Oregon150

I came to Oregon because, like millions of others, I thought this was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Rivers running wild and deep blue lakes. Majestic mountains. A rugged, wind-swept coast. High deserts, deep canyons, and broad-shouldered forests. So I didn’t want to just live in Oregon, I wanted to find Oregon by hiking, rowing, and exploring its most wild and hidden places. My wife Mary felt the same way. And we still do. But we’ve also learned – if you want to see Oregon’s untamed, natural beauty, get ready for a rough trek.

Our goal was to hike 70 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. It didn’t take long for nature to come knocking at our tent. Around midnight on the first night of our hike, we heard not just a thunderclap – but an Oregon thunderclap, loud enough to shake the ground. We knew what was coming next: a deluge.

How do you protect yourself from a downpour when you’re sleeping in a tent – miles from civilization? Dig a moat. Put on rainpants, boots, and gaiters. And keep telling yourself: Oregon is as Oregon does. And Oregon does rain.

We woke up in the rain. We had breakfast in the rain. We packed our gear in the rain. We hiked south in the rain. And we got an eyeful of rain every time we looked up trying to find the sun.

The break came at Summit Lake, 20 miles from where we started. The rain stopped – but the clouds stayed and the winds picked up. And up. And up. All the way to the top of Cowhorn Mountain. Too tired, too wet, and too wind-blown to cook, we dined on M&Ms (the ones with peanuts) and prayed that the tent wouldn’t blow away.

When we arrived at Tipsoo Peak, the highest point on the trail in Oregon, we had outrun the rain and were greeted by – snow. But with the exception of one person who ran the other way when he saw us – we weren’t greeted by another living soul the entire hike.

Seems like everyone else in Oregon that week knew better than to be out in the woods.

We descended the trail, still in a mad search for the sun. We found something else: slush and sleet. But we kept hiking. Kept our faces turned away from the biting wind. Kept inventing stories about imaginary forest creatures. And kept singing “Over the Rainbow.”

One day we hiked 15 miles, hoping to find sun, fresh water, and a flat place to pitch our tent. We didn’t.

After more than 70 miles, Oregon seemed to say: OK, you two – you passed the test. The sun came out and so did our smiles.

It’s great to see this wondrous land at two miles an hour. It’s great to face a challenge and get through it with your best friend by your side – and your sense of humor intact.

And it’s great to get home – and even better to call Oregon home.