We’re hiking the Oregon Desert Trail!! We? Me, Dan, and Bubbles! Our good friends Marmot and Gabriel will also be hiking the ODT this season, starting a couple weeks after us. Even though we’re not all hiking together, it’s been really fun to have a constant chatter via email and group text among us ladies as we discuss our preparations, answering such vital questions as “how many days are you planning for the Rome to McDermit leg?”, “what temperature sleeping bag are you using?” and “are you bringing your tutu?”.

I meant to map an overview map to include here, but, as often happens, the pre-hike to-do list was too long, and it was neglected. Visit ONDA for all the info.

The short version is the ODT winds through the southeast Oregon desert, connecting a bunch of areas of important conservation for about 750 miles. It’s a route, not a trail, and is full of all sorts of ridiculousness like 47 mile waterless stretches, swimming the Owyhee river, and no showers or leafy greens for multiple weeks.

Let’s go!