So, we're midway through day 6, and Scratch decided to relieve the disappointment of Callahan's by playing some pinecone golf. It was strange to walk along I-5, with the noise and the fumes.. We found the trail on the east side of the road, and were soon in the woods. We needed water pretty badly at this point, and the springs indicated in the book were stagnant and low. Scratch climbed a scrubby hillside to a spring and filtered us 6 liters of warm, slightly muddy water.. The book advised that section B is one of the least scenic, driest stretches of the PCT in Oregon or Washington, so we at least weren't disappointed in that regard.. Fortunately we came prepared with crystal light packs, and soon turned the water into lemonade and fruit punch! Those things are fantastic, we can't recommend them highly enough.
We continued hiking, knowing we would be making a dry camp. The scenery was actually nice, Pilot Rock kept getting closer, and we agreed that the terrain reminded us of the Rod and Gun Club in Roseburg. There were wild lilies everywhere, and butterflies.
As we were hiking up a grassy hillside, the cell phone rings. it was Scratch's adorable older brother, Josh. So here he is, trekking poles in one hand, cell phone in the other, climbing a hill. I was walking behind him, cracking up. I guess we forgot to turn it off after calling home.
We made camp late in the day, on the east side of Pilot Rock near two rocky outcrops, with a view south of Shasta.
The next morning, we were walking along, Scratch turned and said with panic in his voice, "Run! Go back the other way!" So I book back down the trail, thinking a cougar is going to land on me, when I hear him shout. I turned and he motioned me back to him, saying, "It's OK, it was a skunk." We had a laugh over it, but I asked him if next time he could shout out the nature of the emergency, so I can adjust my panic accordingly.. He said he saw it running down the trail straight for us, and panicked. Glad we didn't get sprayed!!
We walked on to a fenced compound with a spring, filtered more water and had something to eat, then went on towards Little Hyatt Reservoir. When we got there, we met 3 guys that worked at the resort, who informed us that Hyatt Lake had a pizza place. We heard that and practically ran the last 3 miles. Hyatt Lake no longer formally caters to hikers, but the BLM campground across the dam has a beautiful, free hiker camp, right behind the showers. We were given 4 cans of beer by a man who was impressed we were hiking, and drank it while taking long, lavish showers.. Then we put on our cleanest clothes, and went for pizza. It was so good, as was the pitcher of beer. Being pub fans, we immediately felt at home, and they offered to save our leftovers for us in the restaurant fridge.
They have no laundry facilities, so we used our collapsible basin and did our laundry in the shower. Whatever works...and that thing is great. A piece of gear that weighs 2oz, costs $5, and we use it everyday. Bathing, laundry, dishes, and I even heated water to make a warm footbath with lavender oil.... That's luxury... Anyway, we spent our slack day playing rummy and hanging out at our camp.
The next morning, we climbed over the fence and into the woods. We soon crossed Keno Access Road, marking our first 100 miles! We celebrated by making some hummus and eating the chips we bought at Hyatt Lake. The excitement never ends! We made good time and hiked until dusk, then made a dry camp by a logging road.
The next morning, we rose early and hiked to Dead Indian Road, where we tried to look pitiful and hitch a ride to Lake of the Woods. No dice, :(We walked ten miles to Lake of the Woods, then picked up our resupply box. Mmmm, lots of food, and a bunch of other crap we didn't need or want. We'd had perfect weather, so we didn't need the extra ponchos, didn't need batteries, didn't need that many MRE's.... So we made a hiker box at Lake of the Woods.. check it out.
What a cute little resort! The lounge staff was fantastic! Thank you guys, for making us feel so welcome! We had good food and very generously poured drinks! We were able to do laundry, shower and send mail. I also recieved, via UPS, a new ThermaRest from my mom. My high tech, 4season, $90 one developed a leak on the third night, so i'd had a week of discomfort. The 15 year old one, however, works beautifully!! We spent another great slack day playing rummy and watching drunk guys try to put their boats in the water...
We also had special guests, the Jordanian King and his son, touring Oregon on their Harleys. They'd just been at Crater Lake, and they stopped at Lake of the Woods for a cold drink, complete with their cadre of secret service, all on Harleys. And our secret service, driving SUVs and carrying automatic weapons..
Scratch and I later wondered if the Secret Service was aware that every Billy Bob Joe Ray in that campground probably had a gun in his truck?
Day 12 brought the smoke back too, so we were anxious to get going, up in elevation to the beautiful Sky Lakes Wilderness. Section B wasn't terrible, but it wasn't exciting either. The trail was mostly low, scrubby manzanita. We went through some viewless fir forest, not too many blowdows, and no snow. The book was correct about the lack of water, and it will only get worse throughout the summer, so carry extra bottles. The resorts and the people we met were what made it special.
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