Friday. July 17, 2026
- Start: Olallie Lake (PCT mile 2048.7)
- End: Red Wolf Pass (PCT mile 2072.6)
- Distance: 23.9 miles
It was a brisk 39°F when I woke this morning at my solo campsite next to Olallie Lake. I’m now halfway done with this 93-mile section, and my pace is putting me ahead of schedule. If I continue hiking at 23 miles/day, I should finish a day earlier than planned. My more immediate concern, though, is the fire risk ahead. I hiked onto the Warm Springs Reservation, and I was barely 4 miles into the day when I smelled a fire burning nearby. I didn’t feel overly worried. The sound of chainsaws filled the air, and I spotted a 2.5-gallon box of USFS water resting beside the trail. It seemed apparent that the fire crew had it under control. An hour later, I crossed paths with the incident commander, who filled me in on the situation. The major thunderstorms that swept through Oregon on Wednesday resulted in 2,000 lightning strikes across the state, and so many new wildfires!. A dozen hotshots (aka wildland firefighters) were coming up the trail right to put out all the small blazes in the vicinity of the Reservation. But the PCT was still fine for now, and I was free to continue hiking north. Despite pounding liters of water all morning, I felt super sluggish. By the time I reached the Warm Springs River at mile 13, my feet felt tired, swollen, and felt like they were on fire, so I stopped for 45 minutes to wade barefoot in the cold water. Then I filtered 3 liters of water to hike the final 9 (dry) miles of the day to a stealth spot near Red Wolf Pass.
Highlights
- I was greeted by a life-size figure of Smokey Bear when I entered the Warm Springs Reservation this morning.
- After walking past one fire burning and hearing the sound of chainsaws, I crossed paths with a USFS fire crew coming my way. Thanks for all the hard work, fellows!
- I got my first glance of Mt. Hood in the distance today. Hopefully, I’ll have many more views of the mountain tomorrow as I hike toward Barlow Pass.
Challenges
- There were lots of huckleberry bushes lining the PCT today, but all of them were bare. Oregon’s dry winter resulted in hardly any berries this year. As disappointing as that is for me (and my fellow hikers), I can’t help but wonder what it means for the local bears.
- I spent much of the day hiking through the green tunnel while on high alert for the smell of smoke. There were around 2,000 lightning strikes across the state on Wednesday, and many small wildfires were burning in the Central Cascades and beyond. I’d soon discover that 2026 was going to be one of the worst wildfire years in Oregon ever.
- After a third high-mileage day, my feet felt swollen and painful this afternoon. I tried to soak them in cold water at my last water source (Warm Springs River), but it only helped temporarily.