Oregon PCT Lash Day 4… Summit Lake to Mount Jefferson Epic View Camp! (15 Miles)

Ok, not gonna lie… I was a little worried on this day! I had a LOT of logs to crawl over, burn areas to pass through, and snow to traverse! I had even seen comments on FarOut (the app most thru-hikers use for long trails) about people turning around because of a “snow wall”… but, I had also seen comments where people had made it though and that it wasn’t that bad… and I wasn’t about to turn around! I hiked up, up, up, around the backside of Three Finger Jack where I was treated to the most fantastic view down into Canyon Creek Meadows, where I had backpacked last year with my brother! It was a very different view, and I had to check my map a few times when I realized now I had to hike down, down, down…

After making the climb down Three Finger Jack, I hit the stretch of downed trees I had read about… and it was true, I did end up climbing over many, many downed trees… I was playing a human sized version of pixie sticks. I had a lovely lunch by a pond and was able to enjoy a little bit of shade. At some point Whiz (a thru-hiker I met at Big Lake Youth Camp) caught up to me, and I tagged along behind him until we parted ways at Rockpile Lake. Following him made it so much easier to deal with all the trees!

Rockpile Lake was an oasis after going through the burn areas – so you know I had to hop in for a swim! After my swim and snack break, I felt ready to take on the snow… there was one set of footsteps ahead of me, and I just kept thinking “this is fine… this is fine…” and it was.