Mile 1867 to 1888

We wake, eat quickly and try not to wake the southbounder who has joined our camp. As we hike the 2 miles to the spring trail split, we are glad we camped where we did. The terrain only gets steeper and impossible to camp on.

Spring Trickle

At the spring trail split, Kevin tends to his blisters. I empty my pack and carry a water filter and 5 empty bottles down 4/10 of a mile. There are disgusting muck ponds, but further down I find a trickle of a flow and manage to fill the 5 liters.

Meanwhile Kevin talks to a thru-hiker up on the ridge who earlier met a group of gun carrying Sasquatch believers. They claim the local rangers are well aware of the colony, and there have been many confirmed sightings. I’m pretty sure they are mistaking the hairy, stinky, fast moving, herd of thru-hikers as the colony.

Lake View

We are seeing a lot of southbound thru-hikers. They usually start mid-July to mid-August, and they are hitting us now. They tell us that contrary to the guidebooks, Shelter Cove has no restaurant. They do have a microwave for frozen pizza and hot dogs. At least our expectations have been properly set.

We pass yet another water cache at a service road. We don’t need water, but stop to make tortilla wraps with peanut butter and beef jerky, which is surprisingly tasty. We hike mostly downhill to the beautiful but mosquito-y Summit Lake. We are spoiled by the pit toilet and picnic table. Kids are riding their bikes through our camp, but we don’t mind. It is good to see kids free from electronics and off the couch. We try to sleep with blinding moonlight shining on our tents.

Luxury Camp at Summit Lake