#devils postpile

By Howard Shapiro with lots of help from Rees Hughes 

Part 2 of my essentials list continues with some natural and not so natural places. All are have an essential place in my memory and in my experience walking the PCT. 

.The South and North Terminus points. Arriving at either of these places can be tear inducing for the anticipation or the realization or both. The fact that you are here about to set out on something you may have never thought you would or could do. With the ‘border wall’ as your backdrop it is starkly clear this is where it all begins or ends. The northern terminus can serve as some kind of closure for the days and months of walking from one end of the United States to another. And like the southern terminus it is at this far north point that you realize just what you have done. The northern terminus isn’t as public as the southern one. All the same, seeing the east to west border swath that is etched in the landscape by what appears a Canadian and American pair of giants sometime in the past is unforgettable. That border swath paired with the mini Washington monument that is the official border marker is, like its southern cousin, picture worthy.

Bridge of the Gods is similar in feeling to the California-Oregon border point. The biggest difference is the mighty Columbia River that separates Oregon from Washington. At Oregon’s southern border it is mostly trees all around and small sign marking the location. The other significant difference is the time it takes to get from one border to the next since Oregon is considerably smaller than California. The bridge is the link and walking across can feel very humbling both for the vehicles roaring by and the vast river rushing below. Of course there is also the promise of a beer and a hearty meal in Cascade Locks that may help conjure up the courage to cross the bridge... if you choose to take the time.

The PCT’s “Golden Spike”, completing the final leg of the trail, is embedded in concrete in Soledad Canyon not far south of Agua Dulce. The official ceremony was held in 1993, 25 years after Congress had authorized the trail. But, in truth, the PCT is not complete. Even today, more than 200 miles of the trail crosses private land relying on easements and cooperative land owners. Continuous efforts to purchase vulnerable stretches of trail and improve the trail routing are critical to the preservation and vitality of the PCT experience and puts this place on the essential list.

The Devils Postpile National Monument is a tribute to the volcanism that dots the PCT south to north crescendoing in Oregon and Washington. Here at the Devils Postpile there is a more manageable illustration of the moving and shaking going on just under the surface of our planet. This 60-foot-tall columnar jointed basalt lava flow was formed about 100,000 years ago. Caused by an eruption of basalt lava flowing from a vent and filling the valley of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River to a depth of about 400 feet. As the lava cooled it did so in a slow and even manner. The resulting fine grained rock split into rectangular patterns along joints or vertical lines. These cracks eventually deepened into long post like columns. Later a glacier scoured the valley exposing and  enabling us to see today what is referred to as the Devils Postpile.

Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout stands high above the nearby Lake Basin, the Desolation Wilderness and all the while looking north toward the beginning of the Cascades 150 miles or so away to Lassen Peak. The lookout is no longer active but the climb up to the dizzying heights is magical if you can stomach the exposure. On one side of the lookout there is a near 600 foot vertical drop. Going here is a brief pilgrimage. Most hikers may have been seeing Sierra Buttes for miles looming ever larger coming from the north or the south. Hauntingly captivating the Sierra Buttes may get overlooked but are one of my essentials.

The Timberline Lodge may not be a natural wonder but it is still a wonder. Conceived in the depths of the Great Depression. It stands as a testament to the resourcefulness of unemployed craftspeople brought together by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930′s. The lodge was built completely by hand from locally sourced timber and stone. What they created has become the standard for what has been dubbed ‘parkitecture’.  Knowing that a president traveled by train across the country to dedicate the lodge from the veranda overlooking the main entrance never fails to amaze. Today such an event might involve a leader waking up in Washington DC and  getting to the lodge for a dedication then returning to their bed for that nights sleep back in DC.

By Howard Shapiro with a lot of help from Rees Hughes

I have been thinking about what we bring and where we go when we embark on a section or the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail. We recently shared a post about how technology has crept into this semi-sacred list of the ‘Ten Essentials’. I found that the first place my head went was to the classic ‘Ten Essentials’ and then I wondered what are those things that go beyond the extra food, shelter, knife, etc. in the present time? What are the elements worth considering in this third decade of the 21st century? Some have always been there. None are all that new.

Where this thinking took me was to places not things. In no distinct order, here’s what I, along with Rees, came up with. See if you agree. 

The mid point of the PCT. This is a location that drifts a bit north, south, east, and west depending on how the trail gets re-routed, land gets acquired, or fires change everything we took for granted. Getting to the mid-point is a seminal moment whether you are section hiking or thru hiking. Once you get to that spot, a feeling that is hard to describe may course through your mind and heart. For me it was a ‘Wow’ moment. A reminder of all the miles behind me and all those still to come.

The 100 mile mark. Long before the mid point there are stones laid out in the middle of the trail that represent mile numbers often in one hundred mile increments thereafter. Getting to the 100 mile mark took me back to the significance that number has. !00 is the number we strive to reach as we verbally count to in our early years of school. After leaving the southern terminus getting to mile 100 is a breakthrough. Getting to 100 miles is a hint of our accomplishment as we journey carried by our legs and feet. 

The California- Oregon border. when you reach this point it is one huge terrific sigh. If you thru hiked to here you have finally finished with California. If you sectioned, getting here is no less an accomplishment and an equally profound experience. California is obviously the largest of the three states that the PCT passes through. At times, it seems like California just goes on and on and...on. Getting to the border the trail makes its way through the ‘Green Tunnel’ but it is really more than that. What awaits is exquisite scenery and not just tree after tree. 

Forester Pass. The highest point on the PCT. The northbound approach does not fully prepare you for the descent on the other side. In a big snow year or early in the season it can really grab your attention. The view is the motivator here. From on top of the pass you can see clearly as to what is ahead and what you have already accomplished.

Mount Whitney. Well if Forester wasn’t enough elevation for you, taking a side trip to the highest point in the lower 48 is equally memorable. At  14,494 feet, the views will take your breath away if the altitude doesn’t. The Smithsonian hut at the top is a welcome reprieve if the weather creates any challenges. Just getting to this place can be so satisfying, knowing you have stood on the highest point in 49 states.