On The Trail

Alsie Campbell, left, and Mary Campbell are all smiles August 28 after arriving at Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks, their final destination after hiking for two months on the Pacific Crest Trail.

On July 8th, LBCC Math Instructor Mary Campbell and her 80 year old Mother-in-law Alsie Campbell set out for a two month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. It was an adventure they would never forget, creating plenty of entertaining stories for them to share when it was all over.

They presented a slideshow to a packed "house" at the Benton Center on Thursday, with over 60 people in attendance. Babs Sether, a friend of Mary's who works in Admin. at the Benton Center, had heard about all the beautiful views and what all they experienced through Mary's husband, who kept friends and family updated during their trip.  Sether was one of many who were looking forward to finally seeing the photos.

Alsie, nicknamed "Greenbelt Granny," removed the green 'belt' she was wearing to demonstrate the many uses she had found for it on her trip. The scarf/bandana/belt and more was a gift from "old hiking buddies" and had a map printed on it as well. "Don't carry anything you can't use in three different ways." she said.

The Campbell's started training in January doing lots of walking and adding more and more weight to their packs as time went on, helping them to prepare for the heavy gear they'd be carrying on their hike. During their trip, Mary's backpack weighed 35-37 pounds at its heaviest, and Alsie's was 32-34 pounds, depending on how much water was in them.

Alsie has been a longtime supporter and member of Greenbelt Land Trust, a local non-profit that protects natural areas. She shared with them her plans for hiking the Oregon section of the PCT and they worked together on a fundraiser, with supporters pledging per mile that Alsie walked or simply giving donations to support her.

Over 100 people gave in Alsie's name raising over $6400 for the Greenbelt Land Trust trails fund, to help restore and rebuild trails.. "So many people were inspired because of her age, to get out, get active, and get on trails. And that's really what Greenbelt is all about." said Jessica McDonald, Greenbelt Land Trust's Development Director.

The Oregon section  of the PCT begins South of Mt. Ashland and ends 465 miles later at The Bridge of the Gods. Mary and Alsie Campbell started their journey at Siskiyou Summit and hiked between 10-12 miles a day. They were ready for anything that came their way. Often times water was 8 miles apart, and at two points it was 20 miles apart. They were very grateful for the "snow angels" who leave water on the trails where there's no water for long periods.

Their cell phones only worked from time to time at the tops of ridges, but they did carry a SPOT,  a satellite transmitter which sends messages via email including your GPS location and messages including: we're okay, need assistance, or stopping to rest.


The photos they shared included views of the beautiful scenery around them and quiet times around camp where the rested and ate before their next long haul. Marilyn Bervin, who had taken a pencil drawing class with Mary, said she just loved all the wildflower photos. The audience marveled at the beautiful wildflowers like the Orange Honeysickle, White-stemmed Fraseria, Queen Cup, and Phantom Orchid.

One of the photos they shared showed them at Skylake's Wilderness, just South of Devil's Peak, where they used walking sticks to cross a rocky, snow-covered, steep mountain. At one point, they went home for five days and waited for the snow to pass. Other times, they camped between snow piles. It would freeze at night and they'd have to wait a couple hours for the snow to thaw before they could head out.

Most of the time when it rained, they were at camp in their tents, trying to keep warm and dry, despite two leaky tents, which they had to replace. Friends and family members would bring them supplies when needed and also shared in their journey by hiking with them for short periods along the way.

Any time they camped at a lake, they tried to do laundry, although as Alsie pointed out, they didn't have any soap. "We didn't smell very good but we didn't care." joked Mary.  They tried to eat five times a day, consuming around 2500 calories. Alsie went through three pairs of shoes, but they had a safe trip, never having to break into their first-aid kit.

They put tarps up for shade on hot days, which were at times up in the 90's. They "bear-bagged" their food (rigged to store up high away from animals,) and rested when they needed to. "Any flat spots after walking 10 miles looked good to us." said Mary. 

Their photos told a story for all to enjoy and admire.

"It's very inspiring and hopeful that as you age, you can do something like that." said Gretchen Dursch, who takes an exercise class at the Benton Center. Mary Ann Matzke, another attendee, said she really liked the pictures of the trails. "You could see how they were living day to day."

At the end of their slideshow, they laughed about whether they plan to make the trip again in the future. They may not be quite ready yet but clearly they experienced an amazing adventure full of challenges and rewards. "Some of the hardest parts were so gorgeous, you didn't mind." said Mary.

For more information on Greenbelt Land Trust and to view Alsie's journal and photos from the trip, visit www.greenbeltlandtrust.org.