Thursday, July 18
We got a lazy start from Shelter Cove, 1 pm instead of the planned 11 am. I’d woken early to help Bluejay with a kinesiotape job to the lateral hamstring – being a PT in the trail earns you some serious trail cred, e.g. triple chocolate s’mores and a ProBar (both trail delicacies). Bethani and I headed up, up, up out of the resort (that’s always how it works once you’ve resupplied and are as heavy as ever), passing loads of unripened bunchberry and huckleberry along the way. We passed the Rosary Lakes, a series of three picturesque blue mountain lakes that fit our fancy and set hearts to singing. Another entry on the list for a return visit!

We covered just 8 miles to our goal of the Maiden Peak Ski Shelter, a homey log cabin with plenty of space and charm. It was such a treat to stretch out on a clean floor, no tent zippers, and lots on space to roll out all the sore spots with a tennis ball. Deluxe accommodations!

Friday, July 19
TODAY MARKS 48 HOURS WITHOUT USE OF MY HEADNET. 😁😁
It also marks over halfway across Oregon!! Wild.

We woke cold this morning, feeling breeze through every crack in the roof of the shelter from our loft bunks. A fellow camper cited a temp of 41 degrees, which made me feel a lot better about my chilly nose.
More forest walking today, which is my favorite in the early morning, as the sunlight filters through a tapestry of hanging moss from soaring trees.

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We made a pitstop at Bobby Lake for a water refill and to soak in the views… fantastic once again.
Energy was hard to come by, and I was dragging my feet. We took our lunch at Charleton Lake, where the bugs were few and the views were phenomenal. One and a half hours passed before we hefted our packs again, and promptly met a guy – he later introduced himself as Jake – in Carhartt overalls who offered us chocolate cake with blueberries. Um, YES.
While he was away fetching the cake, another older man came by with his small dog, Blackie. We shared small talk for a long stretch, and he asked about the small Venezuelan flag on my pack. We explained a bit about our pledge drive and Bethani’s organization, to which he asked, “Do you take donations on the trail?”, digging a $20 from his wallet and thrusting it into my hand. What generosity!!
Our chocolate cake arrived, and was consumed with great vigor. Jake had offered to take our trash (one less thing to carry!), so we bid adieu to our benefactor and walked down the shoreline to find Jake. When we made it back to our backpacks, we found boxes of Mike and Ikes on top; another gift from the donor!
Jake then proceeded to offer us a tour of his bus-turned-home, which he had essentially built himself; very impressive! We thanked him for all his gifts, and headed up the trail after nearly 3 hours at Charleton.
My energy was bolstered, and my feet felt lighter. We logged a 17 mile day, ending after a burn area that Dodger described as a parkour course, crawling over and around deadfalls. Few things make me feel more like a whale than climbing over a large log whilst wearing 30 pounds on my back. But each precarious scramble jostled the Mike and Ikes in my bag, making me smile each time. 😊

Sabbath, July 20
We reveled in Sabbath rest this morning at Horseshoe Lake, sleeping in until 9:00am after I got up to watch the sunrise at 5:45.

Our trail start of 10 o’clock was our latest yet, but we felt refreshed and ready for our tour of lakes, passing lakes and ponds every ½ mile all morning long. Of course, this also meant we were joined by mosquitoes most of the day, but complaints are minimal after any experience with the Mozzies of Christi’s Spring. The sun warmed the earth (and our backs) throughout the day as we wound our way over the trail rolling through heavily scented fir forests and marshy bear grass, all punctuated by the busy buzz of flies. Really, the only radical event of the day was stopping at a receding pond to rinse my socks and feet of the incessant and skin-irritating fine dust, kicking the water vigorously to scare away large tadpoles and a couple snakes, making sure I didn’t scoop any up into my water bag. I haven’t swallowed any amphibians yet!
After a chill 13 miles (including an hour rest by DeSane Lake with Dodger), we set up shop at Horseshoe Lake for an early evening. Nine miles to Elk Lake Resort in the morning!