PCT day 77 - mile 1691 to mile 1719 (California/Oregon border, Ashland)


"We do not belong to those who only get their thought from books, or at the prompting of books, it is our custom to think in the open air, walking, leaping, climbing, or dancing on lonesome mountains by preference, or close to the sea, where even the paths become thoughtful." Nietzsche.

I got awaken by a mixture of barking and howling from a bunch of coyotes, night in the cabin was quite cold but enjoyable. I got out of it few minutes past five and half a mile later just few hundred feet before the border, California gave me best goodbye present I could ask for, I saw a cougar, a mountain lion! 

I never really comprehended just how big that cat is, it was a size of a cheetah, it appeared twenty metres in front of me on the trail and kept on walking in front of me for about thirty metres until it just vanished into the forrest. The cat wasn't in any hurry either it was surely aware of me and just slowly walking away. When it disappeared I got scared that it might suddenly pounce at me out of nowhere so I started to bash my hiking poles together making a nasty metalic sound to discourage him from any aggression. It reminded me the encounter with a coyote I had a month before, where canine acknowledged my presence and made avoiding manoeuvres but wasn't in any hurry or panic to do so, it's a predator thing I guess. What an amazingly unexpected encounter it was, it's very rare to get to see those elusive great cats as they just don't want to be seen and they are well equipped for it, so the encounter is left to a pure chance. Thank you NorCal!

Shortly after I safely reached long awaited California/Oregon boarder, and there was nothing special about it, just a board and a register. Psychologically it was a huge positive kick though. Day was very cloudy and misty, it made the landscape look mysterious and different to California's clear and sunny skies, which added to the transition. Trail itself seemed to be much better maintained than the one in California, but maybe it's just the border thing, Oregon is trying to show off haha. I'll see if this trend continues.

Rest of the day was also top notch, I hit several trail magic spots along the way, first - a soda cache, then a few protein bars someone left on the rock for us and lastly a woman who offered me a bunch of fresh cherries. This day couldn't go any better, but it did! 

Just after 2pm I arrived at the Interstate 5, to be exact at the tiny parking lot on the Old Highway 99 leading to it, I was hoping to get a hitchhike to Ashland from here, but there was someone standing next to a car so I thought I'll ask if he's going that direction and of course he did! Turned out he was a trail angel called Skipper, he just dropped a hiker off back to the trail and was waiting if another one appears to not go back to Ashland empty. Not only he gave me a ride to a hostel downtown (which he also called and booked for me), he offered me more drinks and gave two dehydrated meals for the road - like, What On Earth Oregon!? This is an amazing 'hello, welcome to our state' I doubt this trend will continue, but the first impression is definitely a 10/10.

I'm staying at a hostel called Ashland Commons in the outskirts of the city. I've done the usual chores and did a big resupplied in Safeway. Question to answer now is wether to have a day off tomorrow and experience the 4th of July celebrations or hike out. I really don't know, third option might be also to stay until the afternoon and get out on the trail later, it started to rain now so that might also change the plans.

A very positively unexpected day, keep it up Oregon!
 

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