Document text
2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Attorney general investigating Klamath County Sheriff's Office ... Gold Hill couple on trial for child abuse ... Burglars steal 10 laptops from new charter school ... Attorney general investigating Klamath County Sheriff's Office ... Gold Hill couple on trial for child abuse ... Burglars steal 10 laptops from new charter school ... 77-year-old hikes Pacific Crest Trail across Oregon for charity Comment By Lauren Kronebusch The (Longview) Daily News MailTribune.com By Lauren Kronebusch The (Longview) Daily News Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM By Lauren Kronebusch The (Longview) Daily News Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News   LONGVIEW, Wash. — At 77 years old, Carl Lindemaier says he's in better shape now than he was in his 20s. You need to be in order to hike close to 500 miles across Oregon like Lindemaier did. The Ryderwood, Wash., man brought his 39-day trek to a finish Thursday night. After grabbing a hamburger, fries and "the biggest mocha I could find," Lindemaier walked halfway across the Bridge of Gods at the Cascade Locks and met his goal of crossing Oregon on the Pacific Crest Trail to raise money for the volunteer-run Cowlitz County Search and Rescue. "It was like the race was over," he said by phone Friday. Lindemaier is the oldest volunteer with Cowlitz County Search and Rescue, which receives state money only in the form of the occasional reimbursements for gas. The hike brought in $755 for the organization by Friday. While Lindemaier can claim his oldest volunteer title, he doesn't measure age like most of us. "Age, to me, is just a number. (Your) actual age is an attitude," Lindemaier reflected. And that makes him young, physically and mentally. The retired animal photographer and avid mountaineer said he wanted to do the hike, the longest of his life, because he needed some extra oomph. Lindemaier has climbed every peak on the West Coast but Mount Jefferson. "Whenever you get up in the morning and don't have any challenge, it's not worth getting up," he said. "I needed the personal challenge." Asked if he encountered any problems on the trail, which follows the North Cascades, Lindemaier responded with characteristic optimism. "I don't think there were any problems. Just challenges," he said. Like the ridgelines he followed, the trip was replete with joyful ups and frustrating downs. There was a lava field stretching for miles, covered only by fist-size rocks hikers crush precariously underfoot, made more difficult by the acute sense of boredom many hikers suffer on the trail. It's a chance to let your mind wander and occasionally go a little crazy, Lindemaier reflected. "Days and days in and you're in trees," he said of boredom on the trail. "I saw a frog, and I wanted to talk to him. And he didn't want any part of that!" There was the 69,000-acre wildfire burning up near Warm Springs which packed Lindemaier onto a bus for a 30-mile trip around the fire. But there were also moments of tranquility, like a perch on the border of deep blue Crater Lake, which Lindemaier described as one of the most beautiful areas of the trail. There were moments that make any hiker glad to be alive, like unexpected shelter from the rain at the Huckleberry Inn at Government Camp, complete with a warm shower and a laundromat. Or breakfast at Timberline Lodge, from which Lindemaier could see the massive white cloud hanging over the Warm Springs fire he safely avoided. Lindemaier, who owns and maintains 17 acres of land outside of Ryderwood, is never one to sit down for long. After a solid night's rest and a late breakfast, he was already planning on doing the Portland Marathon in the fall. "I always tell them at the beginning, leave the lights on," he said. By Lauren Kronebusch The (Longview) Daily News MailTribune.com By Lauren Kronebusch The (Longview) Daily News Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501