Day 122 - Using Mountains To Plot The Trail

Mile 2103.6 to Mile 2125.1. 21.5 miles

Through Oregon & Washington there are mountains at regular intervals. They act like a visual map for hikers on the trail as way points on our travels. Today was no different as we worked our way away from Mt Hood with the Washington mountains our new target. Once we hit the Waucoma Ridge mid afternoon we started to get better views of firstly Mt St Helens

St Helens blew a hole in it's flanks a few decades back in a violent eruption that had a cataclysmic effect on the local landscape.
Mt Rainier then started to appear on the distant horizon. It is further away but the highest point in Washington & a big lump of mountain

Late evening I got a shot of Mt Adams which is our first target after Cascade Locks - and is climable :-)

While Mt Hood was in the rear vision mirror it still gave us picture postcard looks

Earlier in the day we detoured past the picturesque Ramona Falls

Late in the day we went back up to Waucoma Ridge to catch the gorgeous sunset

Traffic wise there weren't many hikers on trail today. Not Guilty called at our campsite late in the day heading north while a southbounder Alex joined us for the evening. There was also Gillian & Skyler - a horse trekker who does sections going south but is fact going north as she drives ahead with her trailer.
We also met a couple wheeling their ailing dog in a buggy for his last big adventure :-(.
There were wild berries everywhere today so had my fill of thimbleberries & blueberries. There was also a lot of overhead plane traffic as we crossed under the southern flight path for Portland Airport which is not far away.
Tomorrow we head down the Eagle Creek alternative route to Cascade Locks for a near nero or two - out last days in Oregon.....Weta