Day 95: Wednesday, August 7

Tenting at the Hyatt Lake Campground (PCT mi 1750.0), walked 23.6 miles today

It rained a respectable amount last night but my tent did what I pay it to do and I stayed nice and dry. Woke up at 7:30 to Flower leaving, doubtless for some end goal 35+ miles away. Kicked around in the backyard and the lodge itself for an hour or so, ate the remainder of yesterday's chips and guac for breakfast, then skedaddled. Had an interminable road walk next to the interstate (not on it though) just to get back to the trail, then it climbed uphill for awhile. It wasn't steep but my legs couldn't tell the difference, they were dead and stiff and weak the entire time because of the Zero Day Effect, wherein the body gets used to moving around without a pack on, then not only do you have to put the pack back on the next morning, but it's significantly heavier than the last time your body remembers it because of all the new food that's been acquired. So every step was more of a struggle today than it should've been, but I did my best to ignore it and take care of business anyway.

The trail passed through a lot of small-time woods today, not especially scenic but not especially ugly. Not many other hikers about because no one staying in Ashland proper would've been all the way back out to the trail by 9. VP and Lucky Man were the only northbound thrus I saw today ... Crossed paths with a sobo named Forrest and he gave me some reassuring info about the mosquitos up ahead. Straight Jacket (2010) in Yogi's book eloquently summed up the mosquito situation for the 50 miles before Crater Lake by saying, "Carry DEET, and a gun to shoot yourself with." But Forrest told me it wasn't too bad for him, and that means it'll be even less of an issue for me, arriving a week later than him. Granted, southbounders on any trail are categorically a deceitful and discord-loving lot, but I liked the cut of this fellow's jib. I trust him.

Got to this fantastic campground by Hyatt Lake around 7:30 ... There is a separate area for walk-ins and the bathrooms are heated and have power outlets and the showers are piping hot and completely free and unlimited. Words don't begin to describe how rare and luxurious all of those things are. Lucky Man and I are the only ones here, aside from an obese family of car-campers who either ignored or were incapable of reading (it's southern Oregon; the latter's totally possible) the Walk-Ins Only sign. Tomorrow I don't know for sure what I'm doing but a 30 to Fish Lake Resort for dinner is a strong probability.