This post originally appeared on The Trek, which you can read here .

If you want to see more from my 2025 PCT thru hike, make sure to check out my Instagram (@annamckinney22) and TikTok (@magicinthemountains) for daily vlogs!

*these posts are coming straight from trail, I apologize in advance for typos!*

Day 120: August 5, 2025

Location: Northern Oregon
Start: Big Lake Youth Camp – 1997.0
End: Hwy 20 at Santiam Pass – 2002.4
Miles: 5.4
Sleep: Building

A much needed and well deserved town day! We woke up early at Big Lake Youth Camp to find that everything was soaking wet from condensation. That’s what happens when you sleep next to a lake!Ghost was kind enough to include us in a ride into town and we had to be at the road at 8am to meet the driver. We left BLYC at 6am and were able to cruise the easy miles to get to Hwy 20. We were on a forest service road out of the camp before connecting a few miles down the road back into the trail. Shortly after this we hit the 2000 mile marker!

I’m always excited to get into town, but I was extra eager to get to Bend because I knew I’d be able to get medical help there. My lower back (kidneys?) had been killing me fore days and I was nauseous from as we made our way to the road. I’m almost positive I have a nasty UTI and optimistic that antibiotics will fix me up.

We got to the road around 7:45am to find Ghost and our ride arrived shortly after. Stuart or “Papa Hommie” was a Sisters local who had attempted to hike the PCT several years ago. On the drive he told us all about his experience and how he had been diagnosed with a brain infection that left him nearly paralyzed. He had a miraculous story of recovery but is no longer able to hike like he wants to, so he gives stayed connected to the trail by being a trail angel instead. He was so fascinating and friendly, I really enjoyed our ride!

Stuart dropped us off in Sisters at a restaurant called Spoons. Our server, Mike, was new to the area and very interested in the trail and our hike. He said over and over again that he would “hook us up” while we were in town and ended up not charging us for our coffees or extra pancakes we ordered. We had a memorable experience at Spoons just because of him!

As we were leaving, Mike told us to go over to the Dutch Bros across the street because he had “hooked us up” over there too. We walked through the drive thru and were told we’d get our drinks free of charge. What a treat! Ghost needed to pick up a box at the post office so we accompanied him there.

Afterwards we set about trying to arrange a ride into Bend. We had planned to take the bus from Sisters to Bend, but Stuart had said he may be able to drive us. Instead he put us in contact with another trail angel, Michael, we scooped us up around 11:30am and drove us to Bend.

Michael had lived in Bend for 30 years and was eager to tell us all about it. The time passed quickly and he was dropping us off in town time. We got out at Drake Park which was right next to the downtown area. We sat in the shade for a bit collecting ourselves before venturing into downtown.

Ghost and Truffles both needed new shoes so we stopped by the Foot Exchange for them to upgrade. Afterwards we parted ways with Ghost so he could go to REI and we could go to urgent care. We walked a few blocks to the Best Med and I was seen quickly by Scott the PA. A urine test confirmed that I had a UTI and he prescribed me antibiotics. He was confident the medication wouldn’t disrupt my hike and was very interested in learning more about the PCT. We chatted for a while before he helped me find a pharmacy that was close by to the hotel and sent me on my way.

Truffles had waited for me in the waiting room and together we went across the street to Crux Brewing. Since I’d be on antibiotics soon I wanted to get to enjoy at least one brewery in Bend first. It was a perk that PCT hikers got their first beer free, and we ended up getting several rounds while we waited to check into our hotel.

We treated ourselves to an Uber to the Super 8 where we had reservations for several nights. The front desk staff were very curious about our packs and were blown away when we told them about the PCT. We got checked into our rooms and while Truffles was in the shower I made the short walk to Fred Myers where my prescription had been sent.

Once back at the hotel I shower and relaxed for a bit before we got ahold of Ghost and made dinner plans. We took an Uber downtown to meet him and tried to get into the Wild Rose but the waitlist was too long. We found another Thai restaurant and enjoyed noodles before going to an old Catholic school that had been converted into a restaurant and bar. We got drinks and enjoyed the company before Ubering back to the hotel. Looking forward to resting tomorrow, hopefully my first round of antibiotics will help me feel better!

Day 121: August 6, 2025

Location: Northern Oregon
Start: Hwy 20 at Santiam Pass – 2002.4
End: Bend – 2002.4
Miles: 0.0
Sleep: Building

Today was a much needed zero! I was disappointed that my antibiotics didn’t have me feeling any better when I got up this morning. I got up to go down to the hotel breakfast and had some yogurt, fruit, and cereal. I came back upstairs and got back in bed where I remained until around 4pm.

Truffles hung out with me in the hotel until around lunch when he got hungry. I still didn’t have much of an appetite and didn’t feel like venturing out for food. Gooey and U-Turn had just hitched into town from Crater Lake, so Truffles went to eat lunch with them.

In the mean time, I got myself up and took a shower before starting to plan out our supplies. We had decided to mail ourselves all of our remaining resupplies through Washington, so I tried to figure out where all we would ship them to and how many days of supplies needed to be in each box.

Later in the day I Ubered to Walmart to meet Truffles to do our resupply. I had figured up we needed to get about 20 days of food to send out in 3 boxes and including what we’d hike out from bend. It took a long time, but eventually we had 2 buggies full of stuff and our total came to around $400.

We broke down the food boxes in the parking lot and stuff everything into our empty packs. With that much food we still had to carry several paper shopping bags worth of groceries, but thankfully it was only a couple of miles back to the hotel. When we were almost there i tripped and fell and blooded up my knees pretty badly. Truffles said it looked like a tree falling down in the forest.

Finally we made it back to the hotel and I rested for a little while before we decided to go out for dinner. We found a habachi grill close by the hotel and went there. Again I didn’t eat much but left with leftovers that I knew I could eat tomorrow. Hoping to feel better in the morning, I’m extra grateful for a double zero!

Day 122: August 7, 2025

Location: Northern Oregon
Start: Bend – 2002.4
End: Bend – 2002.4
Miles: 0.0
Sleep: Building

Another much needed zero in Bend! I still felt pretty bad when I got up, but was determined to not lay around all day like I did yesterday. Truffles and I went down for breakfast and afterwards I decided to go and soak in the hot tub for a while. The hot shower yesterday helped ease my back pain a bit, so I figured the hot tub would be even better.

I sat in the hot tub for a while by self before hopping into the pool to swim and cool off. Afterwards I went back to the room to shower and begin sorting our humongous resupply. Truffles and I got to work organizing our food into boxes and passed most of the morning this way.

Around noon we got an Uber to take us to Deshutes Brewery where we got lunch and Truffles for drinks. The brewery was huge and I hated I couldn’t try anything because of my antibiotics. Bend seems like a super cool town and I think we will be back in the area again someday!

After lunch we walked over to the river where we met Ghost, D&D, Sara, and Darren to float down the river. This had been an activity we’d all been looking forward to and hyping up for a while, so I’m glad it all came together so well! We signed our waivers and loaded up on a bus that drove up upstream. From there we were handed our tubes and set out to float.

It was a little overcast and the water was surprisingly cold. If it had been sunny or 10 degrees warmer this would have been perfect, but we made the most of it and all hooted and hollered when we got in. Pretty quickly we found other hikers to connect with, and we all floated down the river in a big armada.

The river was mellow for the most part except for a section of rapids that nearly sent all of us swimming. It was so much fun and I really enjoyed seeing all the waterfront houses the closer we got to the end. We got out at Drake Park which was right downtown. Everyone else was staying at the hostel downtown so we parted ways with plans to reconnect for dinner. Truffles and I got on the shuttle back to the running place to recollect our packs and change into dry clothes.

From there we walked downtown to the Music and Munchies festival that takes place weekly in the summer time. There were craft and food venders set up around a big stage where bands played. Truffles and I sat for a while before I started to feel bad and decided to head back to the hotel. Truffles stayed out to get dinner with Ghost.

I got an Uber back to the hotel and finished sorting my resupply. I reheated my leftovers from the night before and took care of some other things before snuggling into bed for the night. Truffles came back just as I was falling asleep. Back to trail tomorrow!

Day 123: August 8, 2025

Location: Northern Oregon
Start: Bend – 2002.4
End: Rockpile Lake – 2016.9
Miles: 14.5
Ascent: 2931 | Descent: 1471
Sleep: Tent

Back on trial and thankfully feeling much better! The morning was very productive as we still had some chores to do before we left. My alarm went off at 7 and I didn’t want to get up, but I knew our time was limited. I went downstairs for breakfast before going back up to the room. I had packed up my resupply stuff last night, but Truffles was finishing his as I got back in the room.

Once we were both ready, we walked the short distance from the hotel to the Fred Myer where there was a shipping store next door. We were some of the first customers in the door and needed help getting boxes and then mailing them off to different destinations. We mailed two packages with 5 days worth of food and one package with 4, all for two people. We spent $135 on shipping alone, hopefully it’s worth it in the long run.

With that taste complete we went back to the hotel to begin packing up. Ghost had organized a ride for us and we were supposed to meet him and the driver at the hostel downtown at 10am. We were packed up and heading out the door by 9:30am on the way to catch a bus downtown.

We rode the bus a short distance before getting off and walking about half a mile to the hostel. Ghost and D&D met us outside and we chatted while we waited for the driver. He was running late which was fine by us because it gave us more time to socialize.

When the driver arrived and we loaded into the car, I had so many questions. His name was Hog Dog and he was also a current hiker but with a rental car. Apparently his sister is coming to visit to he got a rental car and was using some zeros to shuttle other hikers around. The hour ride took a while longer because we got stuck in traffic, but Hog Dog was so friendly and chatty the time passed quickly.

He dropped us off at Hwy 20 around 12:30pm and we were off. Ghost hiked on while Truffles and I stopped by the parking lot to quickly eat lunch and use the pit toilet. It was around 12:45pm when we finally got hiking, and it was mostly uphill all day.

The climbing didn’t feel bad, though, and I was so grateful to finally be feeling better! This was the first day that I was pain free thanks to the antibiotics and finally felt like myself again. I started listening to a new audiobook and hardly noticed the climb. The challenging part was that we were hiking through burn zone and it was hot and sunny and I only had 2 liters of water to go 10 miles. I knew that I would make it, but I felt very thirsty the whole time and had to be conscious of my water intake.

We hiked in and out of burn area all afternoon, but the dramatic views began as we got closer to the top. We were hiking towards The Fingers which was a rugged mountaintop with spiny growths jutting towards the sky. I rounded a corner and could see Mount Jefferson on the not so distant horizon. I was excited by the views and to be getting closer to water.

At the top of the climb I stopped for a snack and to wait on Truffles. As we were preparing to start the descent, two day hikers arrived and we started talking. One was local to the area and the other was just visiting, but they were so interested in our hike and so fun to talk to. One of them lives close to Cascade Locks and got my number so that we can reconnect at trail days. They took our photos, gave us pineapple, and wished us well.

The descent thankfully took us to a series of ponds where we were able to get water. Only 4.5 miles to camp but I was ready to be done. We had another climb to get to the campsite for the night, and this one felt harder just because it was at the end of the day and I was mentally checked out. We got it done eventually and came out of the edge of Rockpile Lake.

There was numerous tents already set up along the edge of the water, but we found Ghost’s tent and set up close to him. The 3 of us ate dinner together and chatted about our time in Bend. Most of the other folks staying at the lake look like weekenders, but the few folks we talked to were nice. It’s windy and chilly by the water and we’re expecting a cold night, I’m even sleeping with our water filters! I haven’t done that since the Sierra. Ready for another full day on trail tomorrow.

Day 124: August 9, 2025

Location: Northern Oregon
Start: Rockpile Lake – 2016.9
End: Tentsite and Pond – 2043.3
Miles: 26.4
Ascent: 4663 | Descent: 5168
Sleep: Tent

Today was easily my favorite day on trail in a long time! It didn’t get as cold as we expected over night which was nice so we weren’t freezing in the morning. I got to watch the sunrise while digging my cat hole which was a great way to start the day. We were slow to get moving and were on trail around 6:30am.

It was mostly flat and downhill this morning with a few gentle climbs. Those uphill sections took us closer and closer to Mount Jefferson. It’s amazing how a few days ago this mountain looked so far off in the distance. Now we were standing on the next mountain over looking into its face. I absolutely love this mountain! I don’t know if it’s just because it’s so big standing alone in its majesty or because we’ve gotten to spend the whole day looking at it, but it is probably my second favorite mountain behind the Roan in TN.

Around 8:30am we passed a campsite and saw Gooey and U-Turn packing up their tent. This was my first time seeing them since the Sierra, so it was a nice reunion! We chatted for a bit as Truffles caught up. We all hung out for a while admiring the view before we were swarmed by mosquitoes and decided to keep moving. We knew we’d be seeing them more throughout the day.

From there it was mostly downhill all the way to Milk Creek. The trail was stunning this morning as we hiked through green forests with ferns and moss, it reminded me of home. Every now and again we’d turn a corner and seemingly out of no where we’d get a clear view of Mount Jefferson. It was awesome!

As we worked our way down towards Milk Creek we stopped at Shale Lake for a snack. This small blue lake had a direct view towards the mountain and was framed by towering lines. I could have sat there for hours gazing at the snow covered slopes Gooey and U-Turn caught us there and we hung out for a bit before promising to see them at the bottom. From there it was about 5 miles to the valley before we started the big climb of the day.

The trail would end up winding its way around the base of Mount Jefferson and we’d get to see the mountain from 3 out of 4 sides. All that curving around would be done via a long ascent, and it looked grueling on the FarOut elevation profile. We passed several sobos that talked about how exposed the climb was as well, so we weren’t looking forward to it.

We made it down to Milk Creek just before noon and stopped to filter water. We made plans to eat lunch in several miles and began climbing. The start of the climb was shaded but the trees quickly fell away as well entered burned area. The only benefit to the burn was the fact that there wasn’t anything obstructing the views.

We kept going up for several miles before crossing Jeff Creek where we decided to stop for lunch. It was hot and exposed but there wasn’t no hope for shade anywhere in the burn. Gooey and U-Turn joined us and the four of us had a quick lunch before pressing on.

As we neared the Jefferson Park received camping area, we began to see more and more people. It’s a beautiful Saturday in late summer, of course everyone wants to take advantage. I couldn’t figure out what trailhead or parking lot they were all coming from, but there were a good mix of backpackers and day hikers alike. The trees made a reappearance as we got closer to the park as well, and the green tunnel was a welcomed reprieve from the direct sunlight.

We continued climbing, all the while turning around often to gawk at Mount Jefferson. We hiked by several lakes and through fields of blooming wild flowers. The views continued to be jaw dropping and we stopped often for pictures and to just admire the scenery. We stopped once more for water in a field of flowers with a waterfall gurgling down the mountainside. The final push to the pass was steep but rewarding when we greeted the ridge and could see Mount Hood clear as day in front of us. That will be the next big mountain we walk towards.

After completing the big ascent for the day it was mostly downhill. There were still a few patches of snow we had to navigate around and we even lost the trail a couple of times. We were starting to get tired and hungry and were ready to get to camp. The views continued on the descent, but now Mount Jefferson is behind us.

We crossed a dirt road a had one final small hill to climb before arriving at the pond and campsite where we had decided to stay for the night. We arrived around 6:45pm and had plenty of time to set up camp and relax. I think around 25 miles is the sweet spot to still feel like we accomplished a lot without having to get into camp super late.

As we were cooking a guy we’d been leap frogging all day arrived and began to set up. His name is Daniel and we talked on and off. We were crawling in bed by 8:30pm, but some other folks rolled in around 9pm. Turned out it was Andrew and Cheese Head, neither of whom we’d seen since VVR! We had a brief but excited reunion as they set up their tents for the night. I’m excited to see who we’ll run into tomorrow since it seems like everyone is heading for trail days.