Day 11 (August 27)

That little dot is the moon; Rockpile Lake is just out of frame

Woke to no wind and clear skies, the sun warming us from the east and the moon setting over the peak of Rockpile Mountain to the west. A thin layer of ice coats the inside of the tent fly. Across the lake, a line of deer is slowly marching south, and we soon follow.

It's as fine a day for hiking as anyone could want. Excellent views of the craggy mountain Three-Fingered Jack, but our day is still mostly defined by the thousands of acres of charred forest that surround us as we descend. At lower elevations, though, some recovery has begun -- wildflowers and tiny pines are springing up in the graveyard.

As we near US highway 20 at Santiam Pass, we're greeted by a Forest Service ranger. Well, he was friendly enough, but "inspected" is more correct than "greeted" -- luckily our paperwork was in order (Oregon requires wilderness permits, but they are self-issued at the trailhead, meaning that you fill out the form, leave one copy in the box, and take the other with you.) He says the Ollalie fire closure is still in effect, and a new fire is burning to the south of us, but the danger zone is still a little west of the PCT and has not caused any closure yet. Well, I guess that's good. Lots of fire around here.

Across Highway 20 the burn area continues for a while, then peters out in the middle of a large cross-country ski park. Hard to read those maps at the top of a ten-foot high pole, but it looks like this place is riddled with great trails. We find a nice soft spot off to the side and make camp. Weather is warmer, and dinner is great!