8.8.18. 26.4 miles.

What a day! Today I crossed into Oregon!

I woke up at 5:30 and was hiking by 6. The morning was pretty uneventful. A few climbs and a couple of breaks for filtering water, eating snacks, and using cell service. California was very pleasant on the way out. Ridge walks, an open-air toilet, and meadows with pine trees.

After 15.5 miles, I reached the Oregon border! It was so surreal. It’s one of those times like so many others on this trip - seeing the southern terminus, summiting Mt. Whitney, standing at the top of Forester Pass, hitting the halfway monument - that I built up in my mind what it would be like to be there. I usually get more emotional on the approach to these milestones than I do at the actual spot. Reaching Oregon was no different. It was very awesome, but also slightly uneventful. The dilapidated sign welcomes you with a trail register and then a tree has the border sign on it. The trail looks no different in Oregon than California. Lots of other hikers are sitting around, eating lunch in the shade. We’re all very happy, and so excited to move on to a new state, but it’s still a normal day out here. We still need to walk forward.

I sat/ laid down for 2 hours chatting with the first official southbounders I’ve met, greeting other NOBOs into Oregon, and eating lunch. I knew I couldn’t sit there all day, so I got up and kept hiking. Smoke still fills the air. I was pretty tired this afternoon. It suddenly got very hot, and the border was mid-way through a decent climb. I stopped for water at the first stream after the border bc I almost drank all my water at lunch, and then I took another hour break about 4.5 miles later at another water source that had cell service and updated family & friends about my location.

Leaving at 5, I had another 6.5 miles to go to the campsite I was eyeing. After a smaller climb and another downhill, I had a short, steep climb up to the tentsite and arrived at 7:30 to a few other hikers there as well.

I’m so excited to get to Ashland tomorrow and see my parents! They’re bringing me Gin Mon, my favorite Chinese food from home, so that’s what I get for dinner tomorrow. I’ll probably arrive at Callahan’s around lunch time, well before my parents, so I’ll have time to get lunch, and plan out all of Oregon resupply before they get here, which will make shopping on Friday more focused. I’m loosely planning on doing the rest of Oregon in 17 days, which is about 25 miles/ day, definitely doable.