The time came around for my ride up to Cascade Locks so i stood around with my backpack outside of the library. Firefly and her man, Lorax, easily identified me. They brought me to their van which is also their home. It was decked out in wood paneling on the inside with a nice bed and cozy lighting. We started on our hours long journey with me sprawled out on the floor.
We took a side stop to pick up Dreamy from farther up the trail. She’s a professional dancer and told us the tale of when she almost was one of the ballerinas for Runaway for Ye at some music awards show up until he changed his mind. She’s super cool but also many miles ahead of me so i probably won’t see her again? spoiler alert that might be the case with other people
We drove on into dusk and i spent most of the drive singing and playing the doctor, they were kind enough to not tell me to shut it. When it was time to get gas we stopped at a station that had a Taco Bell and a Cinnabon, very dangerous. I snuck a fiver into a pair of shoes in Firefly’s van because they refused to let me chip in for gas.
Nighttime closed in and we pulled into Cascade Locks close to 1030 on Friday night. People were still going hard, but most of the festivities were closed down, including the place where you pay for camping. And thus we start the series about how PCT Days is inferior to Trail Days on the AT, part1: you have to pay for camping at PCTD. On the plus side, the camping was on an island so that was cool. part2, the island was small so there wasn’t space for the people who wanted to sleep at 11 to separate from the people still putting all the drugs in their body and projecting all their voices out of their bodies. I found a cozy spot to cowboy and crashed hard.
Sleep was restless and i was awake at about 5. I was toying with the idea of staying awake, and decided against it. Just then, the sprinklers turned on and i was attacked by a deluge of cold water. In a daze i gathered my things and dragged them away, all the while taking direct attacks from these powerful water cannons. part3: why do you still have your sprinklers on when you know that real estate is at a premium on this small island.
I layed out all my drenched gear and resigned myself to the waking world earlier than i usually do on trail, because everything was cold. I opted to walk around to try to warm up and dry off. part4: Cascade Locks sux. It’s one road with 3 restaurants, one novelty 50s diner, a grocery store, and a post office. Nothing was open at 5, but thankfully one restaurant opened at 6. While i was warming up and charging my phone i caught a Snorlax which i was convinced would secure my victory against Patient Zero. It was not to be so. When we met up and got linked up to have our fated battle, the link cable didn’t work. It didn’t matter, his team was an average 15 levels below mine, it woulda been a massacre. I’m sad i couldn’t evolve my Kadabra or Graveler tho.
The rest of that day i spent with all the cool humans i never thought i’d see again so that was great. There was a free pizza party which ooh baby yes please. The day turned to night and we kept hanging out until around midnight joking and drinking. The meat of the day lies in this paragraph despite its short length. It was a great day, not perfect, nothing so absolute. So many silly jokes and conversations that are lost to time but the effects still live in hearts or some schmoozey bullshit like that
The next morning started off great, free breakfast and also morning beers because of course. Two kids wandered by and hung out with us. The older kid was a bit much but the 2 year old named Eli was working on an ascended plane of human thought and i was feeling it. While we were standing around chatting and procrastinating parting for the last time, the idea was placed for a Portland adventure. Before i knew it i was in a car with Patient Zero’s boy and Maui and Big Boy going to Portland.
We ate at food trucks and drank at two breweries. Our crew expanded to include Dr Pineapple, Hauser, Cheesesteak, City Boy, Dragon, and her two friends whose names escape me but they cool. The last four people split off from us when we went to a rose garden, burrito place, and weird ice cream shop.
The night ended at a woman’s house who Dr Pineapple had charmed at a country music festival. She offered her basement for lodging and her piano for entertaining. We stayed up until at least midnight chatting about all kinds of chungus and avoiding sleep.
At seven the next morning Easy Company picked me up and we went on an all day journey with his dad back to Elk Lake. Shoutout to Mr. Company for a fantastic Star Wars reference: he likened pooping before hiking to jettisoning trash before jumping into hyperspace.
I took a very short afternoon on trail and crashed early. Easy passed me for probably the last time, but then Monster and Cheez it showed up! And the next day Princess and Tinkles and oh jeez i don’t know the last guys name but i saw him back by Wrightwood showed up too!
Unfortunately sleep kept a tight grip on me, i spent most of the past two days in its embrace. Miles were mediocre but it felt great.
These PCTers out here need to hit up the AT. Moaning and groaning about some well maintained rocky trail, if the AT was out here we’d be rock hopping for miles. They don’t know how gravy this trail really is.
lava fields are super cool, so are these burn zones. too bad the smoke is still hanging out
I had a good curry dinner at the youth camp but left for the night, cutting myself off of breakfast. The hitch to Sisters took a while but the guy gave me all kinds of handouts and almost took me along to a rafting trip and rodeo for the weekend. Sorry dude, if i didn’t have a time limit i woulda gladly imposed on ya’lls party.
also 2000 hype
aww pct days, remembering you only reminds me of all the humans i knew that summer and little else.
i see you, tom robbins book, scattered amongst the wet goods in the grass
portland trip good very good. i missed a photo though:
we was outside of the ice cream shop making jokes. always makin jokes, good times.
man i dunno 