PCT: OR Section D - Mt Thielsen to Shelter Cove (Highway 138 to Highway 58)

Day 123 - 9/6/25 - Mt. Thielsen and Thunder

Distance: 17.6

Mile Start / End: 1849.9 - 1867.5

Weather: cloudy, then stormy

End Location: Maidu Lake

Lessons Learned: hiking in the cold rain isn’t fun.

Woke up at 6:30 a.m.

Texted my dad and a friend, happy birthday.

Cloudy and cold, it looks like it might rain.

Left just after 8 a.m.

The Boston Sisters pulled up to water, so I chatted with them.

5.6 miles to mt Thielsen Junction.

Kate bushed it.

“Scar Tissue” by RHCP was stuck in my head, so I downloaded the album.

The first hour had no music, though.

Deep thought.

After an hour, I played the album.

View of Diamond Lake at 9:30 a.m., also made me think of the past and the last time I was there.

I was with my ex on the 4th of July, and I boiled hot dogs in my Jet Boil like an idiot.

Oh, how far I’ve come 😅

There weren’t supposed to be fireworks due to COVID, but the lake did them anyways.

We watched the fireworks before going to sleep in my pop-up tent. I remember being stressed with time but felt at ease that night as we cuddled.

The mornings are a little colder now…

As I walk through Oregon, I walk through my past and the memories I’ve created here.

But I look at them through a new lens, as a different person.

How would I act now if in the same situation?

Surely I would cherish the things that are no longer a part of my life a little sweeter, hold them a little tighter, and maybe not let go altogether.

But how can I understand this feeling in the present and moving forward?

Through daily practice of reflection?

“Porcelain” by RHCP

View of Mt Thieslen a mile out, excitement building.

Made it to junction around 10 a.m.

Break for snacks and stashed unneeded items.

Mt Thielsen looked pointy and silhouetted with smoke in the morning sun, it will certainly be a challenge but I was filled with more excitement than fear.

Left 10:45 a.m., basically 2 miles up, 1700 ft elevation gain and a scramble.

Spires 11:30 a.m.

Scramble.

Clouds rolling in 😬

Crazy scramble.

Summit around 12 p.m.

Pics, chilled and ate snacks, left 12:30 p.m.

The down climbing was tricky but I never felt unsafe.

The air got cold as I descended.

Then heavy drops of rain.

Then thunder, oh fuck.

Went down as fast as I could while also trying to maintain focus.

Saw some other hikers turn around after a loud thunder.

Skree ski.

Andreas “Chewy” and Nick.

Hung with them and ate lunch, realized I didn’t put tortillas in my resupply box, shoot.

I guess I will eat ramen for lunch for the next few days.

I left 2 p.m., walked towards storm 😬

Stopped at Thielsen Creek for 10-mile water carry.

Storm moved in, light sprinkle but much thunder left 3:40 p.m., doesn’t seem like it will get much better.

Went uphill.

Lightning, counted 3 miles away.

Looked at map, apparently the PCT OR High Point is up ahead.

Great, awesome.

Wonderful day for that 😂

Reached the high point, 5:30 p.m.

All downhill from here thank god.

The sun shined for a brief moment.

Maidu Lake 5 miles, I’m exhausted 😅

Mushrooms everywhere.

Starting raining again.

Then lightning but was far off, I counted the seconds between flash and thunder to determine the distance.

Usually it was 10-13 seconds away but I did hear one that was 3 seconds away which caught me off guard and spooked me a bit.

Got pretty miserable.

I was wet, cold, and tired.

A SOBO hiker passed without even responding to my salutation, I don’t blame him.

Made it to the Maldu Lake around 8 p.m., it was a little further off than I would’ve liked, but I didn’t have much of a choice, I could hardly feel my finger and definitely could not night hike.

There was little light left when I arrived but I picked out a spot with tree coverage, filled up water, and rushed to get the tent up so I could change into warm clothes

Decent pitch, should stay dry

Cooking dinner in tent, another hiker, Tunes gave me a freeze dried Sheppard’s pie she created

Tune’s cuisine is delicious

I added more instant potato

Put on an episode of Geordie Shore but passed out with my stuff plugged in and Garmin on… not good

But woke up at 1am an luckily unplugged my phone

To add insult to injury… my blowup pad deflated in the middle of the night…

Great, as if the cold rain wasn’t already enough to deal with 😅

The array of emotions today was immense, at one point, I was on top of the world standing on the summit of Mt Thielsen then later was cold, soaked, and exhausted on a deflated pad

I’ll try hold onto the warmth of the good memories and fulfillment of my achievements

In other words take the good with the bad

Day 124 - 9/7/25 - Summit Lake

Distance: 24.7 miles

Mile Start / End: 1867.5 - 1892.2

Weather: Sunny but cold

End Location: Summit Lake

Lessons Learned:

Woke up at 7 a.m.

Cold and wet, hard to get out of bed.

Packed up, had gloves on but my fingers started to go numb from the glove getting wet while packing.

Quick breakfast and coffee. I wanted to heat up my coffee but knew that the sooner I got moving, the quicker I would warm up.

Left in my fleece and rain jacket and gloves around 8:30 a.m.

15 miles to a pond for water but might refill at 6 for a little break.

After 30 mins uphill in my fleece and rain jacket, I was warm again and changed into a wet shirt and buff.

More uphill, listened to Greta van Fleet’s newest album.

Started to sing the words out loud to “Sacred Thread,” and “Black Bear” got spooked and ran across my path.

Ground score! Unopened crystal light lemonade packet, let’s goooo!

Got to Six Horse Spring around 11:30 a.m.

Left my pack, steep climb down to the spring, filled up and carried back using a carabiner hiking pole system.

Ate my 1st lunch.

13 miles to ponds with water, 17 miles to Summit Lake.

I checked the forecast this morning and it called for more rain over the next few days.

Clouds rolled in as I left. I miss the sun :(

The sun came out! Thank Christo 🙏🏼

Thought about the driftwood in Crater Lake…

Sapphire blue waters,

The Old Man wanders

Always standing tall,

As if he knew

He was not

in the sea

But free

To roam

And drift

With the wind

Wherever he might want to go

Made it to Windigo Pass just before 3 p.m.

Water Cache, nice, wasn’t really expecting that.

Had 2nd lunch, ramen bomb, and dried out my gear since the sun was out.

Dennis SOBO

Showgirl showed up.

Left 4:30 p.m.

12 miles to Summit Lake where we will have dinner and hear up to night hike.

View of Cowhorn Mountain, the peak is not on my list but looks fun.

But need to do miles, maybe I’ll be back one day.

Nice ridge during golden hour, but cold.

View of Waldo and Summit Lake.

Got more Smokey the closer I got to Emigrant Butte.

“Gravity” by John Mayer.

Descended to Summit Lake.

Tons of giant blue bruising boletes, conifer turfs, yellow coral, slippery jacks.

Kind of like heaven, I need to download a digital copy of my mushroom book, get a wok, and go to work 😂

Made it to lake in the dark at 8:30 p.m.

There were some bags of jerky and a Cliff Bar on a log… trail magic? Or someone just forgot?

I grabbed the Cliff Bar but the jerky looked a little sus.

But, I decided that an animal would probably end up eating it so grabbed it as well to throw out.

Walked road another 2 miles along Summit Lake to camp.

The moon was full but blurred by smoke and clouds.

Its reflection wavered in the water.

Made it to camp around 10 p.m.

Wanted to go another 6 miles but was tired and my feet were sore.

Tried the jerky, one tasted kind of like it was meant for a dog but the other was delish, sesame teriyaki.

Set up camp then made dinner.

I boiled water and threw the jerky in there, figuring the boiling water would kill any germs, then added couscous with cranberries (Showgirl gave me in Crater Lake).

And instant mash potatoes.

Ate, then made tea.

Got Garmin from Showgirl, he called it a few miles back, he started at Thielsen Creek that day so prob did close to 35 miles.

Yogi wisdom: without gratitude, there is no prosperity.

Went to bed around 11 p.m.

Day 125 - 9/8/25 - Diamond Peak Wilderness and Shelter

Distance: 17.5

Mile Start / End: 1892.2 - 1908.2

Weather: Cloudy then Thunder Rain Storm H: 54°

End Location: Shelter Cove

Lessons Learned: Rain sucks.

Woke up around 7 a.m.

Packed up and left around 8 a.m.

Met Sappy.

“The fungus should be good,” he said.

Talked about fungus and amanitas, gave me a book recommendation.

He hasn’t left the woods for 10 years.

Has logged over 20,000 miles but has never finished the trail. 😂

Left for the trail at 8:45 a.m.

17.5 miles to Shelter Cove.

Entered Diamond Peak Wilderness.

Uphill for the next 6 miles.

Nice ponds.

Put on music around 10 a.m., started with some spacey Kasey: “Slow Burn.”

Kate bushed it, made it to the creek in 2 hours (6 miles).

10 miles to Shelter Cove, may delay lunch until I get there.

I think it will rain today.

Listened to a podcast on how to learn faster and how neuroplasticity changes as we age.

Passed Lil Lake 12:40 p.m.

The passed Hidden Lake, aptly named

Quick and light lunch, salmon with spices and a cup of peanut butter

Thought about eating ramen dry (so I don’t have to fill up water but it was too crushed up and would’ve been a mess

Just took a multivitamin instead, that should get me there😅

Then I can have some real food

Left a little after 1 p.m.

4.5 miles to Shelter Cove

Should be there around 3 p.m.

Lots of ponds and trees with light green lichen

I liken the lichen

Lichen beard

Started raining 1:40 p.m.

Thunder

More thunder rolling and fierce

4 secs

Thunder 8 sec

Then 10

Hovered around 8-10 secs

Then got scared when an unexpected 2 sec thunder BANG

the trail turned into a creek as the water rushed down fast but not as fast as me

Finally made it to the road, I was soaked

The dirt road turned into rapids as the rain kept pouring down

I took cover by a tree and tried to figure out which way to go but my hands were too cold or my phone was too wet

Crossed railroad track to the main road

Surely if I kept going the way I think I should there would be a sign that says “Shelter Cove”

I saw a Forest Service Campground sign and knew I should be getting close

Just then, I saw a patch of orange mushrooms

I couldn’t be, not this early in fall…

Golden Chanterelles!

What a joyous sight in such miserable conditions, my spirit was immediately lifted

I picked almost 2 pounds and left the rest

As I was getting back on the road, I waved at a car that I didn’t think saw me

There were puddles of rain right next to me

He didn’t see me and ran threw the puddles splashing cold water on me, something I had on seen in movies

As he drove away I threw my hands up and said, “what the hell!?” Even though the person in the rav4 obviously couldn’t hear me

Then I laughed hahahaha, what a day

But at least I had some golden mushrooms 😌

I kept walking and came across the Shelter Cove sign I had imagined seeing

I got to porch soaking wet and and saw Showgirl and Powder, sitting under the roof, dry and smiling

Chatted with them briefly, then ordered a burger and mozzarella sticks

The girl at the counter was cute and was listening to melancholy 80s music (the Smiths, the Cure, etc), which seemed fitting for the rain

Then changed into warm dry clothes and cleaned the chanterelles while I waited for my food

Then got resupply box and coins for the shower from store

Scarfed down food

An Israeli couple (SOBO) I met at Trail Days was there as well, chatted with them a bit

Then ordered a meat lovers pizza for dinner since the restaurant was closing at 4:30pm

Asked the girl to put some of the cleaned chanterelles on the pizza

Ate some of the pizza

Then set up camp

Hot but short shower

Finished pizza

Chatted with a friend

Bed around 11pm