Crater Lake to BLYC
DAY 125 (September 7)
To Lower Rosary Lake
16 miles
Again pretty flat today and a fairly easy walk although there were another 2 junctions where I had doubts. My phone had run out of battery and I remembered from the water report that one of the water sources was at Diamond Lake which was indicated so the first one was easy, at the second Junction it said PCT to the left but my gut feeling told me it should be straight ahead. Also, there were more footprints in that direction. Hm? As the sun had come out I started charging my phone to be able to check in one of the apps but although charging was pretty fast I did not get any GPS signal. I went back to the junction and looking closer I saw an arrow on the ground pointing straight ahead. Bingo!
About two hours later I arrived at the Shelter Cove Resort. Giggles was there already, she had done an amazing 35 miles the previous day/night and had camped just right before the resort.
I pulled out my tent and sleeping bag to let it dry in the sun before getting a big cup of coffee (they had a real espresso machine and were also offering cappuccino!).
There were quite a few Nobos there that I hadn't seen since Casa de Luna: Mighty Mouse and Smart Bear and Stranger Ranger.
Spent the afternoon trying to check with Salomon for my shoes which started getting holes everywhere which was a bit of a challenge/hassle as there was no coverage and the WiFi was very weak. It took me various calls to find out that I had to send photos and the receipt for them to check for a warranty case. No quick solution seemed to be possible despite my insistence It seemed to me that the customer service person (who seemed to be from the UK) did not even know what the PCT was.
There was almost a little party going on late afternoon and more familiar faces had arrived (Koreans, Jammin, Fancy Pants, Jazzman, Blackout), I hiked out and made it back to the PCT and to a lake in about 6 miles.
DAY 126 (September 8)
To Tentsite Mile 1735
27.4 miles
Listening to podcasts made my afternoon walk go by quite fast.
Got to a lovely lake and this was once more a moment where I wished I could stay for a day or so.
But Canada is calling …
DAY 127 (September 9)
To Hinton Creek, mile 1963
27.4 miles
The day warmed up quickly again. I had a bit of a hiccup missing a creek and got pretty thirsty climbing that hill. In the late afternoon, the scenery with those volcanic mountains in the distance was quite lovely. I think I might have spotted the Three Sisters. I decided to set up camp by a creek under a welcoming tree.
DAY 128 (September 10)
Beautiful but exhausting day
25.8 miles
Surprisingly, I slept really warm although I camped close to a creek and a meadow. The first hours of walking felt superslow and physically tired.
Walked through a great volcanic landscape and finally the 3 sisters came into sight.
During my breakfast break, I was chatting with a couple from Seattle about rain and weather conditions in Washington. Before leaving they gave me some of their snacks and their phone number in case I am going to need something once I am up there (it's actually only 300 miles away now).
The late afternoon was a long and tedious walk through a lava field and although the views were fascinating, I was happy when I finally arrived at camp at 7.45.
Looking forward to breakfast at the youth camp tomorrow where I am going to pick up a resupply box and use the shower and laundry. Haven't done that since Ashland!
DAY 129 (September 11)
To Big Lake Youth Camp
First class breakfast
I heard Jazzman make noise and when I looked at my phone it was 5.15. A bit early but I was awake anyway so why not pack and start walking?
It was an easy and fast walk to the camp. A sign “Welcome PCT hikers” greeted me at the entrance and somehow I was moved by that simple sign.
I walked into an area with various small houses but could not see anyone. When I arrived at a building called headquarters, I spotted a host that was showing Jazzman around. I joined the tour and then went to a building called “the lodge” where they serve the meals.
Looking around I saw Savannah whom I had seen last time close to Warner Springs! She is hiking alone now as her friend has left the trail in Truckee. Also Detour and Cheeto Burrito were there, don't remember where but I had seen them before.
The breakfast was great: croissants, muesli, all different kinds of milk, fruit salad, toast, coffee, different kinds of tea, chai.
I spend the rest of the day doing laundry, showering, doing errands on the Internet (especially trying to order new shoes and warmer gear for Washington), and talking to some volunteers working at the camp building/renovating the houses.
Sidney & Jamie, Jammin, and Man arrived, also Twilight whom I had not met before.
