Bucks Lake Zero Day

A good nights sleep was had under the stars on our thick foam mattresses. Terry and Nancy serve us all a very hearty breakfast. There is fresh fruit, eggs, and biscuits and gravy. I think Carol would be happy just in the fact that there was fresh coffee. I do believe that we had more than one serving. After breakfast, we all talked for a bit. Peg Leg (Amy) and Autumn will be staying another night. We will be heading over to Haskins Lodge where we have reservations. Reindeer, Parker, and the Australians are heading out this morning. Terry will be giving them a ride back to the trail.

Reindeer, Peg Leg, Autumn, Pit Stop, Parker, and Navigator

We take a few group pictures minus the Australians who left very early this morning. Terry and I both tell Parker that he was raised right and I tell him to tell his mama that. He definitely learned manners and respect in Kentucky. He tells us that he wasn’t always good growing up and that like a sausage, you don’t want to know what goes into it, just that the end result is good. I think Sausage might now be his trail name although he is afraid that his girlfriend might not understand it. He has been saying that she was concerned when he left that he would be meeting other girls on the trail. She is meeting him in Belden in a few days and has nothing to worry about.  Anyway, we say our goodbyes and they ride off in Terrys car.

Carol volunteers to clean up the hiker hut and bathroom after we all shower again. We hang out some more and then we slowly get our things organized. When I ask Terry if we can get a ride over to the lodge, Nancy says “well aren’t you staying for lunch?” Ensuring us that we are not imposing, there is no way that we can refuse more incredible hospitality. Lunch is another feast, consisting of green pork chili, corn muffins, and a zucchini casserole. I sneak in another beer while I am at it. After lunch, Sonia and Joy, from Donner Lake show up. Around two o’clock, we finally have to release ourselves from the magical vortex that we have found, and Terry gives us a ride to the Haskins Lodge.

We check in at the lodge and get our resupply package from the owner. We go through and try to organize our food and supplies and before we know it, dinner time has arrived.

PCT Hiker Free Beer

we walk down the road to the Bucks Lake Lodge, each get a free PCT Hiker beer to go with our Burger and Nachos. The food is good and we meet some nice people who are camping near the lake. After dinner, back to our BNB we head to get ready for tomorrow. While I am looking over the route, Carol goes downstairs to try to arrange a ride with the owners or a guest. She returns more than an hour later having arranged a ride with the owners husband. She also tells me she met a really nice woman named Shannon from the San Francisco area that I would like. I will see her tomorrow at breakfast. We also decided that instead of the Nero day (which is a day we only hike a little) we had planned tomorrow, that we will hike 10 miles or so to make the next section mileages a bit more pleasant. Originally, we were hiking in today so we were going to meander out tomorrow late in the afternoon. Now that we have had a full no hike day today, we are changing it up. We will eat breakfast at the BNB and head out in the morning to try and beat the heat of mid day again. That means our bed time has arrived. Bucks Lake has been good to us.