May 22, 2026
- Start: Ridge north of Goose Egg (PCT mile 1814.2)
- End: Mazama Village (PCT mile 1822.4)
- Distance: 9.3 miles (8.3 PCT miles + 1 miles on Crater Lake Hwy)
I’m glad that I hiked to campsite #4 last night and ended up on the north ridge of Goose Egg. This elevated spot came with great views. Plus, it had one bar of Verizon service, so I could text my favorite nephew a happy birthday when I woke up this morning.
In a perfect world, I would also have been able to send him the photo of the mountain lion tracks I’d seen yesterday. I’d stopped to take a picture of 6-7 very distinct paw prints in the sandy trail. But as I was in my tent last night, I couldn’t find the photo in my photo album. I just wasn’t there. The only reason for this omission must be that my finger accidentally missed the photo-taking button on my iPhone screen. What a bummer. Those tracks were among the best examples of mountain lion prints I’ve seen on all my hikes.
Even though I was up early sending text messages and listening to a podcast, there was no rush to pack up quickly or get on the trail. I’d walked two extra miles last night to get beyond the fresh mountain lion tracks, so my mileage for the final day of this hike was now shorter than planned. And so there was no reason to roll out of camp right away. My rendezvous point with Keith near the south entrance of Crater Lake NP wasn’t until 1 pm this afternoon
I probably could have texted Keith to coordinate an earlier pickup time. But I just lounged in my tent instead. I had less than four hours of hiking left, so why not just relax and enjoy the warm morning sun coming through my tent? There was no rush. This was my last morning of the Sky Lakes Wilderness.
Once I eventually got myself packed up, I had a little bit more uphill to ascend. Near the top of the climb, I spotted some snow piled up near the trees, which was a pleasant surprise. I was currently hiking along a 13-mile dry stretch between yesterday’s ponds and Mazama Village. It was comforting to know there was enough snow here to melt it into water in a pinch. It would certainly be gone by the time the northbound PCT thru-hikers reached this dry section in July, but it was there if I needed it today.
Crater Lake
I only had two miles left before I hit the southern boundary of Crater Lake National Park this morning. That meant only two more miles before I closed this missing gap on the PCT. I’d already hiked everything north of the park’s boundary (twice) during my 2023 hike with Poledork.
Those last two miles of trail were lined with lots of manzanita and had plenty more blowdowns to navigate over and around. To the north, I could see Mt. Scott in the distance. This 8,600-foot peak sits on Crater Lake’s east side, so it was evident that I was getting closer to the park with every step.
Less than an hour after breaking camp, I reached the large sign announcing that I was entering Crater Lake National Park and leaving the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The shift between these public lands brings some minor headaches for PCT hikers, as camping is far more restricted within the park’s boundaries.
Crater Lake also brings one of the more popular alternates for the PCT, too. When hikers reach the trailhead I’m ending at on Crater Lake Highway, they can either stick to the official PCT route (which winds north-south through the park) or take a parallel route on the Rim Trail (which follows the edge of Crater Lake).
I took the Rim Trail back in 2023, and I suspect more than 95% of PCT thru-hikers do the same exact thing. The Rim Trail is scenic and beautiful, offering hikers views of the impossibly blue waters and Wizard Island. Plus, there’s access to some frontcountry amenities, like Mazama Village and Rim Village.
Heading beyond the Crater Lake boundary sign, I was surprised to find lots of snow covering the trail. I’d expected snow at higher elevations yesterday when I climbed up to Lucifer Peak and Devils Peak. But this stretch of the trail wasn’t all that high. I was only at 6,500 feet elevation. But perhaps the denser forest here protected the snow from melting.
There was still plenty of exposed terrain off to my west, including the burn area where Poledork had her unfortunate fall that pushed us off the PCT on day 12. But, by and large, I would remain under tree cover for the remaining 6 miles of the trail up to Crater Lake Highway.
When I reached a wooden post with a metal box containing a PCT trail register, I stopped to check it out. After scanning the list, I added my trail name to the running tally of hikers who passed by this spot each year. The most recent page in the notebook held the names of dozens of thru-hikers from last September, and one day hiker who signed it back in December 2025. But I had the honor of being the first hiker to sign the trail register for 2026. The early bird gets the worm!
I continued hiking north from here until I reached the junction with the Stuart Falls Trail. This was the fateful spot where Poledork and I had turned off the PCT to get water. Less than a mile up the trail, we found ourselves in a miserable burn area with a trail that eventually disappeared on us. I hoped the area was in better shape now, but I suspect it may still be in deplorable condition.
The park rangers have only so many resources, and the Stuart Falls Trail is too far removed from the park’s main sights to warrant any sort of priority. There were a ton of trees still waiting to be cleared off the PCT. Stuart Falls was probably out of luck for the next decade, but at least it has a nice-looking sign at the trail junction!
As I caught more views of the terrain to my north, I could now clearly see Union Peak rising above the landscape. This was the final landmark before my journey ended. Once I reached the trail junction for Union Peak, I would probably only have an hour or so of hiking left before I hit the trailhead.
Thanks to the unexpected snow, my progress was a bit slower this morning than it might otherwise have been on this easy terrain. About 25% of the trail between the park boundary and the trailhead was still completely covered in snow in late May. But at least it was flat snow, not the type that spilled down a steep slope. There was no need for microspikes here. But it was slow going as I alternated between soft snow that my shoes sank into and icy snow that threatened to make me slip.
At the PCT’s junction with the Union Peak Trail, I decided to stop for a quick mid-morning snack break. But first, I had to search for a good spot to sit. There were lots of pine trees around here, but they all seemed to be surrounded by patchy snow. Everywhere that seemed to have dry, pine-needle-covered ground was in the direct sunlight and away from any trees.
I eventually found a dry tree to set my pack up against and guzzled half of my remaining liter of water. I was trying to avoid drinking it all down now, since the Mazama Campground and restaurant were still closed for the season. I was currently on track to arrive at my rendezvous point in Mazama Village about an hour early, and I might get thirsty as I waited outside the closed buildings for Keith to pick me up.
After a quick break, I grabbed my pack and set off for the last bit of trail. It was becoming evident that I was getting closer to the touristy part of the park. The trail transitioned from a narrow single track to a much wider, flat path that was super easy to follow.
Less than an hour later, I crossed paths with three day hikers, and I pulled out my phone to figure out how much farther to the trailhead. I must be getting close if I was seeing people. Sure enough, I was now within 0.2 miles of the parking area. These hikers were the first humans I’d seen in more than 48 hours. What a difference from hiking the PCT during the peak summer months when there are a dozen or more thru-hikers in the bubble.
Once I reached the large gravel parking area beyond the trailhead, I was officially done with my section hike. All that was left was a mile of paved roadwalking to get myself to Mazama Village, where I would meet Keith.
As predicted, I was early. I had an hour before my pre-arranged pickup time. But that’s fine. I always try to overestimate how long it will take me to reach my destination. I’d rather sit around and relax a bit near a trailhead waiting for my ride than have Keith worry about why I was running late.
Three surprises
Once I rolled into Mazama Village, I got my first surprise. There were half a dozen cars in the parking lot, and it appeared that the Mazama Village gift shop might be open! It wasn’t quite Memorial Day weekend yet, so the campground and Annie Creek restaurant were still closed. But this unexpected opening meant I had access to a bathroom (with running water!) and a gift shop where I could buy a cold drink and a gourmet ice cream sandwich while I waited!
My second surprise was Keith arriving at our pickup spot 30 minutes early. I’d barely finished my ice cream sandwich, and I was in the process of removing my hiking shoes when he drove up! But I had no complaints there.
The third surprise was less positive than the other two. Once I had my gear in the truck, we drove to the Lemolo Lake Campground, where Keith had been fishing while I was hiking this section of the PCT. He went out for his afternoon run, while I made my way over to the shower house to wash off all the grime from the past three days. It was during this shower that I discovered I’d brought a bit of wildlife home with me. I had a Rocky Mountain wood tick embedded on the back of my rib cage.
Of all the ticks in the PNW, this is the one you don’t want to cross paths with. It can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Colorado Tick Fever, tularemia, and it’s the main vector for Lyme disease in Oregon. We also found three more ticks on my gear, which I suspect hitched a ride from the snow-free tree I’d set my pack under during my mid-morning break.
We saved all four ticks in a Ziploc bag and froze them so they could be tested if I develop symptoms. Unfortunately, I probably won’t know for two weeks whether the tick infected me with something that might curtail my 2026 hiking season. I’d just need to be vigilant for the next 14 days for any flu-like symptoms, high fever, stomach pain, or rashes.
