Thursday. July 16, 2026
- Start: Shale Lake boundary (PCT mile 2025.6)
- End: Olallie Lake (PCT mile 2048.7)
- Distance: 23.1 miles
I’d been so excited to finally hike through Jefferson Park today. I’d heard so many rave reviews of this stretch of the trail. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate with my expectations, and I woke up to low clouds and fog. I spent the first 12 miles of the day hiking through Jefferson Park without a single glimpse of Mt. Jefferson itself!
Several more challenges also emerged as I hiked north. I was forced to ford Russell Creek, a raging, cold river with water pouring down the mountain. There was no bridge, no logs over the water, and no chance I could safely boulder hop the large gaps. I hiked 75 yards upstream toward a rock cairn marking the shallowest crossing point, and then had to carefully work my way across the swift-moving, calf-deep water while wearing my shoes. There was no reasonable way to dry out my socks on the opposite bank either, since there was no sunshine and the air temperature was barely 50 degrees. The only real option was to keep moving. My body heat would eventually dry my socks over the next few hours, but this method resulted in a few unfortunate blisters on my left foot.
Once I made it to the top of the 9-mile climb leading up to the ridge at Jefferson Park’s northern boundary, I finally got above the clouds. Lo and behold, my first glimpses of Mt. Jefferson for the day. The mountain was amazingly beautiful, but I couldn’t help but feel like I’d been cheated by its absence for my entire journey around its west side.
The sun and wind were my constant companions for the second half of the day as I hiked down through a burn area on my way to Olallie Lake. This stretch of the trail was a blur, and my blistered feet were tired, but I pushed on toward the lake knowing that I was now ahead of schedule. I would reach my halfway point for this 93-mile section of the PCT by the end of my second day on trail.
Highlights
- All the wildflowers and milky-white creeks flowing through Jefferson Park were stunningly beautiful, even if it felt a little spooky under the dense clouds.
- When I reached Olallie Lake Resort this evening, I met several PCT section-hikers and thru-hikers and spent a half hour chatting about the trail and swapping hiker stories about yesterday’s storm and the risk of wildfires ahead.
- I broke away to camp solo on a small rise above Head Lake. This was a fantastic choice. I had a spot with views of Mt. Jefferson and the water 100% to myself!
Challenges
- It was a bummer to discover my entire trek through Jefferson Park was overcast and in the clouds. I didn’t get a single view of Mt. Jefferson until I reached the northern boundary of the special permit area (up on the ridge).
- I had to ford Russell Creek and get my shoes and socks completely drenched in the stunningly cold, calf-high water. With no sunshine and the morning temperatures in the low 50s, I couldn’t even dry my feet or socks during my breaks. As a result, I developed a few blisters on my feet over the next few hours of hiking.
- The 9-mile climb up to Jefferson Park Ridge, coupled with another high-mileage day, left me feeling very sluggish this afternoon as I made my way through the burn zone.