Trail Day 111: Bridge of the Gods via Corvallis (mile 2144.7) to tentsite near Gillette Lake (mile 2148.3)

3.5 PCT miles

I woke up this morning and started packing up my gear. When I had gotten everything organized, I  noticed something very important. My hat was missing. I unpacked everything, thoroughly searched the guest bedroom, and looked in Vee’s car. The only other option I could think of was that it was left at Shelter Cove. I was grabbing all my things in the dark during a thunderstorm, so it was a good possibility that it was left there as I was running out.

As I packed the rest up, I noticed something else that was missing. I couldn't find one of my camera batteries. I know that made it to Corvallis. I remember switching out the two batteries when I charged them. Again, I thoroughly searched the guest bedroom, along with the usual places I would have shoved it, and couldn't find it. I'm hoping that I accidentally packed it in one of my other bags. I still have the other battery, so it is not as big of a deal to have lost it, just inconvenient.

Later in the morning, Vee drove me a couple hours north to Vancouver, WA. This was another generous act of hers since it was technically a work day and she was working from home. We got to the transit station where I would catch a bus east to Stevenson, WA.

I got out, thanked and said goodbye to Vee, then headed for the station. Then I realized something. I didn't have my poles. I figured that I had left them in the car  when I came to Vee’s house. When I went back to her car and asked her about it, she reminded me that we had to take everything out because she needed to transport her dog the next day.

I didn't have poles. Crap. I needed poles for this next section. The terrain in Washington had much more dramatic,  steeper sections than Oregon. I would have to go back and get them.

I felt incredibly guilty. Not only had Vee taken time out of her day to drive me here,  but we had already stopped at an REI to get me a new hat for the trail.

As we were driving back, I had started to look at the public transportation options so that I could return to take the evening bus to Stevenson. None of them were very good. If I couldn't find a solution, then Vee would have to drive me again the next day.

Eventually, Vee came up with a very generous solution. She was in the market for new poles herself, so she would take me to REI in Portland and get new poles that I would take with me on the trail. She would keep the ones I left at her house. We got the poles,  grabbed a quick lunch, then dropped me off at the transportation center again.

I waited in the transporter center for several hours before the bus arrived. It was only a $2 fare to get to Stevenson, about an hour away.  The driver asked where I was going and I told him the closest stop to The Bridge of the Gods.  He said he would drop me off at the bridge itself. Bonus! That saves me a 2.8 mile walk.

Sadly, I had to skip miles 2,000 and 2,100.

The driver dropped me off on a gravel pullout between where the trail went into the forest and the bridge. I was about to go into the forest when I thought I should at least look at the bridge. It is such an iconic part of the PCT and I was really close.

The WA side of The Bridge of the Gods with the back burns of the Eagle Creek Fire beyond the bridge.

I went to the bridge and let the man monitoring the traffic know that I was just taking a picture. After I took a couple, I asked him if he could take a picture or two of me in front of the bridge.  I then chatted with him for a while.

He said that there had been some break ins in the town of Cascade Locks (which had been evacuated) and he was supposed to take pictures of the license plates going through. It was a little shock of reality to remind me that people outside the PCT world/community aren't always good.

He then gave me advice on where to find a good campsite once I started down the trail. He recommended camping by Gillette Lake, which is what I had been aiming for anyway. The days are getting much shorter, so it was dark by the time I got there and set up camp. 

Back on the trail.