Day 121 - Thursday, August 26

At the Sunset Motel in Hood River (mile 2147.7). Walked 14.5 miles today, none on the PCT.

We got up at 5 today and Frank left just after 6. I was about 10 minutes later leaving. She and I are taking different paths today. She's of course taking the PCT, and I'm taking the Eagle Creek Alternate (which is what most people take). The trail started out with two miles of very steep downhill as I dropped over 1700 feet in that distance.

Everything today (except the first half mile or so) would be in a burned area as a result of the 2017 Eagle Creek fire when a teenager threw some fireworks off a cliff and started a 50,000 acre wildfire. This is actually the first year that the trail has been open following the fire and subsequent rehabilitation work on the trails.

Throughout the next few miles, I passed several waterfalls and J-PRO caught up to me too.

I passed twister falls, after which the trail became a ledge along a cliff.

Just after that, we reached the crown jewel of the Eagle Creek Trail: Tunnel Falls.

Here, a manmade tunnel allows you to walk behind the falls.

The falls were impressive in themselves too. I'm not sure I've been so close to so much water moving so quickly. J-PRO and I were the only ones here and eventually, I hiked on.

Soon after, I started running into day hikers heading to the falls. Over the next 5.5 miles, the trail wound around on ledges and crossed Eagles Creek several times. J-PRO caught me and we hiked together. Finally, we reached the trailhead after passing 89 day hikers in just 5.5 miles. We did a road walk, followed by a short trail, which led to a paved path that led us 2 miles into the town of Cascade Locks. J-PRO and I went to the Ale House and each got a Hiker Trash Burger: a 12-oz (3/4lb) patty and instead of a bun, it's sandwiched between two personal pan pizzas.

It was pretty good and actually just about the right amount of food to where we weren't overly full. Clockwork, Bougie, and Heather all turned up and Frank was close behind. After Frank ate half a pizza, she, J-PRO, and I went to the ice cream place down the street for massive, foot-tall ice cream cones.

After devouring them, Frank and I caught the bus to the town of Hood River where we checked in to our hotel, showered, and did laundry. I spent a lot of time at the laundromat as I was washing my sleeping bag too.

I was going to get food at the Chinese restaurant which was attached to (and accessible from) the laundromat, but Frank said that sounded sketchy and I shouldn't do it. I decided to follow her advice when a dude walked through the laundromat and into the restaurant while carrying a dead fish (you can't make this shit up...). Sometimes it's good to listen to Frank.

Anyway, after my bag dried, I went back to the hotel and we went across the street to resupply at the grocery. An hour later, we were back in the room organizing our resupply and watching some Food Network. I didn't have to buy much for this resupply as I still had a ton of food left over from this last section. We watched TV until we went to bed, a little later.