Day 39 : Sandy River

Start – Sandy River (1000 m)
Finish – Timberline Lodge (1830 m)
Daily Distance – 16 km
Ascent – 1160 m
Descent – 315 m

Cause of Death: Buffet

Naismith’s formula posits than one can walk approximately 5km per hour and each 10m of elevation gain will add an additional minute. This calculation was the basis of my 06:30 start this morning to ensure we didn’t miss the 12:00 start of the famous Timberline Lodge all you can eat buffet. Thanks to this estimation Art and I arrived to pitch our tents near the lodge at 11:15, tired, but perfectly in time for lunch.

The Timberline Lodge sits on the flanks of Mount Hood and is primarily a ski lodge. Built through government investment in the great depression, it’s claim to fame is that it was used for the exterior shots of the hotel in the movie The Shining. Its claim to fame among PCT hikers however, is that it does the best lunch on the whole trail.

$32 for a buffet featuring a variety of salads, soup, vegetables, cooked and cold meats, fruit and cakes would be good. What sets it apart is the tolerance of the staff to allow hikers to occupy a table from the buffet’s start at 12:00 until its end at 15:00, initially feasting, merging slowly into periodically grazing and making use of the free drinks refills. Certainly nobody seriously thought about having dinner tonight (perhaps breakfast too). The greatest challenge was waddling back up the hill to the camping spots. The 2nd greatest, avoiding slipping into a food coma. It would have been a pleasant luxury to overnight at the lodge, but with room rates running at $300, camping is by far the preferable alternative.

Owing to the shortness of the stage from Cascade Locks to here, I am not really due a rest day, so will push on tomorrow. Perhaps after a morning coffee though. A last farewell to civilisation for a few days. My next stop will be Santiam Pass in approximately 5 days and a rest stop in the town of Bend.