It’s snowing ash, and Oregon is on fire.

It’s snowing ash, and Oregon is on fire. I am proud to say I am at mile 1,718 and have successfully hiked the entire state of California.

As we got closer to the California/Oregon border we started to notice some smoke on the horizon, and a pungent smell of burning wood. A lightning storm had moved through the area just behind us as we hiked north, and struck a tree that started a large forest fire within a days time. It was devastating to watch at first, but soon the realization of the natural process you are witnessing in action was astounding!

That night as we pushed towards the border hiking into the night to complete a 37 mile day, we could see the glow of the fire off in the distance. The next morning we woke to a hazy scene, complete with snowing ash and a glowing sun hiding behind a think wall of smoke.

The combination of elements made for a truly surreal scene for the next days hike as we pushed to Ashland Oregon for a much needed day off. The scene outside currently is one of a post apocalyptic summer blockbuster and I will have to admit, it’s pretty freaking cool to witness. Only 945 miles to go!