Eagle Creek

day 127 ~ Eagle Creek Alternate [PCT miles 2138.1 - 2155]

The Eagle Creek alternate trail is another one of those things you hear about along the entire trail.  Again, it is difficult to fathom that we've actually come this far!  The trail features dozens of waterfalls; most notably, Tunnel Falls.  The trail was blasted out of the canyon walls.  We walked along the path, a couple of feet wide, with sheer dropoffs to one side, and a hand cable for safety on the other side of the trail.  Tunnel Falls was a spectacular waterfall that rises hundreds of feet high, and the path lead us through a tunnel that was blasted out behind the falls. 

The Eagle Creek trail has been rated as one of the top dayhikes in the country.  Obviously, this is no secret, as we passed literally hundreds of dayhikers on the trail.  On a daily basis, we normally don't see many dayhikers, so the constant stream of people became slightly frustrating.  Some oblivious people spread across the trail in groups of twos and threes, others rudely shoved past.  All of them smelled so fresh.  After living in the woods, unnatural smells are overly apparent, so the scents of laundry detergents and perfumes overwhelmed our sniffers.  I'm sure that our hiker stench overwhelmed them as well, which gave us a strange sense of  humerous satisfaction.

The trail dumped us into a bustling parking lot, where we passed a picnic table of hikers and pizza and cookies.  We were invited to join.  Red Oak and Buttercup were out doing trail magic for our buddy Zissou.  All three of them hiked the Appalachian Trail on 2010, the same year as us, but we didn't meet them then.  We hung out for a few, until heading into the town of Cascade Locks via a paved pedestrian path.

An RV park on the Columbia River permits hikers to camp for free.   We setup and showered, and settled in to relax for the rest of the evening.  We were happy to run into some hikers that we hadn't seen in a while, including Masshole and Midway, and lots of new faces as well.

Thunder Island Brewery and the local watering hole kept us entertained for the evening.  We didn't really accomplish any of our chores, but this is our last Oregon stop...they can wait, we've got some celebrating to do.

beautiful Ramona

Day 126 ~ miles 2111.7 - 2138.1

A missed alarm led to us slumbering until 8, and we didn't leave camp until 9; not a very productive start to the day.  Miles were slow and an intense creek ford slowed us down even more.  We had to walk way upstream looking for a safe place to cross, hoping to find a place where we could rock-hop across.  No such luck, so we ended up walking across the cloudy, glacier-melt stream.  Apparently a couple of weeks ago, a hiker was killed while crossing a log over the same stream, when a gush of water swept him off. 

A loop trail to Ramona Falls parallelled the PCT for 2.1 miles, so we decided to take it.  Ramona Falls were stunning, and their beauty literally brought tears to my eyes.  Under the dark forest canopy,  the rushing falls stood so tall and wide, surrounded by green mossy rocks.  A cool mist sprayed us as we ate lunch and gazed at the dancing drops of water.

After our morning of lollygagging and trip to the falls, it was time to get serious.  We hiked 21 more miles, well beyond sunset.  Views of Mt. Hood amazed us as we left it behind.  We ran into a couple we met in the desert, Chimp and Rain Dance, and they are actually attempting a yo-yo hike, (hiking the trail in one direction then the other in one season) an incredible feat!

We arrived to the very crowded Indian Springs Camp after dark.  We're trying to complete all tasks as quietly as possible, as to not wake anyone.

best breakfast

Day 125 ~ miles 2107.5 - 2111.7

Today we indulged in what we would rate as the best breakfast on the trail.  The Timberline Lodge breakfast buffet is one of those legendary things that you hear about for the entire trail; it's hard to believe that we actually made it!  The dining room was full of hikers, skiers, and vacationers.  We sat with Thor and Fern Toe for a two and a half hour dining session.  Our bellies were filled with Belgian waffles with fruit and fresh whipped cream, cheesy eggs, home fries, artisan cheeses, sausage and bacon, fresh baked bread, fruit, and smoothies, among other delicacies.

In a food induced stupor, we lounged on the expansive lodge patio and watched the skiers on the spectacular Mt. Hood.  It's apparently the only year-round ski resort in the country.  It's also where the outdoor scenes of The Shining were filmed.  For hours, we sat on the patio, making phone calls, talking with hikers, and doing chores.

As they say, all good things must come to an end.  Around 4:00, we headed away from the Lodge and just hiked a few miles to a nice lookout where we camped with Forest.

always take candy from strangers

Day 124~ miles 2077.5 - 2107.5

The morning's elevation profile looked so easy, so we started out hiking real fast.  Thirty minutes or less into hiking, I tripped over a rock going full speed and launched into the air and flew several feet before I hit the ground.  I landed on my hip, which fortunately still has some padding left.  "Are you OK?," Moonshine asked; I could detect the worry in his voice.  All I could do was laugh hysterically, which quickly turned into a laugh-cry.  I was in pain, but I was not injured.  Just like a small child, I was probably more scared than anything, but the image of me launching through the air was hysterical to me.  Moonshine was relieved, and he started laughing as well, as my laugh-cry continued.  Several minutes later I was finally able to get up, and I laugh-cried my way down the trail.

We ran into a super sweet mother and daughter out on a day hike around the beautiful Timothy Lake.  They were familiar with the PCT, and the daughter hopes to hike it after high school.  After chatting for a few, they asked if we wanted some chocolate; bingo!  They'd said the magic word and we hit the jackpot.  They happily unloaded their fancy Whole Foods chocolates and cookies on us.  We walked down the trail awhile, then took a break and devoured all of the delicious goodies.

We had lunch with Can Can and Bandit, and jokingly discussed hiking all the way to Timberline Lodge tonight, 15 more miles.  After lunch, our pace was better than expected, maybe we could make it to the lodge, though we couldn't commit to it.  I think we both had food and beer on the brain, as we got closer to the lodge, we realized that we may actually be able to make it by dark.  Let's do it, we agreed.  Yup, the day after I did my first 30 mile day and claimed I would never do it again, I did it again. The last mile was torturous: we could see the majestic Timberline Lodge as we hiked up a super steep incline of soft sand. We setup our tent in. stand of trees a short distance from the lodge and headed inside the huge castle-like structure. We arrived to find many hikers, including Can Can and Bandit, and we joined them for a tasty, but expensive, dinner.  We had a great time catching up and hearing about each others' hikes before we headed out into the darkness to find our tent. 

first thirty

Day 123 ~ miles 2047.5 - 2077.5

After 5 miles of easy morning hiking, we arrived at a side trail to Ollalie Lake Resort.  We simply couldn't pass up the opportunity for some non-trail food, especially since it was only a tenth of a mile off the PCT.  The resort was situated at one end of Ollalie Lake, and across the lake was a most breathtaking view of Mt. Jefferson.  The snack selection in the store was limited and pricey, but we each found a few items of interest and devoured them.  We ran into Can can and Bandit at the resort; they're a couple that we met the first day of our hike and haven't seen them since.

Overall, it was an uneventful day.  We'd picked up a free frisbee at the brew-fest; Moonshine's been so mad that we carried it out of town.  "We'll never play with this on the trail."  Well, I took it out at lunch and we had fun tossing it around with Princess, Mr. Sandals, Tidy Camper, and Firecracker. 

Moonshine's back has been improving daily, but he has still not fully recovered.  Firecracker was kind enough to perform another chiropractic adjustment.  Afterwards, judging by his actions, I'd say he felt like a new man.

Throughout Oregon, Moonshine has been talking about hiking a 30 mile day, pretty much just for the sake of doing it.  We didn't plan to hike 30 miles today, and we certainly didn't wake up super early to get a head start on the day.    We just happened to be making good time today on the mellow terrain.  Nearing the end of the day, bumping up our mileage to 30 sounded miserably unappealing.  We continued hiking and in good time, so I figured we may as well get the 30 mile day over with. We may never walk 30 miles in a day again in our lives!  I don't feel particularly accomplished, but I'm sure our bodies will remind us of our feat tomorrow.

watch what you say

Day 122 ~ miles 2024.6 - 2047.5       

The alarm sounded and I knew we had to get up and make decent mileage today.  I peered out of the mesh tent wall to see a beautiful pink and orange sunrise, right beside the majestic Mt. Jefferson.  Back to sleep I quickly went, fortunately only for 30 minutes.  The morning miles passed quickly, as we'd hoped for, as we walked toward Mt. Jefferson.  We saw a wildfire from above, a couple of miles away from the trail, as a small scouting plane flew around in circles overhead repeatedly. 

A real ass-kicking climb consumed most of the day after lunch.  Our fitness level is so optimal that we can usually just breeze right through a thousand+ foot climb, barely getting winded.  This ascent took a little more effort.  When we finally reached the top and went over the mountain, we were surprised to see a large amount of snow on the North side of it.  Never did I imagine that I would be walking along in the snow in August, being swarmed by mosquitos!  While hiking through the snow, I noticed a handprint.  "HA, HA, someone fell," I said aloud to Moonshine.   The words were barely out of my mouth when I lost my footing and slipped, recovered, only to lose my balance again and fall on my butt, arms flailing all the while.  Once I realized that I was OK, we both burst into laughter.I suppose I should watch what I say! 

The evening miles were much more painstaking that the morning ones.  We didn't hike as far as we'd hoped, but the day was full of some absolutely incredible scenery.

getting back into the swing of things

Day 121 ~miles 2003.2 - 2024.6

It was just one of those lazy and slow kind of days on the trail, to start, anyway.  Sleep is usually much more restful on the trail; even though we felt well rested leaving Bend, we slept in until 8 today.  Also, our tent was dripping with condensation and our sleeping bags damp. Sleeping in gave things a little more time to dry out, but we still had to pack them up pretty wet, which sucks.

It was the kind of day that we just couldn't go more than a couple of miles without taking a break for something: water, stretching, bathroom, etc.  Time passed quickly, while the miles dragged by.  A pack loaded full of 5 1/2 days of food and plenty of water for a dry stretch of trail surely didn't help matters.

For most of the day, we hiked through the most expansive burn area we'd seen, which meant no shade.  Views of Mt. Jefferson and the dramatic surrounding peaks made the day more aesthetically pleasing.  We sort of got our act together after lunch and started making better time. 

To add a little excitement to our day, a bee decided to sting my right lower calf.  I screamed and ran, unsure of what was going on.  The pain was so intense; I looked down and brushed the bee off of my leg.  The stinging continued for several minutes.  That hadn't happened to me in years!  Also, we spotted a trail "celebrity" on the trail today: Scott Williamson.  He's hiked the PCT multiple times, and was the first person ever to complete a yo-yo hike of the trail (hiking the trail, arriving at the terminus, and turning around to hike back in the other direction).  He is apparently attempting to set a record for the fastest known Southbound thru-hike; despite the fact that he's attempting a speed record, he still moved over to let us go by while we were ascending.

Where water is scarce, it's sometimes wise to cook dinner at a water source; that way, we don't have to carry water to cook with.  We utilized this strategy this evening, then hiked straight towards the stunning and glacier-covered Mt. Jefferson, as the trail was lit by colors of orange from the wide open sunset view.

R&R

Days 118 & 119 - zero miles in Bend, OR
Day 120 ~ miles 1989.5- 2003.2

Our goals in Bend included rest, sample Bend beer, and get Moonshine's back feeling better. We coincidentally ended up in Bend during their annual Brewfest, a 3-day festival devoted to tasting craft beers, mostly from Oregon.  I'd say we definitely achieved our Bend beer-tasting goal.  But we had to remember that Moonshine needed to rest his back, so we had to find a balance between rest and play. 

Even with plenty of relaxation and bedrest, Moonshine wasn't noticing any improvement.  He decided to see a chiropractor, and after calling around to several who were all booked, was finally able to make an appointment.  He returned from his appointment looking defeated.  The chiropractor didn't bother to hide the fact that he was highly offended by the odor of Moonshine's shoes and clothes (some of our clothes maintain an odor even after washing).  He barely touched Moonshine, and didn't even perform manual adjustment, but instead used something called an activator.

We checked out of our second overpriced hotel room, wanting to stay another day to ensure that Moonshine was in hiking shape, but not wanting to pay the ridiculous hotel rates.  Back to the Brewfest we headed, scoping out potential camping spots in the city park.  We chatted with a super generous guy, Kirk, at the homebrew tent, who extended an offer to stay the night at his home.  We took him up on it, and were treated to amazing hospitality.  Kirk had 4 homebrews on tap, and we talked late into the night about our adventures on the trail and homebrewing. 

The next morning, Moonshine's back was feeling better.  After enjoying a homecooked breakfast, Kirk drove us a little closer to the trail so we could hitch out from there.  So long, Bend, it's been fun!

The route to McKenzie Pass from Bend took two roads, so we had pretty good luck getting two hitches.  When we arrived to the pass, Chef and Jerry Can were cooking up delicious burritos and Windsong was making margs.  We sat with some other hikers, ate and drank, and headed onto the trail.

We looked out into the endless lava rock field that we painstakingly walked across.  We passed mile 2000 with Jambi, and I really didn't care about the milestone.  Camped in a burn area, hope no snags fall on us!

heading to Bend

Day 117 ~ miles 1981.5 - 1989.5

Luckily we woke up to no rain.  Our wet things were packed away; we were going to the city of Bend today.  We'd originally planned to hike an additional 17 miles and travel to Bend via Santiam Pass, but we were looking to get into town as soon as possible.  Since my neck pain has dramatically improved, Moonshine's lower back has been causing him increasing pain.  He felt that he definitely couldn't walk the extra miles today, and it's not like the man to complain, so I was pretty concerned.  Thoughts inevitably flooded my head of a hike-ending injury.  Anyway, we were lookIng forward to a warm, dry bed, and a visit to the chiropractor for Moonshine.

We arrived to the pass, and after waiting around a bit, we got a ride part of the way to Bend, into the town of Sisters.  Thor, Ferntoe, and Sad Fish rode into town with us and we went the brewery there, Three Creeks.  After lunch and a beverage, we quickly found a ride into Bend, and were dropped off right in front of our hotel, which was right by the strip club.  We did our chores and settled into our cheap hotel room for a relaxing evening.

three soaking wet sisters

Days 115 & 116 ~ 1931.6 - 1981.5

The trail meandered through several lakes, where the mosquitos were miserably plentiful.  Clouds threatened in the sky, until they finally unleashed their wrath.

We entered the Three Sisters Wilderness, which contains three beautiful, towering volcanic mountains.  Not long after entering the wilderness area, it began to rain.  It was a cold, driving rain, and not just a shower.  We walked through the rain for hours, miserable.  We couldn't  take any breaks; if we stopped walking for even seconds, we would get chilled.  We wanted to stop, but we figured we were already soaking wet and it couldn't get any worse, so we continued on.  These are the kind of days that make me wonder what in the hell I am doing.  What a relief it was to get warm and dry when we finally ended our day.  The Three Sisters were beautiful, depsite the rain.  Definitely a place to come back to in better weather.

a quick adjustment

Day 114 ~ miles 1914 - 1931.6

The hiker campsite at Shelter Cove was nearly abandoned when we woke up at 7.  After organizing food and packing up, we indulged in coffee drinks and pastries, followed by a hot shower.

Just as we were making our exit, Firecracker and Tidy Camper arrived. My neck had really been bothering me for the past few days, and yesterday Moonshine was even having to put my pack on for me. Knowing that Firecracker is a chiropractor in  real life, I asked if she knew any good chiropractors in Bend.  "Me!" she quickly responded.  She laid me on the grassy lawn, snapped into total professional mode, and massaged and adjusted my neck.  We stuck around for a bit longer and had another coffee drink from the espresso bar, and  then hit the trail.

Over lunch, we watched storm clouds build and got rained on a bit. In late afternoon/early evening with 7.5 miles to go for the day, we took a break.  As we started to hike, it started to thunder and drizzle.  The storm chased us all the way to our campsite, but we somehow managed to dodge all but a few raindrops.  The tent was setup by Charlton lake just in time for another bout of rain. 

walking the Oregon Skyline

Day 113 ~ [pct] miles 1881.5 - 1914

The Oregon Skyline Trail was listed on out map as an alternate route to the PCT.  The route would travel by a couple of lakes, which sounded perfect for a hot day.  As we hiked by the first lake and campground, we felt right at home, surrounded by people in camo with huge trucks.  I think it was a family reunion.  We wanted to swim, but the beach area had been taken over so we just did some people-watching while we ate lunch.  The trail became difficult to follow, but eventually we found our way, and hiked onward toward Shelter Cove.

A couple that we met on the Appalachian Trail, Dirt Stew and Dormouse, are hiking the PCT Southbound this year.  we knew we'd run into them soon, and were hoping that we wouldn't miss them while on the alternate route.  We happened to run into each other on the Oregon Skyline Trail, so we all sat and chattted for awhile about our hikes.

Finally, we arrived at Shelter Cove Resort, where several hikers had taken over the hiker area.  The resort was nice, with cabins and RV spots, right on  beautiful lake.  The resort had setup some rickety picnic tables behind the store for hikers, and it smelled like sewage.  We picked up our package and gorged on pizza and ice cream before setting up our tent at the hiker campsite.

morning coffee

Day 112 ~ miles 1861.4 - 1881.5

It had been agreed upon that we would sleep in to reward ourselves for our strenuous day yesterday.  It was chilly out, which was perfect for sleeping in.  Thor and Fern Toe had the same idea, so we all had a leisurely morning beneath the peak of Mt. Thielsen.  We made hot coffee for the first time on the entire trail, what a treat.  We must do this more often.

sugary meditation

Day 111 ~ miles. 1834 - 1861.4

It took so much willpower to make myself get up while it was still dark out, but I didn't have a choice.  We had to turn out 27 miles to the next water source, over what turned out to be some really difficult terrain. 

The morning miles were slow, across the overabundance of steep ups and downs around the rim of Crater Lake.  It was fun hiking with Thor and Ferntoe, and the breaks were plentiful to snack, take photos, and just to take in the beauty of the Lake.  Crater Lake lies within the top of a collapsed volcano, Mt. Mazama.  The water is the deepest blue.  The trail took us probably halfway around the rim of the lake, before we got our final glimpse of the spectacle and hiked on. 

Into business mode we switched, after a lengthy lunchbreak with a short nap.  Toward Mt. Thielsen and a creek of the same name we headed, motivated by our thirst and limited supply of water.  I snapped into the zone after a short break, during which a large amount of Sour Patch Kids were consumed.  I outhiked Moonshine, and he was physically unable to catch up with me as we ascended Mt. Thielsen.  I was hiking so fast, so effortlessly and mindlessly.  I'm not sure if it was the sugary candy that fueled me up the mountain, but I was definitely in some sort of amazing meditative state.

The sight of the creek beneath the sharp and dramatic peak of Mt. Thielsen was a thing of beauty after an exhausting day.

into Crater Lake

Day 110 ~ miles 1811.25 - 1833

Seventeen-ish fairly easy miles led us to Mazama Village in Crater Lake National Park, where hikers had taken over the picnic tables in front of the general store.  We retrieved our package of food from the bustling store, full of firefighters, hikers, and vacationers.  According to the firefighters, there are 20-something fires currently in the park, though none of them  affect the PCT at this time.  After indulging in the usual (chips, ice cream, soda, etc.) and organizing our food, we quickly did laundry and showers and headed back to the trail in the company of Thor and Fern Toe, who we hadn't seen in several days.  We hiked, mostly in the dark,  to the last on-trail water for 27 miles, where we'll call home tonight and rest up for an exciting, yet long and waterless day tomorrow.

tiny frogs

Day 109 ~ miles  1785 - 1811.25

It's never easy to get up when it's cloudy outside, even in real life.  It's particularly difficult when you have to look forward to packing up all of your wet or slightly damp belongings. And the swarms of blood-thirsty mosquitos don't help either. That was the scenario this morning, so we were pretty slow to rise.  Our tent kept us dry for the most part, although our things were moist from condensation.

The trail was so nice this morning; it was nearly flat, and we were able to cruise faster than usual.  The aroma of a campfire lingered in the air from the nearby fires.  By lunch, we had hiked 15 miles, quite an accomplishment for our late start time.

Our lunch was cut short by a sudden increase in fire-related helicopter and plane activity nearby.  We could see a lot of smoke in the distance, so we decided to move along. 

The afternoon hiking was unfortunately not so gentle.  A long, and at times steep, ascent led us to the top of a ridge, from where we spotted 4 fires.  Thousands of tiny, thumbnail sized frogs covered miles of the trail this evening, leaping off the trail as they saw us approaching.  Hopefully we didn't squish any!  We cooked dinner at a stream and hiked on a few more miles.  We'll be carrying lots of water tomorrow for a waterless stretch to Mazama Village on Crater Lake.

storm on the mountaintop

Day 108 ~ miles 1759 - 1785

Many unfamiliar faces were spotted on the trail today.  Apparently lots of thru-hikers have skipped ahead on the trail due to fires, many of them up to Ashland.  We're hoping that the trail doesn't get too congested, but today it seemed that way.  In addition to fires we've seen around Ashland, there are several fires in Northern California that have closed some sections of the trail.

A small and rare shelter made a nice spot for a break, and the freshly stocked cooler of Cokes inside made it even better!  It was just what we needed on this day when we were feeling particularly exhausted.

We arrived to a road crossing, and the option to walk a couple of miles down the road to the Fish Lake Resort and restaurant was so tempting but we resisted the urge.  A sign stood in the middle of the trail read that the trail here was closed due to fires.  Another hiker called the Forest Service and confirmed that the trail was actually open. 

We gathered our water for the evening and headed up the trail, unsure what the conditions would be like.  A pretty substantial climb up to the ridge felt almost effortless, and we conquored it in no time; what an amazing feeling of strength.  Atop the ridge, we camped with Signal, a hiker we met way back in the desert.  As we cooked dinner and prepared for bed, thunder rolled in the distance and the sky darkened. Just as we'd gotten settled in our tent, it began to downpour and the wind whipped.  Lightning flashed and thunder crashed, as we thought  that the top of the mountain probably wasn't the safest place to be.  And of course the thought of more fires crossed our minds, but hopefully these drenching rains will prevent that.

guilt-free

Day 107 ~ miles 1735.9 - 1759

One of the best things about long-distance hiking is the food.  When's the last time you sat down to eat an entire pizza?  Maybe never?  Even better, we can eat an entire pizza without feeling bad about it, and follow it up with a pint of ice cream if we'd like.  And of course it would be accompanied by a soda.  Other town staple foods include burgers, milkshakes, fries, potato chips. 

Town stops are so highly anticipated, mostly due to food.  Leading up to town stops, much conversation is centered around food.  What are you craving? Where are you going to eat in town?  Having a smart phone affords us the luxury of scoping out reviews and menus online, so we can be sure to go to the best restaurant and get the best value.  But then often times, there's only one or two restaurants in town, which mAkes it easy.  We usually don't complain about food; our standards are lowered by extreme hunger and we are mostly pretty easy to please.

We eat as many candy bars as we want every day.  And Little Debbies and cheap breakfast pastries and chips and soo many M&M's, all varieties.  We just have to remember to brush our teeth.  It will be a sad, sad day when our guilt free eating comes to an end.

don't cry over spilled chowder

Day 106 ~ 1727 -1735.9

All of the hikers in Ashland were abuzz about the fires, with some talking about skipping up the trail due to potential danger.  We checked the Pacific Crest Trail Association website multiple times for updates, and the trail to the immediate north was open, although it was recommended that we avoid a section we would get to in a few days.

Eventually, in the afternoon, we were able to pull ourselves away from the luxuries of town.  As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, we didn't make it back downtown to redeem our free breakfast.

The post-town sluggishness was apparent as we hiked so slow, our packs heavy with food.  From the smoke, the sky was an eerie color, and a low thunder rumbled constantly in the smoke cloud.  The air smelled of smoke and ash rained down on us as we walked, a creepy feeling for sure.

Eventually, we arrived at the first water source out of town and were done for the day.  I was excited about cooking with the new, giant cookpot, and also excited about the fancy health food store soup mix that I was going to cook in it.  It was pretty much ready to serve, when somehow the pot ended up on its side on the ground, right beside a big pile of corn and potato chowder.  I tried to salvage some from the ground, but spruce needles were mixed in throughout.  At least we were sort of satiated from just coming out town.  I tried not to, but I just couldn't help it, the tears started flowing.  LookIng forward to a restful night of sleep and getting back in a good rhythm tomorrow.

falling in love with Ashland

Day 105 ~ zero in Ashland, Oregon

I fell in love with Ashland, Oregon today.  An unattractive layer of smoke lie over the city from the nearby wildfires.  We caught the bus into downtown and took care of some business: shoes for Moonshine and a new, huge cookpot!  We've outgrown our old one.  A couple of nights ago was the last straw, as I was starving and exhausted, and cooking a meal that filled the pot to the brim.  As the tortellini cooked, it grew and began to rise above the top of the pot.  Every time I stirred it as gingerly as possible, and precious tortellini dropped onto the ground.  I was so frustrated, hence the new pot. 

We wandered around the city, which was bigger than any other trail town we'd been to, but yet not too big, and the public transportation and pedestrian friendly nature of Ashland made things easy.  The place was bustling; a well known Shakespeare festival takes over Ashland for a month or two every summer.  As part of the festival, we watched an incredibly talented high school Mariachi band perform in the city park.

The remainder of the day was spent sampling Ashland's beers, as we visited three different breweries. 

We spoke with many locals, all exceptionally friendly!  The brewer at Standing Stone Brewery gave Moonshine a private tour of the place, as they had a lengthy chat about careers in beer.  A couple we met gave us a voucher for breakfast at their restaurant.  The good vibe and charm of the city of Ashland and its residents was extraordinary....I really love this place!

As usual, an unrestful, but productive and fun day off.