Day 19 (23 Miles)

Today was a very tough day. I was sore upon waking as my body was eager to let me know that it had forgotten how to hike after my four day vacation in Bend. Perhaps the toughest segment of the day was a hike up and over the Belknap Crater. In this section the trail was lava bed, typically tennis ball sized rocks (known by thru-hikers as "ankle-breakers") stacked on top of one another for many hot, treeless, miles. In addition these lava rocks are incredibly abrasive, I could feel the precious soles of my New Balance 875s wearing down with each step.

I met my first southbound PCT hiker from Canada today (know as a SOBO). He looked about as I expected a SOBO to look, that is like he had been through a heck of a lot. Most PCT thru-hikers are "NOBOs" and start at the Mexican border and hike northbound through California, Oregon, and Washington on their way to Canada. This is done because, if timed right and with a little luck, it can minimize the amount of time that a hiker must spend hiking on snow, which can be a terrible ordeal. SOBOs, a much smaller group of people, essentially do things backwards, starting in Canada and finishing in Mexico. The crux of this route is Washington, which can be snowbound until late in the summer. This means that a SOBO has typically faced the toughest part of their trip right out of the gates, while NOBOs have a lot more time to get in good shape before tackling their toughest challenges. Anyway, I congratulated this first SOBO for having gotten through Washington and wished him safe travels.

Later in the day I got a good look at Mt. Washington, one of the most photogenic peaks on the trail. However, because my progress had been slowed so much by the Belknap Crater, I was unable to enjoy the view. My goal for the day was to get to the Big Lake Youth Camp by nightfall, so that I could pick up a resupply package that I had mailed to them. With the end of day approaching I bascially started running to the camp.

Running with a pack on is generally not a good idea. Even if your muscles can take it, your feet and socks get torn up easily. Foot health is tantamount to a successful long distance hike, as wounds do not have time to recover since they are pressured day after day. Anyway I was able to make good progress by running. I approached the camp only to find a byzantine system of spur trails with no signs steering me to the right destination. So I got lost. I bushwhacked. I cursed. I got extremely frustrated. And then I came into a clearing...

All of the sudden, I see hundreds of adolescent youths running around a large open area in an apparent mega-sized game of capture the flag. It was surreal. I walked through the chaos to the camp office and proceeded to get my package from a 20-something camp counselor. When I told him I needed my package he smiled and his eyes lit up with a strange glow, as if he had just discovered some hidden truth about the universe. Not to be delayed by his strange expression, I dove into my package to get out my five days worth of snacks that would sustain me on the next section of my hike.

As I packed up my things to find a campsite for the night, the counselor announced that I should camp in "The Coves" near their site. When I thanked him for the recommendation he turned to me with the same bewildering expression as before and said, "you will like The Coves, and The Coves are no longer underwater." Not to be deterred by his creepiness I said, "I am happy The Coves are no longer underwater, the best camping is always done above water." At that point I tried my best to summon a strange look for the counselor, not sure if he noticed.