Day 25

   So I have arrived here in Trout Lake! A very nice man at the grocery store offered to put me up at his place, which I am very thankful for! I totally didn't expect it.
  The hike in to the forest road was pretty fast for me--I did 14 miles in 5.5 hours. Not all of it was flat, either... I think I must be getting stronger or something.
   Tomorrow I need to talk to the forestry people (and hopefully hikers) about the next stretch. It would take me about 4 days to do, in theory, but I've heard some stories about Goat Rocks. I want to go, but I am worried...
  Randomly, some forest service guy invited me to see some local cave with his friends. So we went to this place called the 'cheese cave,' and then afterward went to pick huckleberries. Pretty neat!

14 miles hiked, mile 2226. Trout Lake.

Day 23/24

   Well... I talked to a hiker on the way up, and he informed me that Goat Rocks are as I feared. Things might have changed by the time I talk to people at Trout Lake, but I think I might be going home sooner than I'd like. He also had a lot to say about how snow packed the area north of Snoqualmie is... I can't believe the stuff he went through to go south!
   So if I do decide that this is the end, I'm going to give myself a bit of an extension by returning south and stopping at Stevenson, WA. There is a bus there that can help take me home, or so I've read. So in that scenario I have another week or so out here in the woods.
   This section had a pretty extreme area of mosquito activity. I don't think I've actually seen so many blood-suckers in one place in my life. There's a lot of meadows, ponds, lakes, patches of snow, and other forms of standing water in that area, though, so I guess it is to be expected. I will plan accordingly when going back through there, lol.
   I caught glimpses today of Mount Adams and Mount St Helens. They are beautiful.
   I should be in Trout Lake by tomorrow afternoon... If I manage to get a hitch. I have heard it can be difficult.

Mile 2212, Twin Buttes Road. 4203 feet.

Day 22

   Pretty average day, though I was startled when I realized a tree was collapsing as I walked by. Spilled most of my peanuts trying to get out of the way!
   It's nice to see how well the trail is kept up here. There are signs and bridges everywhere, and I've already passed a PCT cleanup crew. Kinda takes some of the edge off.
   Camped next to a stream today. Nice to hear the water pass by. I think I'll be spending most of tomorrow morning going up 3000 feet. Better make some coffee!

15 miles hiked, mile 2179. 827 feet.

Day 21

   Made it into Washington! I've only just crossed in, but already things seem different. The forest is more alive with plants and moss, and there are way less overturned trees. Also, I often see these long, thick slugs and random mushrooms on the side of the trail. I already kind of like this state better than Oregon, though I may be a bit biased because I live here. I've also noticed that the trail seems to be more well marked here.
   This was my first 20 mile day. It was kind of hard on my knee and feet, so I'm probably not going to do that again. I'll stick with my 15-18 average.

20 miles hiked, mile 2164. 1400 feet.

Day 19

  Got through the end of Eagle Creek. Hanging out in Cascade Locks now, and will be doing my laundry tomorrow as well as relaxing. A nice lady at a fruit stand gave me more cherries than she had to when I told her I was a backpacker. :-)

   It didn't rain much today, which I'm glad for. The forest looked prettier today than usual because of the showers.

   11 miles hiked. Close to 0 feet elevation. 

Day 18

  Well... Apparently last night, at 3AM to be precise, some guy in a neighboring campsite (probably 70 feet) decided it would be a good idea to start chopping wood. Let me repeat for emphasis: some random guy in the woods was chopping firewood at 3AM!!!
   I thought it had to be some kind of bear smashing wood for grub or something, but no... lol.
   Today was generally a lot easier, though the downward course on Indian Springs Trail was insane! It took me about an hour and a half to go straight down in elevation. I couldn't help but feel really bad for anyone who had to go up it. It's an extreme climb. If my calculations are right, I think it's something close to 2000 feet over 2 miles. That is tough!
   Once on Eagle Creek Trail, I met these guys who had attracted a cute little friend. Apparently this little bird had been following them before they stopped to eat, and for the time I was talking to them, was bouncing around looking for scraps of food. Really cute!
   Anyway, the rain decided to arrive early. As of now, it's beating rather persistently on my tent. It wasn't so bad earlier today, and I'm hoping it'll go back to being a more casual shower tomorrow morning... I can only hope. Because it's raining here, I assume that it's snowing around Goat Rocks right now. I hope that doesn't mess things up for me. It will probably be around a week before I arrive at Trout Lake, so maybe some good weather will make up for things.
   Tomorrow I'll be seeing some nice waterfalls and arriving in Cascade Locks. Pretty exciting, since I will soon be entering Washington.

   17 miles hiked, Eagle Creek Trail. 2100 feet.

Day 17

   Tiring day. Got lost twice and had to do two river crossings. The views of Mount Hood were often gorgeous.
   33 miles until Cascade Locks, and 13 miles until the Eagle Creek section begins... We'll see if I get to town by the end of Friday. I think the trail is relatively flat from here to the Washington border.

  13 miles hiked, mile 2111.