Five hardy hikers showed up on a beautiful late spring day for the PCT to Boccard Point hike on June 2nd. Jane, Diane, John and myself left Roseburg and met our newest member, Chelsea, at the Soda Mountain trailhead. The weather forecast the temperature to reach 90 degrees, but we pushed on, undaunted with the physical demands this 10 mile trek may require of us mere mortal souls. We were on a mission to see Oregon’s natural beauty and spiritual fulfillment on this day. As we started the trail a cool breeze whispered it’s encouragement to us to push on and be not afraid of what we may perceive as a daunting task. Through out most of the hike we were shielded by the nurturing forest that seemed to say, “Be one with nature and find the sacred path”…we pressed on. Diane and Jane broke off to find the elusive path to little Pilot Peak and we would not see them until much later. As we turned off the PCT towards Boccard Point a feeling of anticipation enveloped us. Would the reward be worth the sacrifice as the forest now retreated and left us open to the steady solar energy surrounding us? The trail, though sometimes hard to follow, led us through a myriad of landscapes to a rocky outcropping that gave us magnificent views of of Southern Oregon and California’s Shasta Valley. It was definitely worth it. On the way back we cursed the comfortable downhill we had traversed before and had now become a steady uphill battle of lungs and legs verses gravity, thank goodness the forest was there to shade our bodies and keep us going. We met up with Diane and Jane a couple of miles from the trail head and rejoiced at the splendor that is being able to walk in the Garden of Eden that we call Oregon in the spring time.
Pictures by Brad Bishop
