Elk Lake

PCT 2018 Day 83, July 14, Saturday

Start mile 1935.8, campsite near small lake

End mile 1966.5, tentsite

Miles walked: 30.7

The trail goes by many lakes, ponds, and mosquitos in the morning. Fog rises from the surface of some lakes in early morning. Elk Lake Resort has many visitors today. A hamburger selfie… The resort does not offer wifi, so there is no reason to linger. I grab an ice cream cone on my way out and return to the trail. The next two photos go together. In the Three Sisters Wilderness, some peaks rise suddenly above mountain meadow. Le Conte Crater is an old volcano. Then comes the Three Sisters, starting with South Sister. Behold Middle Sister. North Sister must wait until tomorrow.

Finished audiobook A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway.

So Many Lakes

PCT 2018 Day 82, July 13, Friday

Start mile 1904.1, trail junction with Shelter Cove Trail

End mile 1935.8, campsite near small lake

Miles walked: 31.7

Many lakes and ponds today. Mosquitos were so relentless that I needed to wear a headnet nearly all day. A flotilla of ducklings go out on a lake. A nordic ski hut gives temporary refuge from skeeters. A burn area with new growth makes patterns for the eyes with snags and downed trees. For the last several miles of the day, I passed several lakes and ponds, with mosquitos getting aggressive. Eventually I need to put on a windbreaker for extra bite protection, and did end the day a little early just to retreat inside a tent with good insect netting.

Finished audiobook The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, read by Brenda Dayne.

Shelter Cove

PCT 2018 Day 81, July 12, Thursday

Start Oregon Skyline Trail mile zero, water cache

End Oregon Skyline Trail mile 20.6, then Shelter Cove Trail

Miles walked: 20.6

Magic Beans and I had decided to walk the alternate route to Shelter Cove resort, the Oregon Skyline Trail, slightly shorter with more water sources. With a name like Skyline you expect walking on high exposed ridges, right? No, just more green tunnel. Why the name? The path does go by a number of lakes and ponds. Closer to the end, the forest looks different. Can you spot the change? Answer: Much more moss on the trees. I do not have a theory for the change.

I arrive at the resort in early afternoon. Magic Beans was already here, with several section and thru-hikers hanging out at the picnic tables. Magic Beans does not stay, but I have planned to get a tent site and shower and do laundry. But my supply box has not arrived. Luckily, it comes at the 6PM UPS delivery. Wifi is slow, yet again, so almost no podcasts can be downloaded even with hours of attempts and multiple timeouts. The Cove does have a hiker tent nearby with good hiker boxes of free stuff, and a microwave, which I use to heat water for meals and tea. Spacejam arrives later in the afternoon, and I meet Jake, Socrates, Allison, Bryan, Scrappy, Nalgene, and TwoSpeed.