Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - August 14th
Day 113: Wednesday 14th August
Crater Lake Rim – Thielsen Creek Camp
There was smoke back in the crater by the morning giving a red sun at sunrise. I
left with “Rogue” at 6.45am, as we needed to leave before any Park Rangers turned up.
I walked with him for a couple of hours, through a pumice desert left by the explosion
of Mazama, with patches of trees starting to get a hold. I got an insight into the
navigational abilities of the US thru-hikers when we got back to the PCT. “Rogue” tried
to turn south down the trail, rather than heading north. Earlier on he had managed to
leave his camp in the wrong direction in the morning and retrace his steps for 3 miles
before realising his mistake! Like many of the hikers he used to depend on the trail
data-book rather than attempt to read the maps.
“Rogue” used to own two Rare Book Shops in San Diego, but had got into financial
difficulty so he had to give up the business. He now made a living buying books by the
truckload from the Salvation Army and sorting through them carefully, trashing most
of them, but finding enough rare books to make a living. Doing this work it was easy
for him to take time off to hike when he wanted to. He needed to hike to get his weight
down and although he had already lost about 30lbs he still had some way still to go. The
main interest in the life of his landlady, who provided his meals, was cooking and
“Rogue” put on weight very easily when he was at home.
I went on ahead when he stopped for a break and did another hour before my
second breakfast. The early smoke had given way to a hot sunny day and I was already
soaked in sweat. Even in the shade of the trees it was comfortable stripped off while
drying my clothes. I was still carrying 4 litres of water when I left camp and I was likely
to need all of it before reaching Thielsen Creek tonight. “Rogue” caught up with me
and we walked together again for a bit, before I went on ahead when we reached a hill. I
had been on the trail a lot longer than “Rogue” and it was on the hills that the
difference in fitness showed up. After lunch the terrain became more interesting with
views of the glaciated remains of another volcano, Mount Thielsen. I went ahead of
“Rogue”, but we agreed to camp at Thielsen Creek Camp. The camp was a lovely spot
with a small stream running through grassy banks with a view of the rocky North face
of Mount Thielsen. The creek was fed by the snowfields on the north face of Mount
Thielsen and was ice-cold when I had a towel bath. I wondered what had happened to
“Rogue and I had already finished dinner by the time he turned up. He had missed the
camp and dropped a mile down the creek, before having to retrace his steps. I was now
wearing my fleece for the first time for weeks as the temperature dropped rapidly after
the sun set.
Day 113: 19.8 miles 7.34 hours Camp: Thielsen Creek Camp
Crater Lake Rim – Thielsen Creek Camp
There was smoke back in the crater by the morning giving a red sun at sunrise. I
left with “Rogue” at 6.45am, as we needed to leave before any Park Rangers turned up.
I walked with him for a couple of hours, through a pumice desert left by the explosion
of Mazama, with patches of trees starting to get a hold. I got an insight into the
navigational abilities of the US thru-hikers when we got back to the PCT. “Rogue” tried
to turn south down the trail, rather than heading north. Earlier on he had managed to
leave his camp in the wrong direction in the morning and retrace his steps for 3 miles
before realising his mistake! Like many of the hikers he used to depend on the trail
data-book rather than attempt to read the maps.
“Rogue” used to own two Rare Book Shops in San Diego, but had got into financial
difficulty so he had to give up the business. He now made a living buying books by the
truckload from the Salvation Army and sorting through them carefully, trashing most
of them, but finding enough rare books to make a living. Doing this work it was easy
for him to take time off to hike when he wanted to. He needed to hike to get his weight
down and although he had already lost about 30lbs he still had some way still to go. The
main interest in the life of his landlady, who provided his meals, was cooking and
“Rogue” put on weight very easily when he was at home.
I went on ahead when he stopped for a break and did another hour before my
second breakfast. The early smoke had given way to a hot sunny day and I was already
soaked in sweat. Even in the shade of the trees it was comfortable stripped off while
drying my clothes. I was still carrying 4 litres of water when I left camp and I was likely
to need all of it before reaching Thielsen Creek tonight. “Rogue” caught up with me
and we walked together again for a bit, before I went on ahead when we reached a hill. I
had been on the trail a lot longer than “Rogue” and it was on the hills that the
difference in fitness showed up. After lunch the terrain became more interesting with
views of the glaciated remains of another volcano, Mount Thielsen. I went ahead of
“Rogue”, but we agreed to camp at Thielsen Creek Camp. The camp was a lovely spot
with a small stream running through grassy banks with a view of the rocky North face
of Mount Thielsen. The creek was fed by the snowfields on the north face of Mount
Thielsen and was ice-cold when I had a towel bath. I wondered what had happened to
“Rogue and I had already finished dinner by the time he turned up. He had missed the
camp and dropped a mile down the creek, before having to retrace his steps. I was now
wearing my fleece for the first time for weeks as the temperature dropped rapidly after
the sun set.
Day 113: 19.8 miles 7.34 hours Camp: Thielsen Creek Camp
Red Cone
Ancient Brit
Mount Thielsen
Ancient Brit in camp
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