With the massive Bootleg fire raging down south, WA has been the place to go in recent weeks (though there are several fires burning there too). Fortunately, we haven’t encountered any wildfire smoke out on the trail yet. On Saturday, we went up to the west side of Mt Adams for our first backpack of the year. We didn’t get started until 5:30pm and I wasn’t sure if we would make it all the way up to High Camp before dark. But we did make it, and still had enough time to build the tent, throw the bear hang, and make dinner before sunset. The wind picked up after nightfall and was blowing the rain fly around enough to keep us both awake until the early hours of the morning. If we camp up there again, we should probably look for somewhere that’s surrounded by trees.
On Sunday, we hiked back down to the PCT and headed south for a few miles. We enjoyed the wildflowers (lupin everywhere) and swatted the biting flies and mosquitoes. There was one pretty dicey stream crossing that would have been hair raising without hiking poles. Then we cut back down to Divide Camp (several flat tent sites but no access to water, and no views) and then back down to the road for the final stretch.
On our way back to Portland, we came across four brush fires along the road, each a few hundred yards apart. They were spreading quickly. We’ve had such devastating fires in our part of the state in the past couple of years. It feels like the clock is ticking this year too.