Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - August 9th
Day 108: Friday 9th August Keene Creek – SW of Old Baldy
Lane and Lovell were still packing up at Little Hyatt Reservoir when I went
through after an hour. It takes a lot longer to pack up camp when you have got to look
after horses. I detoured to Howard Prairie Lake, a big reservoir, for lunch and found it
deserted so I was able to strip off to swim. By August, in this hot year, the water level
was well down. It was very hot in the open, but in the mature woodland the temperature
was pleasant enough. By late afternoon I reached Griffin Pass, where I met Michael
who was on a 6-day section hike, starting out from Hyatt Reservoir earlier in the day.
By now I was out of water and the pond at the Pass looked a little grotty, but I was able
to borrow the filter Michael was carrying.
I couldn’t relocate the PCT after dropping down to the pond and ended up following
a jeep track, which wasn’t on my map, heading in roughly the right direction.
Unfortunately the track came to an abrupt end in thick woodland. I didn’t really know
where I was, but I heard voices and headed towards them. I didn’t discover the source
of the voices, but I found the trail with fresh hoof marks, so I assume it was Lane and
Lovell.
The sun had set by the time I found a spot to camp in the woods. I was settled into
my tent when “Siesta”, from Montana, followed by Max, “Bean” and Steven from
Oregon, and “Bug” came through. “Siesta” was going to have to give up at the
Washington Border as she was starting back at college on 3rd September. “Bug” was
living up to his full trail name, “British Bed Bug”, as he admitted not getting up until
11am this morning.
Day 108: 19.5 miles 7.51 hours Camp: SW of Old Baldy
Lane and Lovell were still packing up at Little Hyatt Reservoir when I went
through after an hour. It takes a lot longer to pack up camp when you have got to look
after horses. I detoured to Howard Prairie Lake, a big reservoir, for lunch and found it
deserted so I was able to strip off to swim. By August, in this hot year, the water level
was well down. It was very hot in the open, but in the mature woodland the temperature
was pleasant enough. By late afternoon I reached Griffin Pass, where I met Michael
who was on a 6-day section hike, starting out from Hyatt Reservoir earlier in the day.
By now I was out of water and the pond at the Pass looked a little grotty, but I was able
to borrow the filter Michael was carrying.
I couldn’t relocate the PCT after dropping down to the pond and ended up following
a jeep track, which wasn’t on my map, heading in roughly the right direction.
Unfortunately the track came to an abrupt end in thick woodland. I didn’t really know
where I was, but I heard voices and headed towards them. I didn’t discover the source
of the voices, but I found the trail with fresh hoof marks, so I assume it was Lane and
Lovell.
The sun had set by the time I found a spot to camp in the woods. I was settled into
my tent when “Siesta”, from Montana, followed by Max, “Bean” and Steven from
Oregon, and “Bug” came through. “Siesta” was going to have to give up at the
Washington Border as she was starting back at college on 3rd September. “Bug” was
living up to his full trail name, “British Bed Bug”, as he admitted not getting up until
11am this morning.
Day 108: 19.5 miles 7.51 hours Camp: SW of Old Baldy
Howard Prairie Lake
Siesta
Max
Bean and Steven
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