Day 3 (August 19)

We've got it in our heads to try to stay in the fabled Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood tomorrow, so we're up early to do a big push today so we arrive right at check-in time and maximize the posh lodge hours. We did 8 miles the first day, 12 the second -- 50% more, so doing 18 today should be just about right. No way we're doing 27 tomorrow of course, although some of the hardcore northbound through-hikers routinely do 30-mile days in this part of the trail. A lot of them look kind of grumpy though.

After Lolo pass, we took the scenic route, the Timberline Trail, to Ramona Falls. This used to be the official PCT but the eroding trail conditions made it impassible for horses, so the PCT was relocated along a lower and shorter path. Awesome views from Bald Mountain.  Lots of lovely glacier melt in the trail, and in a few places we had to tip-toe around harrowing mudslides that plummetted far down the slopes below... just don't look down.  Crossed the Muddy Fork of the Sandy River in two sections; eventually we broke down and just waded across the rapids barefoot.

Ramona Falls is a nice reward.  A helpful sign informs northbound hikers that the Timberline Trail is a tad perilous; we southbounders get no such courtesy! Hiked on a little further to rejoin the official PCT and made camp in a forest of lush rhododendron and dying pines dripping with a strange mossy parasite.  Looks like we did about 17.5 miles, not bad!