I accomplished a second successful ascent of Mount McLoughlin in the Oregon Cascades during early October. Weather conditions were perfect...no wind, mild temperatures, abundant sunshine...an ideal weather window before the winter rains set in. Unfortunately, I suffered through a series of first world disasters, the first occurred immediately after starting my hike. Not five minutes after departing the trailhead, my brand new mountain climbing pants snagged on a log and ripped a giant hole below the knee. I think I was close to crying. To make matters worse, I took a wrong turn at the PCT junction and added an extra 3 miles to my epic...I became wise to my error, back tracked, took a short cut up a 500 foot lava hill, and reconnected with the path that guided me towards the summit. The rest of my day was uneventful. I made pretty quick work up the slopes of McLoughlin, then enjoyed a summit beverage before running downhill and back to my truck. Great day in the Cascades!
YouTube vide is here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyX4_kgvfs0&t=1s]. Google map location is here.
