[pct-l] McKenzie Pass Campsite Memory

[jjolson at uwyo.edu (Jeffrey J. Olson)]

The most perfect campsite I had on the Oregon section of the PCT was 
about seven miles south of McKenzie Pass - Sawyer's Bar.  It was right 
at the foot of Little Brother and around the bend from North Sister.  
The bar about 50 yards wide and a co uple hundre yards long, with beach 
quality sand and medium sized pines.  On the north side is a wall of 
lava that rises up to block the view.  The south side has Little Brother 
rising straight up.  There is a three foot wide creek that meanders 
across the bar before plunging down a narrow defile.  The trail heading 
north parallels this defile for a quarter mile or so before entering the 
lava and plunging down to the Matthieu Lakes.  . 

There was little wind compared to the trail on either side.  It was warm 
and ultimately delicious.  After a while the gorgeous views along the 
west side of the Sisters had me ready for a little small world camping.  
I washed clothes, lay out the ground cloth and aired everything out.  
For some reason, there were very few mosquitos and I walked around with 
only running shorts and flip flops.  I'd been on the trail 25 days or 
so, and took a pictue of myself in just running shorts, pretending to 
lower myself down a lava boulder, flexing all my muscles, the "in shape 
for once" picture.  I still bring it out at family reunions much to the 
chortling laughter of my siblings who jiggle my tummy with glee! 

That was after a night at Sisters View Lake where I ate dinner in a half 
run around the lake to stay ahead of the skeeters.  I remember moving 
about 4 mph and chewing at the same time, feeling more and more frantic 
- could I ever get away from the buggers, or was I doomed to torture?  
I'd tried to stay in the tent but I'd stupidlyl pitched it so the 
setting sun hit it, and even at the end of June it was HOT.  Eating at 
4mph is hard.  But it was either roast in the tent, and kill bugs while 
I sweated, or walk and revel in the idiocy and hijinks of doing 
something I'd never done before. 

Sawyers Bar though was a respite, a calm place to regroup for the big 
mile days (for me) to Mt. Hood.  I spent a couple hours just walking 
around, moving five feet and standing and staring, another couple of 
feet, standing and staring, sitting on a log, watching the little brook 
meander, just mesmerized by the smallness of the landscape.  I so 
remember the peacefulness of sand and brook and trees and lava.  I 
ignored the big view to the south.  I wonder how many other hikers stop 
at three once in a while in a warm, comfortable, small-world spot to 
just regroup after the big world of the high Sierra or the backside of 
the Sisters?  I needed an afternoon every four or five days where all I 
did was putter...

Here's the topozone.com URL for Sawyers Bar.,...

http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=44.1904&lon=-121.7928&s=48&size=l&symshow=n&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25

Jeff Olson
Laramie WY