August 13

After the night at Elk Lake Resort, Jason and I had a big breakfast at 9:00 am and met a few nobo hikers as they came in for lunch and breakfast. After putting it off until 10:30, I decide to head for the road to try to get my hitch. I knew it was a long shot to get a ride the whole way being that it was 120 miles. I figured if I could just get the 40 miles to highway 58 I would be in good shape and could find a ride on the busy highway to Eugene. 

I stood on the road for 3 straight hours with my thumb in the air. I watched to lazy nobos who were laying down in the shade catch a ride to Bend, OR the other way in less than an hour. At 1:30 pm I was almost ready to give up on the hitch for a minute and grab some food when a thought occurred to me. Here I was trying to hitch hike wearing my bright orange shirt with a black stripe. This is the color of the Oregon State Beavers. I am trying to get a ride to Eugene, OR the home of the Oregon Ducks. I still had my green shirt clean and in my pack. I switched my shirt, and was now thumbing a ride in Oregon Duck green. 10 minutes later a vehicle stopped and I had a ride 120 miles to Eugene and only 3 miles from my hotel. The driver never said anything about the color of my shirt, but it seemed like a strange coincidence that I couldn't get a ride in Beaver orange but Duck green was the charm. It's probably better for my safety to be wearing Duck green in this town anyway. 

Cushy hotel with wifi and mini fridge, and a full stomach as well. I'm excited for the next few days of zeros to let everything heal up and any wait to get back on trail on the 19th with my mom doing the 84 mile Crater Lake section with me. Stay tuned for updates on that I have feeling it's going to be an adventure.