It was the early morning…dew drops slowly slid down wild flower petals, the smoke from wildfires began to clear and the bluest of all blue skies suddenly emerged around a tangerine sun. Where was this place?! It was just the evening before that I had trudged up a hot, smokey mountain side to reach a far off, mythical place…a place known to thru-hikers as an Oz; a place where the trail was rumored to become a catalyst to an imaginary easy-mile-walking-wonderland. Ha!!! “That was never going to happen” I thought. “It was all rumors.” I soon had begun to think that this place, a place known as Oregon, was just a mythical rumor too! As far as I was concerned, the state of California would never end no matter how far I walked. Even on this evening, as I reached this so called “border” I still didn’t really believe I had reached the end of California. And that was fine; California was brutal but beautiful so I might as well walk California all the way to Canada. And so it was, in a rather ho-hum conundrum, that I arrived at the “border.” I took some pictures, wrote in the trail register, and sat…rather worn out with fellow hiker Roulette. I think perhaps he felt the same way. So, without much adieu, we pressed on into the setting sun. 
Our footsteps continued into the darkness. A late camp was set and a quick diner was had. And then…well…I just don’t remember much. But somehow I had fallen so deeply asleep that I must have been transported to awake to this magical morning! Everything really did look different and I felt different…I really was in another state! After 1700 miles of walking in California, I had finally reached Oregon!!! So nothing better to do than to…dance!
So how did it finally happen? Well I’m not quite sure but I do remember…
Some wilderness signs…
And lots more mountains…
And some caves…
Springs, roads and a state called Jefferson…
Blackberries, rides to towns with sweet dogs and a Jackaloupe… 
A chicken crossing a road… 
Yummy food and really awesome people… 
Late night rattle snakes…
Lots more trail magic from kind people…
It’s really the things above that helped me reach this milestone! So I guess that border crossing was pretty awesome after all! 
And now that I’m REALLY in Oregon it’s been great! I’ve been taken in and cleaned up… 
And taken on field trips…
And it’s with the kindness and love that I’ve been given here in Oregon that I will reach my next milestone! Thank you so much! I’m ready and excited to look beyond the rumors and discover the trail here for myself, no matter how it may be…flat or steep…easy or tough. Go Oregon!
PIE ON A TRAIL 