Fires are burning all over the place. The fire we saw near Crater Lake has grown and we are fast approaching a fire closure ahead that has been growing in size. A thick haze was hanging in the air this morning. Visibility to the West was only a few miles most of the day. Nevertheless, we had an enjoyable morning walking through more of the lovely scenery of the Three Sisters Wilderness. We also passed our mile 1600.
We stopped for lunch at a pond and took a long break. We gathered water for the 14 mile dry stretch ahead and headed out into a giant field of lava rock. Walking on the loose rocks is a bit like walking on sand- your foot sinks back a little with each step. In addition, the rocks are tough and uneven, making each step hard on the feet and hard on the joints. It continued for miles, as far as the eye could see. It felt a little bit like we were on Mars. We made it through the rocks, then through a burned area before we finally made it back into the forest and set up camp under Mount Washington. We walked 25.9 miles today, but it felt longer.
I love all of the pics & bet they dont even do justice to seeing all of the beauty in person . We love you , be safe & happy trails 👣👣