Start: 833.3
Stop: 854.6
Today’s miles: 21.3
Total PCT miles: 1042.3
Croc Miles: 152.9
We got up early today, knowing it would be a hot and long walk without much water out of Mazama Village. The fact that I drank some wine last night with dinner and stayed up chatting and then writing until after 10pm-I’m shocked I didn’t feel bad this morning!
I hugged Marquis and Keith bye, but then Marquis came with Margot and I. We went by the village store and got some breakfast and drinks, hung out a minute to eat, before starting down the road. Marquis took my sucky shoes from me to mail back to Mom, so she can take them into REI to get me my $180 back. Normally I don’t return stuff to them, if I can help it-but that’s a lot of money for shoes that hardly helped me get only 35 miles of usage. He’s also going to mail in my Darn Tough socks to exchange. Sweet man.
We all three hugged again and said our byes at the road, Margot and I hiked up the road to the trail and Marquis stayed to hitch to the Rim lodge to get better WiFi so he can have a remote appointment with a physical therapist. We were so sad to go on without him, but hopefully they’ll be able to help him get that leg back in good shape! I hate the idea of hiking on without him.
The trail wasn’t much different than before getting to Crater Lake. Blow downs to step over and lose a croc on here and there, burn zones, and long water carries. We had to go 20 miles without a water source, so, that really sucked. I realized my newest pair of socks, the ones I just put on at Shelter Cove a few days ago already have MASSIVE holes where the pads of my feet are. Which is so awesome, because, not only do tiny rocks, pine needles, sticks get wedged in my shoes, now those lovely things also get stuck between my socks and my actual skin. Cool.
We ate lunch early, in a burn zone, but in the only shade we could find. We also had to lay out our tents to let them dry out from all the condensation at the campground. Once we started hiking again, I started an audiobook, “The House Across The Lake,” (excellent) and it helped distract me from the heat and my feet hurting in my crocs. We leapfrogged with a couple section hiking, MountainGoat and HipBone, and then CEO and Bluebs passed us. We never saw Keith though.
Several hikers that passed me going NOBO would ask about campsites and water coming up for them, close to 6pm I started doing the same to them. Apparently the water we were planning to camp at already had several tents set up. I got to the spring before that one, and then found us a place to camp that seemed much better than our original plan.. flatter and no people! Win-win!
The sun is setting through the trees giving off this perfect orange glow. It is gorgeous. We already ate dinner and are all tucked in ready for some shut eye. I can see two guys that just came through and are camping down the hill near us. They’re quiet but their headlamps are blinding. Hopefully they cut them off here soon. Either way, my earplugs are going in and I’m going to sleep! Sweet dreams!