August 21st
We were greeted at daybreak by the noise of trucks and heavy machinery nearby, most likely the sounds of logging or of a rock quarry not far off.
Summers days are numbered as we slide into its waning days. A cold morning was a prelude to a cold day. We said good bye to Ruth as she was headed only 2 miles to Santiam Pass, the “other” way into the town of Sisters, where she would meet her mother and take a day off.
Shortly after leaving camp we crossed over the 2,000-mile point. There is no official sign or marker, just a feeling that the miles are really adding up, only 658 to go. It’s a great psychological lift.
We walked a good part of the day through the remains of last years B&B fire. Damage ranged from badly scorched including the soil to ground debris clearing while leaving most trees intact to areas or pockets of green that were skipped over.
The morning was dominated by Three Finger Jack; walking around its flanks and getting closeups of its many profiles. From the north there are more than three fingers. In fact, I would say that there are enough fingers for a full hand and then some. But I guess that “Full Hand Jack” might give the wrong idea.
Further north we could look back and see an obvious crest line connecting Three Fingered Jack, Mt Washington and all 3 Sisters. Ahead Mt Jefferson draws ever closer. By days end it was right in front of us larger than life, although its peak was mantled in clouds.
Clouds built up in the afternoon to the point that the sky was completely gray. The temps dropped significantly and humidity in the air tells the tale of rain to come. Strong winds pushed a thick layer of wood smoke from distant fires underneath the clouds adding to the sense of impending “doom”.
We leap frogged with ZigZagger most of the day and saw a few southbound weekenders as well but not nearly as many as in the 3 Sisters Wilderness. A couple of deer were out grazing. Ripe huckleberries continue to distract us from walking.
Due to lack of adequate water were we would have liked it, we had a late lunch. We cooked our dinner for lunch so that if the clouds actually become rain we wouldn’t have to worry about cooking later. And later we would have our lunch for dinner.
With dark clouds gathering we made an earlier than normal camp at Shale Lake. If we passed by here it looks like w would be on steep slopes with no good camping potential for at least another 2 hours, which would mean looking for a campsite well after dark and possibly in the rain. So we stopped here at Shale Lake. We ate our cold lunch made nicer by hot tea and soup and climbed into the tent not long before the soft pitter-patter of raindrops began.
