Dufur to Done

Day 26. July 20.

Spirits were high in the morning. We had 20 + miles, but it was our last full day.

Since our camp last night was dry (not near water), the first order of business was to get water. We also found a few vistas with cell service. This was great for Brad, Cole, and Josh as they finalized plans to get home. It was a little awkward for me since I had no plans.

Before the day got too hot, we reached our last pass near Mt. Jefferson. We. took some photos and prepared for a hot, bug filled day.

It was standard fare for the most part: some burn areas, nice forests, Rockpile Lake for a quick dip, and then a grind to a late day highlight: Three Fingered Jack. I was beat and falling further behind. The other three guys seemed to fly up the switchbacks and reached the crest. They waited for me. We knew where our final campsite was, so they didn’t have to wait. At the time I thought it was pretty classy. However, now I’m not so sure they didn’t have some kind of wager on whether this would be the pass where I died. They pretended to be glad when I made it to the top. Alive.

As Josh said, "it was all downhill from here." Still, it was worth appreciating the way the setting sun moved the shadows around on the mountain.

We did fly down. At our final camp, the mosquitoes seemed to sense the future decline in their food supply. We ate with headnets and smelled of Deet.