PCT Day 119 – PCT Mile 2020.7 to Olallie Lake (2048.7)
August 2, 2026
Total PCT miles: 28.0
Non PCT miles: 0.0
Total: 28.0 miles / 45.1 km
Total elevation gain: 3865 ft
Total elevation loss: 5351 ft
Steps: 64260
Remaining Distance: 606.3 miles
It was a cold wake up this morning with the temperature just above freezing. A stark contrast to how it’s been for at least the last month. Normally it’s been too hot every night even with my tent door open and barely sleeping under my sleeping bag. But last night I had my tent closed up and my quilt firmly secured. Fortunately even without my warm sleeping clothes that I mailed up to Timberline I was plenty warm.
Because the temperature I waited until the sun started hitting my tent until I got ready for the day. I was treated to a beautiful sunrise in the east and to the west cloud inversions in the valley below. I started off at 630 with an ambitious goal of reaching Olallie lake before the store closed at 1930.
The morning hike was beautiful and great trail. I believe there is someone attempting a FKT going SOBO and they passed me this morning. After Milk creek, probably the nicest water source I’ve seen all of Oregon, started a 2000 ft climb with many added decents over 10 miles most of which was in burn, exposed trail with lots of blowdowns. I’ll say there was very little to be enjoyed for most of this until entering Jefferson Park.
Jefferson Park is a 3ish mile section of the trail that the PCT permit does not allow you to camp in. There are several of these sections in Oregon. It goes around Mount Jefferson and provides some beautiful views of the mountains and miraculously is not a giant burn scar like the surrounding areas. It ends with a steepish climb to almost 7000 ft when you get your first view of Mount Hood some 60 miles north.
From here the trail is almost either rocks or burn scar all the way to Olallie Lake. I fell once slipping on rocks and bashed my knees twice trying to climb over logs. There is a “shortcut” via a forest service road that I ended up taking because I was tired of the blowdowns. I don’t think it was any shorter but I was able to hike much faster on it. The road walk was still in the burn area and had a very post apocalyptic feel to it. Because of the road walk I got to the store about 45 mins before it closed and was rewarded with cold cola, chips and cookies.
Amazing photos. How can some areas look so desolate yet so beautiful at the same time.