime on bike.
After about ten woodsy miles along the alternate trail we came out at Crescent Lake, a large, popular lake filled with boaters, people picnicing along beachy shores, and a campground. We took a few minutes to check out the lake, refilled our waters at the campground, and continued on back in the woods.
We entered the Diamond Peak Wilderness and began a long, viewless uphill. After several miles we finally came to a quiet lake with a view of Diamond Peak. Unlike Mt. Thielson with its pointy peak that reaches straight up, Diamond Peak is a stout, broad shouldered mountain. Its summit is wide and still partly covered in snow. We wanted to stay and enjoy the lake, but we were on a stupid time crunch to get to Shelter Cove before the store closed at 6pm.
We made it in to Shelter Cove at 5pm, just enough time to pick up our resupply box. Shelter Cove is a resort with camping, RV parking, and log cabins for rent next to picturesque Odell Lake. We took expensive showers ($1.50 for three minutes of water), did laundry, and felt like a million bucks.
After organizing our food and cooking dinner at the picnic tables next to the small general store, we hiked out of the resor just a short way. We made camp in the woods as the sun went down.
We will continue through the Deschutes National Forest up towards Central Oregon and our next resupply stops in Bend, Oregon.
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| Diamond Peak Wilderness |
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| Shelter Cove and Odell Lake |
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| Shelter cove store |
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| Fashion statement |
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| Trail views |
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| Diamond Peak |
Day 121, 28 miles, endpoint PCT mile 1940
This morning we left our campsite near Shelter Cove, crossed busy Highway 58 at Willamette Pass, and began an upward climb towards a series of lakes. Starting with Rosary Lake, we passed about three lakes that were as calm and peaceful as could be. If we hadn't only been five miles in for the day, I would have loved to have called it quits and camped for the day.
After the lakes we had another long uphill, topping out at over 6,200 feet. We passed from the Deschutes National Forest into the Willamette National Forest, and we were definitely in the forest. Most of the day was spent under tree cover, walking along pineneedle covered pathways. The trees gave us plenty of shade but hardly any views.
We made a short stop at a rustic ski shelter, which is used primarily in the winter time for people snow-shoeing and skiing the trails. The shelter was a small log cabin, complete with a wood burning stove and an upstairs loft for sleeping.
20 miles in we took another break and made dinner at Charlton Lake, whose tree-lined shores were very pretty. After leaving the lake for eight more miles, we walked through an open burn zone, which finally gave us some views. On the horizon we could see Mt. Bachelor to our north. As the sun began to recede, we made our way to Brahm Lake, in the Three Sisters Wilderness. Ater a long 28 miles, we made it to the lake just before dark. We are now camped just above the calm water, with clear skies and warm air.
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