So last night I drove back to the Panther Creek area - this time staying at the adjacent Horse Camp - an improvement on the hunter's camp of the last two car-camp nights. There was another hiker tent overnighting there, so I tried to do minimal rummaging before settling down in my dome tent. Unfortunately, I had a hard time sleeping, possibly because of the extra coffee I'd had at the McD's day before, though I had just one large cup in the morning - donno what it was, my mind was racing...
Hear some thunder mid-way through the night, tried to ignore it, but it repeated a few times, so I got up and installed my rain-fly. That seemed to settle me down, woke up late, with the other campers long-gone, everything still dry.
Decided to re-scout that road 65 vs 30 confusion I mentioned last post. Sure enough, road turned to gravel soon after the road 60 junction (near Crest Horse Camp on the PCT - an access point I investigated last year - continuing east on 60 leads to the town of Trout Lake.) The now gravel road 65 became an "unmaintained" road after it passed the Thomas Lake Trailhead -(which also heads towards the PCT, but a long several miles.) Then it dead-ended just before Rush Creek. Of my several maps, only the USFS PCT map gave a clue (and I had missed seeing it - a lightly printed "Bridge Out" near that point on the map.) I must have noticed it last year but had forgotten.
Backtracking, to south of the Thomas Lake trailhead, I took what was shown on the map as a very minor unlabeled connector-road west to the other main road, But this turned out to be a well-maintained gravel road. Now on paved Road 30 heading north, past the Lone Butte Snow Play area, that road turned to gravel, just before its junction with road 65 (on the other end of the bridge-out.) This was now a very minor unmaintained "jeep road" but still sported a very faded road number sign. Continuing on another mile, my destination road 420 was well-signed "Placid Lake Trailhead". Drove to the trailhead that I recall visiting last year. A very pothole-riddled road, took it slow. A family was just setting out on the trail with fishing poles.
Returned south on road 30, paved all the way from the Snow Play area to Carson. Somehow missed noticing where I had parked the day before, where the PCT crossed road 30, but at any rate, my original choice was right. I'll be bicycling from Placid Lake Trailhead down to where I had parked, then hike east on the PCT to the Panther Creek CG and on north from there to the junction of the Placid Lake trail with the PCT, then west about three miles to my car. I'll probably overnight at the PL Trailhead tonight and bicycle down the 32 miles in the morning, then two days to hike up about the same distance. So back to car Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, this morning I stopped at the Post office in Carson to verify General Delivery address and hours - in case my camera would be ready to mail today so could be received as I passed through Carson Thursday (though that is now unlikely.)
Next, stopped in Stevenson and used the library to check email. Emailed the CameraTech the possible Carson address and promised a few other alternative addresses in Cascade Locks, and Hood River, including in Hood River a UPS-Store address. These would be more likely locations if the repair was delayed. I got an immediate response back saying that, um, yes, the camera has seen better days, there is some corrosion on the main board and the back panel, but the main problem is a blown DC/DC converter, a $55 part that he did have in stock, but he couldn't begin work til tomorrow. The total estimate with $15 shipping came to $269.44, I could pay via Paypal. So, I've paid.
Done at the Stevenson Library, I continued west and re-crossed the Bridge of the Gods to Cascade Locks. A hiker on the bridge was heading south. Many hikers milling about in Cascade Locks. Stopped at the PO there, got the address and hours - I could knock on the side door Saturday before 9:30 in the morning to get delivery of packages delivered and sorted earlier that morning. Sounded good for a package mailed Tuesday or maybe early Wednesday.
Continued to Hood River, took the Cliff road exit and stopped at the Walmart there to get another bike patch kit (Oh yes, I had been going mad looking for my patch kit before my last ride, finally realizing I had left it in my bear canister still stashed at Santiam Pass from when I swapped biking for hiking gear before my 9-day hike back to Crater Lake a couple weeks ago now, it seems. I'll get back to that cache in about a week.)
Then took another shower at the marina, then felt hungry (hadn't really eaten breakfast yet...) so settled for a mcwrap at the McD's across the street again and am there now - and looking at the time - really 5pm already??? OK, so I did find the address of a UPS store here in town and verified they would handle my pckgs for $5. This after researching the public transit options between Hood River and Cascade Locks, for my next loop from Lolo Pass bicycling down to Hood River then busing to Cascade Locks then taking the Eagle-creek trail up. So there's only one bus option I found: the Columbia Area Transit has an "Opportunity Connector" shuttle mainly for disabled but will take anyone by reservation only 24 hrs in advance. One bus a day M-F goes from Hood Rover to Cascade Locks at 2pm. (There are possibly two runs a day from CL to HR, one at 7:50am, an optional 2nd at 3:15.) Called them up and "got logged into the system" with likely dates of this Friday or next Monday. The bus happens to already stop at the Hood River Shopping Center at the southeast end of town on hwy 281 where the UPS Store is located (There's a Walgreen's next door...) I would be bicycling down from Lolo Pass coming into Hood River on hwy 281, so, convenient if the timing is right.
So I still need to email the repairman the new address info. Oh, and then still hoped to do some laundry. Oh, and did want to use the library to try to download maps without all the glitches that I'm blaming on the McD's connection. Don't know if I can do that all today, 5:30 already! Gotta move on, close this blog post.
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