4May2026: ODT Day 6 Green Mountain to Christmas Valley

 4May2026: Day 6 Green Mountain to Christmas Valley

The 4 crater lava bed wilderness was interesting terrain with "The Crack in the Ground" a real highlight! A unique 2-mile fissure in the ground that requires removing your pack to navigate at times.  Very cool!  Unfortunately this will be my last day on the trail for this section.  I have a serious family emergency to deal with and spent the rest of the day navigating logistics to get to Bend/Redmond to fly out first thing in the morning.  I am ending this portion of my adventure but hope to return to complete my thru hike perhaps in the Fall or another year.   

3May2026: ODT Day 5 Aspen Butte to Green Mountain

 3May2026: Day 5 Aspen Butte to Green Mountain

Had some deer wake me that were poking around my tent site this morning.   Heading cross country to the Aspen Butte well.  No cows in sight so a disappointing set of very dry troughs awaited my arrival.  Guess I'm going to have to filter this chocolate milk cow pond water.   Hiking cross country to meet up with section 3 from the water well site.   Lots of primitive trail and cross country travel today through Stevens Butte and the Aspen Ridge Lava Beds.  I took the Christmas Valley alternative to Green Mountain fire tower to camp tonight.   Disappointing that the Green Mountain firetower is gated off and closed to visitors but the views from the free campsite were nice.   No water so I made efforts to filter my cow pond water.   Disappointingly difficult.  I could only filter about a half liter before having to backflush the filter.  Yielded only three liters from my four liter carry so I'm a little short for the hike into Christmas valley in the morning.  

2May2026: ODT Day 4 Sand Spring to Aspen Ridge Lava Bed Wilderness.

 2May2026: Day 4 Sand Spring to Aspen Ridge Lava Bed Wilderness.

"Need more Cowbell!"  Lots of cow troughs but all dry or gross.  Nothing is on because the cows are not here yet.  Good I took sufficient water just in case Aspen Butte well is off.   Light rain in the afternoon but I stood under some pines on the heavier sprinkles and never got wet.   Camping tonight at South Reservoir cow pond.   I have three liters left from Sand Springs which would get me to reliable water at Pete's campground.  But I wanted to take the alternative route to Christmas Valley.  I took another 4 liters from this low quantity/quality muddy chocolate milk from what they call the south reservoir cow pond.   I didn't filter it now because I had hoped to dump it out and replace it with clean cool water from the Aspen Butte well.  

1May2026: ODT Day 3 Pine Mountain to Sand Springs

 1May2026: Day 3 Pine Mountain to Sand Springs 

This morning I climbed up to the Pine Mountain Observatory.  What fantastic views from the top!  Heading down Pine Mountain I missed the turn to Antelope Springs.  Turns out my Komoot track deviates in several places from the official map set.   I have switched to the Gaia app to see the waypoints from the KLM files to have two options on route following.  Camping tonight at Sand Springs campground.  No other hikers/campers seen today.  Lots of coyotes howling tonight.  Sand springs seemed pretty low in water.  Green algae required backflushing my filter after every liter but the water was good tasting.   Took 6 liters just in case the next source is dry.

30April2026: ODT Day 2 Deschutes National Forest

 30April2026: Day 2 Deschutes National Forest

The views of the Cascade Mountains covered with snow were wonderful, a few barbed wire fences to climb under/over and lots of cow bones.  No other hikers and endless solitude.  Almost stepped on a snake.   Dry camped at CV033 near West Basin Canyon with great views and an amazing full moon.

29April2026: ODT Day 1 Starting from Tumulus Trailhead.

 29April2026: Day 1 Starting from Tumulus Trailhead.

Took 10 liters of great water from the canal to get me to Sand Springs.   Interesting mix of sage and lava.  The Badlands WIlderness is fantastic.  Side hike out to Flat Iron Rock.   Kept feeling a presence and hearing something around me but couldn't place what it was until I caught a glimpse of all the deer that hid behind almost every lava butt.  A few snakes and lizards and met a few day hikers (which was the last people I saw for the rest of the week).  Dry camped near CV013.

Sep 19, 2024 -- Sierra High Route, Day 20 (Tuolumne Meadows and Lee Vining)

Day 20 on trail.  Woke to a few inches of new snow.  My burned foot is really bothering me but the gentle trail was easy to walk with pretty meadows, trees, and granite slabs.  I passed lots of horses suppling the Sierra Trail Camp. When I got to Tuolumne Meadows the campground, lodge, etc were all closed for the season.  Because of the snow the road up the pass from Lee Vining was closed this morning so no one knows if the bus will come to head down to Lee Vining.   I am not willing to wait till 7pm to see if the bus will come so I spent a good 1-1/2 hours before getting a hitch to town.  My original plan was to resupply in Tuolumne Meadows/Lee Vining for the last section of the Sierra High Route to Twin Lakes.  I'm running two days behind and it would be a push to make it for my return flight from Reno.  I had pretty much decided I would take a zero day in town and if I didn't feel I had enough time save the last section for another trip.   Now, with my burned foot I'm going to stop here.  It's been a great 20 day adventure and challenging accomplishment to solo the section 1-4 of the Sierra High Route.  The route finding was much more challenging then I expected.  Will have to come back next year to catch the last section to complete the route.   I plan to change my flight and take the bus from Lee Vining to Reno in the morning.   The end of another birthday hike adventure!