August 7:Mt. Jefferson

We woke up relatively dry and headed out into the snow. We tried to stay together since we were still walking over quite a bit of snow. So 8 of us tromped out onto the shoulder of Mt. Jefferson, working together to find our way. There were periodic patches of trail melted out that confirmed we were going the right direction, and soon the snow receded and we were back to mostly trail.

Jefferson is, according to Mark, probably the best looking volcano we pass. And as you hike on and around it, you get some incredible views.

We took our lunch break from a viewpoint on a ridge just past Jefferson, and it was incredible. We dried out our tents and sleeping bags while gazing at the glaciers cascading down the upper flanks of the mountain. We even had a glimpse of Mt. Hood to the north.

Then we were back on the snow, but luckily their were cairns to guide the way. We really had no intentions of stopping at Olallie Lake Resort to camp, especially since it is closed, but the crew decided to camp there, so we did as well. There is all kinds of speculation as to why they didn't open this year (snow damage, neglect, etc), but they were kind enough to let us camp in the picnic area by the lake anyway.

Everything was going smoothly (aside from the sneaky chipmunk that ate Slider's snickers) until we were heading to bed (the usual 8-9pm). It was just as we were laying down that a car pulled up and there were people talking and kids running around screaming. This went on for awhile, and when I realized there was a group of people who were going to noisily hang out and roast marshmellows right next to our campsite, I stuck in the earplugs and fell asleep. Apparently the party went on until at least midnight, and that's when one hiker went to nicely ask them if they could be a bit quieter (he really was nice). Some were more receptive than others, but they did finally go in to wherever they were staying. As I said, I had in earplugs, so I only heard about it in the morning. Earplugs, like the headnet, are worth their weight, even if you only use them once or twice. You'll be thankful in the morning!

Total Miles:2053.1
Miles Today:23.6
Camp 102:Olallie Lake Resort

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