past Green Lake and thru the meadow below the Red Mtn LO,
to where the old Cascade Crest Trail (CCT) cuts off from the PCT about 100' S of the junction with Trail 171A. This part of the CCT was the PCT for a while, before today's PCT was re-aligned over Berry Mtn. The old CCT is sketchy as it starts off thru the beargrass but is soon easy to follow as it winds down past Spring Camp and passes above a huge meadow/marsh complex to the E. It's a little vague thru here due to blow downs but soon remerges and is easy to follow (with lots of blueberries!) all the way past Tombstone Lake
to Blue Lake, where it rejoins the PCT.
The PCT going S climbs up Berry Mtn and gave me a view of The Dalles fire (red arrow) and Mt. Hood (black arrow) engulfed in smoke from that fire.
But, unlike two years ago, there was no fire on Adams.
One last look at the Red Mtn LO and it was back to the TH along the PCT.
I hadn't seen anyone all day but within a mile of the TH, I was passed by 7 thru hikers heading N - all going at a fast pace. Kind'a put my little 13.5 mi, 1500' EG circuit of Berry Mtn in perspective. But knowing I was only an hour away from a cold, refreshing beer helped re-align that perspective a bit.
That's good fortune to not have issues with bugs at this time of the year. I suppose maybe the early snow melt may have moved the season along a little faster.
