Oregon
Washington border
to California border 500 miles
Introduction
The Pacific Crest Trail
in Oregon changes in character subtly from that in Washington to the
north. The section in Oregon is flatter, drier, more volcanic and
less glaciated than Washington tracing a route along high ground with
an average elevation of about 5,100 feet. Rolling hills cloaked in
mountain hemlock and lodgepole pine forest are typical whilst the
region generally is dotted with many sparkling lakes.
There
are some unique landscape features that the PCT passes through or
near. A standout is Crater Lake in Southern Oregon, a volcanic caldera
about 7 miles in diameter now filled with beautiful turquoise water.
The official PCT avoids the lake however there are alternative trails
that provide lakeside views around the rim of the lake.
In
the north there are a series of dormant volcanos such as Mt Hood which
dominates the city of Portland, the Three Sisters, Mount Thielsen,
Mt Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack. Although the PCT does not summit
any of these it climbs high
onto their slopes as it traverses round providing excellent and ever
changing views. Read on as we start hiking from the Washington
border into Oregon......
