Free My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking by Carol Wellman Page A

The rim trail around Crater Lake was spectacular, constantly giving and taking the same 300 ft. of elevation. Crater Lake is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, without a doubt a magnificent place.
      It was very cold for July in southern Oregon. The locals told us that it was quite unusual. One cannot count on the usual on a long distance hike. Our clothing was sufficient, but just barely. The multiple layers gave plenty of options, wearing everything at once was effective in the worst conditions.
      Nearly every day after my partner joined me, it rained. In spite of all his other accomplishments, his trail name will always remain  Rainmaker. We had separate tent vestibules and made ourselves hot coffee and breakfast in the mornings before packing and heading out. Our 3-½ pound, double-wall Coleman Cobra tent kept us warm and dry. There had been very few mosquitoes; our theory was they all froze to death previously.
      Shelter Cove Resort was one of three resorts where we planned to buy food. The store was very expensive; I needed only three days of food, and in retrospect, should have just bought what I needed, regardless of price. However, ramen noodles were $1 per package, stovetop stuffing over $3 a box and candy bars were 70 cents each. You know something is wrong in life when noodles cost more than candy. So, instead, and in protest, I stubbornly chose some “soak and heat” stuff I’d found in the hiker box.  I will politely refer to this concoction as food, and dumped it in with my tad of remaining ramen and mashed potatoes. This medley would have worked had there not been all these little split peas, inedible beans and dangerous seeds mixed in. Just bird feed, I kid you not. I called it Shit Supreme.
      Ultralight is definitely the way to go on a long trail. Most of the weight is food, which normally should be a pleasure to deplete on mega sections of 150+ miles. But, if you end up with nasty food, a daily debate to dump this weight, or eat it down, may surface. Dumping food in bear country must be done with care. If cooked and indigestible, carry and bury it at least half a mile away. If dumped raw, do it early morning before hiking away, broadcasting it several hundred feet away from campsites, to feed small creatures and avoid mounds of mold.
      Before we resumed the trail, we bought a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream at Shelter Cove, and sprinkled hot cocoa mix on top to add some interest. We opened the lid, got our trail spoons, and ate right out of the container, finishing it off amid stares of vacationers nearby. 
       Elk Lake Resort was a tiny store next to a beautiful lake, full of boating enthusiasts. Thankfully, a friend who lives in Bend, Oregon offered to help us. We resupplied in Bend after she picked us up at the resort parking lot. This resort had hot meals, which smelled delicious. However, the few groceries there could not even resupply one thru hiker, if he or she could afford them.
      I bought a beautiful fleece turtleneck in Bend, which replaced my silk button down shirt. That silk layer worked great in the desert, allowing for warmth and ventilation, but it had deteriorated with the sun. The fleece turtleneck was necessary now, vital in cold weather for keeping my neck warm.
  In Bend I also bought a handsome Nike daypack, which weighed 21 ounces once I modified it for trail use. I discarded my pack frame, and kept two-silnylon stuff sacks. I had to make a hip belt for it, though. Leaving town, my pack was really loaded with food as a direct result of the poor resupply at Shelter Cove. Now, it seemed quite heavy. All along the trail from Elk Lake Resort to Canada, I made adjustments, sewing with dental floss at night in camp. I cannibalized various stuff sacks, trimmed off some closed cell pad, and customized the hip belt further. This was my first frameless pack.
     
    Bend, Oregon to Cascade Locks
        In northern Oregon, the PCT traverses lava flow for many miles. The