Day 143&144 Miles 1884-1934.7

Day 143 

Start: 1884 End: 1909.6 Total: 15

We packed up camp and left around 7. We walked through the same forest and trail as the day before, tons of smaller, spaced out trees on level ground. Soon we came to a road and followed that for a mile or so before coming to a horse camp. We walked to the back of the horse camp and followed another trail for ten miles until arriving at Shadow Cove. 

It was a mosquito filled ten miles but through a lush forest next to many lakes. I listened to Lord of the Rings as I made my way through. 

We got to Shadow Cove resort and were given a few beers each by a man that was visiting his wife who was hiking. There were a lot of other cool new hikers there to hang out with. I chatted a bit with “Sun Up” a triple crowned who is deaf and making up a section she had to skip when she hiked the pct. We exchanged some messages on her phone. Roadie & Mr. Crabs were also there. 

We took showers, did laundry and I called my parents. I got my resupply box and scored some other goodies from the hiker box. Most of the hikers left with Dr. Delirius around 4 but we still had some things left to do. We got some mediocre pizza, played cards and made our way out around 7. We met another couple from Michigan before leaving, Big Bill and her soon to be husband!

We left the campground and were hoping to get a ride a couple miles up the road to the trail but no one was leaving around that time. We walked for about two miles on the road before a van pulled over and gave us a ride up the steeper part of the road. We camped at the trailhead so we would be able to just wake up and start walking the next day!

Day 144 

Start: 1909.6 End: 1934.7 Total: 28

I woke up at the trailhead and for the first time all trail,  I didn’t really feel like getting up and hiking.

Alas I did, I made some oatmeal then hot coffee, made use of the portapottie at the trailhead then we were off! We started the day with a 1000 ft climb broken up by some lakes. We hiked 3 miles up, got some water at the first lake and met Crampa. Crampa, like Grampa but with Cramps, he did to Donner Pass last year, then had to get off trail. He had his knee replaced & now is back to finish. 

We kept going up the climb. We barely got to the top when to our surprise we heard Crampa hot on our tails. Astonished, as he was filtering water when we passed him last, we stepped aside to let him go ahead, he was clearly going faster than we were. The PCT was also following a cross country skiing trail and we did another 1000 ft of climbing. We stopped and had a short break with Crampa then went ahead of him but were soon passed by Crampa again! 

We did 17 miles by lunch and were getting ready to take a short side trail to a lake for lunch when we saw all these signs for trail magic! We went a bit past the turn off and were rewarded with hot dog, chips, cookies, fruit and other goodies by Duckies Mom and Duckies Dad, a former triple crowners parents!

After the trail magic we then swam in the lake and filtered more water. I was really sleepy and struggled to get going again. Roadie & Mr. Crabs caught up at the lake and we were all shooting for the same camp side. 

After the lake we went through an area that had burned, then a year or two later it burned again, so it was completely obliterated. I was debating doing a 24 hour challenge the following day but realized my shoe was so blown out it was starting to cause me some shin pain. 

We did another slow 7/8 miles more after lunch. Met some section hikers B Skillet & Sockburger who gave us some snacks. We then went 3 more miles listening to our book. We arrived at Brahma Lake and camped with  w/ Rainbow, from the UK, Caramel from Belgium/Switzerland and then Roadie & Mr. Crabs. Roadie and Mr. Crabs (a woman) are a couple from Kentucky who did the AT previously as well.