Crossing over into Washington -2000 Mile Mark!!! Rain, Rain, Rain - RATS!

My PCT with Purpose shirt is still going strong.  I have gone through 5 pairs of shoes and only 2 shirts!

While it has taken most of the trip to go through California, it took only 16 days to go through Oregon! Of course part of it was that I didn't have my trail legs yet, but most importantly was the number of miles we had to go through to get to Oregon.  From the start of the trail to when we crossed the Oregon border we hiked over 1,700 miles. The remaining 1,000 miles are split between WA and Oregon.  Oregon's flat forrest was ideal for us to pick up our mileage and we were easily clocking in the mid 30's for most of the days. Oregon has been a beautiful part of the trail.  I loved the Three Sisters wilderness area.  It is a section of Oregon just north of the Bend area.

The trail in Oregon has been a mixture of plains, mountain peaks and valleys resembling a mini-Sierra with the peaks of Mt. Jefferson, Mt Hood and Mt. Washington to explore. The lava rock fields and the amazing waterfalls gave us a glimpse of the different types of terrain and ecosystem that Oregon has to offer. The most iconic trek we made has to be through the Eagle Creek Falls area which took us into Cascade Locks.  Cascade Locks was the final town in Oregon that we resupplied before crossing the Bridge of the Gods and entering  into Washington State.

Eagle Creek Falls area.  You hike through the tunnel and under the waterfall. 

Meeting up with old acquaintances (thru hikers)  along the way. 

After many days of speed hiking, Alex and I were able to catch up with two other hiking partners that were formally with us.  Pancakes and Nightrider had not been with us at all in Oregon so it was good to regroup and start hiking together again. 

Crossing over into Washington we saw a dramatic change in the weather.  It seemed that overnight summer was over and so was the dry spell.  We hadn't seen a lot of rain for the last two months.  That was about to end and we went through a stretch of nonstop rain for 48 hours.  Luck was on my side this time, however, because I had just picked up my resupply package with my raingear in it. Not only did I have my rain kilt, I also had the replacement hiking umbrella to help keep the rain off me and my belongings. The temperatures took a dramatic dive.  It was much colder and everything was still wet when we got up at 6am.  Instead of being dreary and gray like we expected, however, the skies would open up and we get the glimpse of the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that can be seen in Washington.

Majestic peaks on all sides.

It's time to celebrate - 2000 Miles of hiking!

I have now entered my dad's part of the country!  Go Seahawks!

I am really looking forward to being able to spend time with the Wills, Leptich, and Toft family's while in Washington.  Since we live in Ohio we don't get to see my relatives on this side of the country very often.  My great-grandmother lives in Sequim and I plan to see her when I get off the trail.  She is a young 94 years old!  My grandfather, Rusty and the rest of the relatives live in and around the Seattle area. 

Since the last post I hit the 2,000 mile marker!!!!  

Peaceful and lush forests of WA and northern OR are amazing. 

Washington has already allowed me the chance to see beautiful scenery. Everything is green and lush from the rains.  It looks as though it is painted instead of real. As far as your eye can see there is some type of beautiful greenery on the forest floor - like ferns, rhododendron or other plants.  The misty weather provides the perfect conditions for all kinds of ferns and flowers. During one span of the hike I was able to go across the Goat Rocks Wilderness and the famous Knives Edge section.  It was a foggy day with low visibility but it has been one of my favorite spots and I would love to come back again. I was hiking along a lush mountain valley and could briefly see Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier and Mt. St Helens all in the same day. The towering peaks can been seen in all directions. 

Fog made the hike seem surreal. 

As we were hiking we approached a thick fog that brought us almost into a total white-out like condition.  The resulting experience made me feel like the place was out of a fairy tale or the foothills of Ireland. 

Goat Rocks is a place I would like to go back to in the future.

One bright spot of Washington has been a spectacular Trail Magic opportunity.Soon after goat rock we found a shelter along the trail.  There were two firefighters spending a month at the shelter and providing hot meals, drinks and fellowship to the thru hikers that passed their way.  What an amazing experience. After talking with them, I found out that the firefighters had made the trek to the cabin an annual event and they would often stay for a month to provide food and help to the hikers. I learned that some of the firefighters that had come throughout the years were 9/11 responders.  They made the trek to the cabin to find a peaceful respite to help heal some of their emotional wounds from one of the worst tragedies in our nation's history. 

Olallie Lake

A crowd of hikers soon gathered at the shelter for the home-cooked meal, night of swapping stories, and the campfire. It was refreshing to be around so many other hikers and the firefighters. I hadn't seen that many hikers since early on in the trip. The evening was a reminder that I need to slow down and enjoy impromptu moments as they occur along the way.  

Not everything in WA has been great.  A few nights ago we picked what turned out to be a bad spot to set up camp.  I woke up to a huge rat right beside my head.  There was more than one of them so in the middle of the night, we got our things together and headed out to another site to get away from them.  It was not the kind of thing you want waking you up in the middle of the night.  I am thankful we got away without them biting me or anyone else.

Our gang soon welcomed another hiker we had met earlier called"Chief" when we got to Snoqualmie.  Chief had to exit the trail due to a foot injury and after months of trying to heal he had to stop hiking. The crew and I had a great time catching up with Chief and he decided to join us for a side hike to the Hot Springs area.

It is hard to believe that I only have 13 days left on the trail. It has been an unbelievable life experience!  

In a few weeks I will be finding myself at the northern terminus!  Not ever being on a thru hike before I was not remotely aware of the challenges that I would face.  Today for example, I have planned to hike up 7,000 feet in 15 miles!  I would have never thought that I could hike that incline in the past. In the Mt. Shasta area it was even more steep, we hiked over 9,000 ft in just 3 miles!  There were some parts of the trail that I was literally pulling myself up on my hands and knees because of the incline. So far we have been able to push through and make it up the inclines without trouble.  From looking at the map ahead, we are going to have huge elevation changes and we will have to watch out for the weather as well. 

Great news!  My dad is going to meet me at the end of the trail.  It was our goal to hike a part of the PCT together and when his mCRC battle made that impossible, we set a new goal for him to meet me there!  I am thankful that he is healthy enough to fulfill that goal.

The meadows are just as lush as the forest.

I am grateful that through the partnership with the Colon Cancer Alliance more than $5000 will go toward the research for colon cancer. With more and more people contributing to research we should see a huge breakthrough in the fight against cancer soon.  My father's cancer clinic is writing a story combining my dad's cancer battle with my PCT with Purpose hike.  I am not sure if it will be on a website or a magazine.  I am happy that they chose to highlight my dad.  When I find out more about it, I will try to post it here.   If you would like to join our fundraising efforts for research please choose this link for the PCTWithPurpose GoFundMe page.  It is not too late to join us especially since the donations are matched!  

Thank you all for your continued support!  God has protected me so far on this trip and I am prayerful that he will keep me healthy till the end.

Answered prayer for the day:  Just after I finished typing the blog, I got an email with an invitation for an interview for medical school!  That is such an answer to prayer!  They originally wanted me to interview before I got off the trail and I was able to call them and it was ok to come a few weeks later.

 I am excited about the path that lies before. This journey has made me realize that I am a lot stronger than I originally thought.  It has been refreshing for the soul and one I will take with me to the next adventure in life.  

Chilling out and admiring God's handiwork.

Washington has lots of mountains that are spectacular and difficult to climb.

Crater Lake from a few weeks back when I had the migraine headache. 

The Purpose - revisited

I thought it would be good time to go through some of the reasons that my hike, PCT with Purpose was started.

"A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness…’ "             

-Isaiah 40:3-5

In the stillness of the wild we often reach into the depths of our souls. Sometimes, in those moments, we encounter something deeper within. In Kings 19:13 and 14 an angel told Elijah to go to the mountain top. Elijah obeyed and hoped to hear from God. He anticipated God to show himself in a miraculous way, but instead of appearing to him through a powerful wind, an earthquake, or a raging fire, God appeared to Elijah in a still, small voice.

Like Elijah, I went out into the wilderness in Glacier National Park and heard a small whisper, “Go (into the wilderness)”. 

Many of the people who enter into the wilderness go searching for something. Many think that it is something inside themselves. What I and many others have realized nature is our cathedral, and our hearts and souls feel most at home in creation. 

In addition to my call to my call into the wilderness, PCT With Purpose's goal is to raise money and awareness for colon cancer and research. The primary beneficiary of my fundraiser will be a great organization that has held a special place within my family, The Colon Cancer Alliance. The Colon Cancer Alliance is the leading patient advocacy organization for colon cancer and has received an outstanding rating from Charity Navigator.Org, Rating Information  . To donate to the CCA and my trip please click on this link to the gofundme page. PCT w purpose gofundme

The Colon Cancer Alliance foundation is built upon three pillars: Prevention, Research and Patient Support. These pillars materialize in the form of patient advocate, screening, providing funds for cutting edge research and emotional support the families effected by colon cancer.  For those of you who want more information, testimonials or to directly donate to The Colon Cancer Alliance, please click on link provided: The Colon Cancer Alliance. 

Please help me accomplish my goals to raise research funds and awareness for colon cancer, for missions, and to complete this long journey through the Pacific Crest Trail. 

The road less traveled - the Pacific Crest Trail - so far - the people

I can't believe that I have hiked over 2,000 miles.  It seems like it wasn't too long ago that I was getting my trail legs under me and figuring out how to be a thru hiker. Before I came on the trail the most I had hiked out in the wilderness was 5 days so it was a massive undertaking for me to go through the planning and just to get to the trail. I had so much to learn and I am grateful for the other hikers and trail angels that I encountered to help me through it.  I have received so much on this trip and you guys have helped motivate me to make it.  Here is a glimpse of how much I have traveled so far.  If you click on the Delorme link below, you will be able to follow along with me. 

The break in the hike was when we were having some issues with the satellite keeping a charge and had to replace it.  I don't have everyone's pictures.  One in particular I wish I had was Edward Manning because he stopped to help me out when I injured my knee.  Ed hiked into the trail to find me and help me out.   It was because of Ed that I got the rest I needed to get back on the trail. I also wish I had a picture of Pancakes' parents, they allowed me to stay with them on a very busy 4th of July weekend.  Thanks for the hospitality!

Here are some of the faces of the people that I have met along the way:

I was lost.

Legend

the first southbounder

The Jacksons' friends of my mom's.

Alex and Liam have hiked with me since the 2nd or third week.

Lea from Tehachapi!  

Meeting up with the famous Yogi herself!

Nightrider and I started from Campo the same day and she has hiked on and off with us
throughout the trail!

Trail Angels that help the hikers every year!

Gave us a ride to the Mt. Shasta Trailhead.

Pancakes of course!

Hanging out one of the rare nights we had a campfire.

The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,663 miles long. The route passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks Even though scores of people people hike the trails each year, it has some of the most severe terrain in the United States. It takes the average hiker five to six months or more to complete it. To learn more about the trail, please visit http://www.pcta.org/.

You may also track me on the trial on through:

*Half-Mile PCT Google Earth         

*Delorme MapShare                             *Facebook

*Twitter

Open note to dad from Zach - Last day of treatment!!!

The day before I left for the Pacific Crest Trail

Tomorrow is a big day in my family's, and in particular my father's life. After battling cancer unwaveringly off and on for the last 4 years my father underwent his last chemotherapy treatment this Tuesday and will be off his chemotherapy administered via his port tomorrow. I dearly hope my dad's faith, perseverance and “stick to it by all means” attitude has paid off and this will be the last treatment he will have to undergo.

The day my dad told us about the cancer started out a happy one. He found out the day before Thanksgiving 2013.
My grandfather would pass in April 2014, then my grandmother September 2015.

Dad gave us the news at the foot of the crosses
at Bellevue Baptist Church.

Throughout my journey along the PCT my father constantly reminds me of how proud he is of me and how glad he is to call me his father and brother in Christ. However, it is me that is and should be much prouder of him. Seeing my father face cancer not as a burden but as an opportunity to grow in all areas of his life is truly an inspiration. In the midst of turmoil, I have seen a once largely reserved man turn into one who feverishly lives his life to the fullest and is driven to leave a lasting legacy of wisdom with his loved ones. He is truly trying to be the best husband, grandfather, father-in-law, son, brother, and man-of-faith he can be. The most inspirational thing of all however, is that my father not only fights this disease the "Wills way" which he says is to Go big or go home, but thanks God that he got the disease in the first place. He says that because of it he has come closer to God than he has ever been, and I can attest that I have never remembered a time in my life where his faith has been stronger.

In the middle of treatment the first time, he took
a chemo break so he could walked my
sister down the aisle.

I don't say this nearly enough but I am proud of you Dad and your ability to face these last few years with such vigor. Because of your faith, I have not feared losing you and your example allowed me get through my own personal trials much easier. I know that no matter what lays ahead that you have lived life to the fullest with little to no regrets. I can assure you have left a great legacy behind you. Your life and approach to fighting cancer has inspired all of those you love and hundreds more through PCT With Purpose, The Colon Cancer Alliance support groups, your men's group and church body. I look forward to finishing up the trail and hiking the best parts again with you and mom some day soon. I love you and couldn't ask for a better father and mentor. See you in Canada!!

Dr. Fresh

If you would like to donate to PCT with Purpose - Hike for Colon Cancer, please go to the link.  Right now all donations are being doubled through a grant with the Salah Foundation.  All money goes to research via the Colon Cancer Alliance. PCTWithPurpose

Sitting on the mountaintop toward the middle of the PCT

Early in the journey.

Less than 600 miles to go!  See you in Manning Park Dad!

Less than 600 miles to go!  See you in Manning Park Dad!!!

Thieves, Getting pelted, and migraine - OREGON!

After months of hiking through the desert, the Sierras, and Yosemite, I have seen so many changes in the topography and have countless memories of the people that I have met along the trail.  The overload of beautiful vistas, mountain ranges, and meadows has given me a glimpse of the wonder of God’s creation. We are so blessed to have a country that is filled with so many natural resources. I am humbled by the scope and breadth of the 1,900 miles that I have hiked.  Finally, I made it to Oregon!!! California is such a huge state that it occupies what seems like an endless part of the trail.  Once you get to Oregon, you have your “trail legs” and each day you can just pump out the miles. 

Oregon has been called the “green highway” among the hikers because it flattens out in the beginning and you are free to walk as many miles as you can.  I have put in a lot of over 30+ mile days and have felt that they come easy.  I mentioned before that it is kind of like going on a long run.  You get into a rhythm and take in the sights and sounds around you. 

Another thing that is said about Oregon is that their honorary state “bird” should be the mosquito.  Anything that you don’t have covered they try to attack!  Every time you stop to rest or get a drink of water the thirsty insects come in for the kill.

We got our first glimpse of the rainforests in the Pacific Northwest. No trip to the Pacific Northwest is complete without enjoying the hidden gems in Oregon and in Washington. The spectacular series of 100 ft waterfalls and lush monstrous old-growth trees are only part of the serene landscape. You can find beautiful flower laden paths and we will soon be coming upon the many wild berry bushes along the trail. There is plentiful water and it has been hotter than normal for this time of year.

Our first major stop in Oregon was at Callahan’s lodge where good luck and misfortune both found me. The lodge offers thru hikers the chance to pitch their tent on their beautiful backyard campground. The day was going so well.  We met a great couple from Medford that was curious about our journey.  After spending time talking with them, they generously paid for our meal. That was a wonderful treat.  We got the chance to take a long shower and wash all our clothes. We looked forward to a peaceful night under the stars on the lush lawn at Callahan’s.

 

Lush lawns were at the park and also Callahan's. 

I went to retrieve my wall charger for my phone, external battery and the satellite communications only to find that a thief had taken them. Those are some of the most valuable things to a thru hiker because that is how you communicate with your family. Without your communications, you also have lost the ability to use your navigation tools on your phone.  I couldn’t believe that a fellow hiker would do that!  The charger and external battery were worth less than $100, but the value of them was beyond that. When you are in the wilderness, you can’t just go out and replace a much-needed item. I was not happy that someone had taken them!   

After settling in for the night, Alex (9-5) and I were awoken at 12am by a group of lodge guests shining a floodlight on us and pelting us with a hailstorm of beer cans from the second story balcony.  They hit Alex in the lower back and narrowly missed hitting me in the head. They threw a whole 6pack at us.  Alex quickly returned the favor by yelling at the patron and throwing the beer cans back up at them.  We cautiously went back to sleep without another incident.  Thank goodness we had planned a ZERO day so that we could get some much-needed rest before heading into Medford and Ashland to try and find replacements for my stolen merchandise.

The next day went much better.  After downing a huge breakfast of eggs, sausage and unlimited pancakes, we found the local REI store. Alex had to replace some broken gear and I found an external battery. Liam was meeting us in Ashland.  We were blessed with an instant hitch to get in Medford. The town is familiar with thru hikers so we were happy they stopped for us because with 1,900 miles under our belt I am sure we looked pretty suspicious. We had similar luck getting to Ashland to meet up with Liam. 

When we tried to get back to the trail we ran into problems in Ashland trying to find a ride. We tried for about 2 hours with no luck.  We ended up getting the number for a local adventure guide service and we were on our way. In hindsight, it turned out to be divine intervention. The driver and owner of the guide service was a colon cancer survivor.  He has been NED, no evidence of disease, for 1 year. It was great to talk to him about the struggle that my dad is going through. Finding some common ground, he decided to give us the grand tour of Ashland and some history about the area. One of the more interesting tibits of information was the history of the Oregonian Shakespeare Theater. 

According to our guide, the theater started as a college project in 1935 and has grown to have an annual festival and three theaters. Throughout the year they have both free and paid performances.  In the beginning they only did Shakespearian productions, but as time has gone on they include both classic and modern productions. The only time the theater has taken a break is during World War II. After being in the woods, it would have been nice to step back in time and experience MacBeth or Romeo and Juliet in an outdoor theater surrounded by the sounds of the forest. Unfortunately, time nor schedule permitted us to join the fun.

The guide also took us to a beautiful Lithia Park, a 93-acre vista of emerald lawns, naturalistic plantings, and groves of all kinds of trees selected for their hardiness and color. The park is listed on the national historic register as it was founded in 1892 and has become a hub of entertainment and culture to the southern part of Oregon.

Our guide and Alex

We found our groove in the town of Ashland. We went from restaurant to restaurant and wandered in the unique stores along the streets. Liam grew concerned about his timeline and after a discussion with Alex and I, made the decision to catch a ride the next day further up the trail to Cascade Locks. He has a wedding to attend and won’t have time to finish the trail.  He was going to have to miss part of Oregon or part of Washington. After our experience with Ashland, he felt it best to move forward to Washington. I hated that after almost three months of traveling together our group would be splitting up before we reached the end of the trail. Alex pointed out that we all started the journey alone so that is was fitting that we may have to end it separately as well. 

Hanging out the last day together. I tried to get video of the herd
 of deer that ran by but it didn't turn out.

Naturally we decided to make the last night a memorable one and we stayed up gazing at the stars, exploring the rest of Ashland and reflecting on the good times we had together.  We had been through illness and injury, the desert, the highest peak in the lower 48 states and accomplished a lot. After seeing Liam off, 9-5 and I wandered into a teashop and had some unbelievable Yerba mate tea from a gourd. The tea was awesome. I drank two pictures of it! After taking a nap on Lithia parks’ lawn, we headed back out to the trail and our group that had started shrank to two determined hikers.

Herbal tea in a gourd was a first for me.

The miles came much easier and we jumped to over 30-35+ mile days and moved much quicker due to the terrain. Alex and relaxed into a rhythm for and the miles flew by.

As we approached Crater Lake, there were downed trees everywhere, a sort of Treemageddon that we had to maneuver around. It made going a little slower. Alex was meeting two friends at Crater so we pushed forward. We planned to hike the entire Crater Rim, the two musician brothers Jack and Jack, fell into stride with us and did much better than expected. We hiked 25 miles. Their car allowed us to hit the top tourist spots of Crater and we drove the entire rim trail. It seemed almost sacrilege to be riding instead of hiking after so many miles hoofing everywhere.

This is Wizard Island in the Crater Lake area.  Water is unbelievably blue.

The next morning I woke up with a terrible migraine headache. I started throwing up and had a nagging pain across my forehead.  It felt as though my head would explode.  As luck would have it, we were far away from a medical clinic or drugstore. After dealing with it for a while, Jack and Jake took me to Diamond Lake Resort where I booked a room to try and sleep. The rest helped and I stumbled out of bed the next morning after a good breakfast and headed back out to trail. Alex had come back to the lodge but was staying behind with the promise to catch up with me later.  I set out alone toward Elk Lake Resort. We had been traveling fast enough to catch up with another hiker named Nightrider. You may remember her from the South Lake Tahoe post.  Nightrider started the same day I did from Campo.  She had been hiking solo for over a month and was anxious to get back to hike with someone that she knew. She had jumped ahead of us so it was good to hear from her.  Our plan was to meet up outside of Sisters Oregon and for her to hike with us the rest of the way. With over 800 miles to go it will be nice to have companionship the entire trail.

Looking forward to catching up with Nightrider.
This is from South Lake Tahoe.

By the end of the next day, I still hadn’t see Alex.  I ran into several southbound hikers and asked if they had seen him but he was AWOL. The number of hikers we encountered has decreased tremendously.  I don’t know if most of the hikers that were on our same pace have quit the trail or we got too far behind, but I am not seeing other northbound thru hikers at this point. The number of southbound hikers should remain steady for the next few days.

Communications has been difficult on this part of the trail.  With that being said I am not sure if I will run across Alex again.  With the move toward the Mt. Hood area, the weather took a steep dive and previously the temperature that was around 90, had taken a nosedive and was a chilly 35.  I had my family send my raingear a few stops ahead of me so I am hoping for good weather until I get the gear I need for hiking in the rain.

Capturing the sky.

Deer are everywhere.

The Park