Oregon PCT Day 26: All the Big Peaks

by | Sep 21, 2026 | Oregon PCT, Trail Journals, West Coast | 0 comments

Sunday. September 20, 2026

  • Start:  Muddy Creek (PCT 2112.1)
  • End:  Wahtum Lake (PCT mile 2133.4)
  • Distance: 21.3 miles

Today started at midnight, when a bright beam of light woke me up, courtesy of a guy night-hiking with a ridiculously bright headlamp. He claims he just stopped to check his map, but he was standing right next to the tree where I’d tied up my Ursack for more than 2 minutes before I hollered out my tent to him. I don’t know if he was trying to steal my food or was just oblivious to his surroundings, but I had to urge him to move along. Once I got up for good and broke down camp at 7 am, the first 2.4 miles of trail took me up exhausting switchbacks to Bald Mountain, followed by a long descent to Lolo Pass. The water situation was pretty dry as I made my way north past Buck Peak (the highest point in Multnomah County), but I had plenty of views of the area’s three major peaks: Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, and Mt. St. Helens. When I reached Indian Springs at mile 18.5, I toyed with stopping to set up camp, but the vibe there was too eerie. So I kept hiking 2.5 miles farther to Wahtum Lake, the northernmost lake on the Oregon section of the PCT.

Hiking up the exhausting switchbacks up the “stairway to heaven” toward Bald Mountain
Morning views of Mt, Hood to my south
Only another 35 miles left to Washington
Unfortunately, there was no vault toilet or potable water at the Lolo Pass Trailhead.
Following the PCT north along a rocky ledge
The majority of the afternoon would be in the forest as the PCT moved through the Bull Run Watershed
Junction with the Huckleberry Trail, which I’d previously hiked past on my CoHP visit to Buck Peak
Lost Lake was much too far to go to get water
I carried an avocado on this final 3-day section hike to the Cascade Locks and stored it inside a mini Pringles can to keep it from getting mashed up in my pack
Vibrant fall colors beside the trail
Hazy views of Mount St. Helens to my northwest
A little “Sharpie artwork” marking the route down to much needed spring
Views of Mt. Adams from the junction of the Indian Mountain Trail
Funny little mushrooms
I stopped to get more water at Indian Springs, but the area had a vibe that just felt off. And so, I listened to my gut and kept hiking to Wahtum Lake
Continuing north past mossy rocks
More great views of Mt. Hood as I head toward Wahtum Lake
Wahtum Lake: the final lake on the Oregon section of the PCT is the headwaters of Eagle Creek
My campsite with peek-a-boo views of Wahtum Lake
On my final night on the PCT, the baffles inside my air mattress began to delaminate. As soon as I tried to lie down, the rest of the head end (above this damage) delaminated too, leaving me with a watermelon-sized bubble for my head and a limp mattress everywhere else.

Highlights

  • Enjoying the views of the three big peaks in PNW mythology: Mt. Hood (Wy’east), Mt. Adams (Pahto), and Mount St. Helens (Loowit).
  • Today’s route brought me back to Buck Peak, one of Oregon’s CoHPs that I summited as part of my quest to visit the highest point in all 36 Oregon counties.
  • My final campsite on my PCT section hike was near the shores of Wahtum Lake, the largest lake near the Columbia River Gorge and the source of the famed Eagle Creek.

Challenges

  • The inconsiderate hiker, who was standing suspiciously close to my Ursack, with his 10,000-lumen headlamp shining directly at my tent at midnight. I may have implied there were already 3 of us camping there when I urged him to move along with his night-hiking adventure.
  • When I got to Indian Springs campground, the place felt deserted and haunted, with a real serial-killer vibe—so I kept going another 2.5 miles to Wahtum Lake.
  • As I set up camp for the final night on the PCT, my air mattress delaminated inside. The head of the sleeping pad was like a watermelon, while the rest went limp. Luckily, it was a warm night, and I didn’t need the pad’s R-value to protect me from the cold ground.
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