Today’s Miles: 20
PCT Miles Hiked: 423/2660
I thought about it last night and decided I’m definitely going into Trout Lake today. My campsite is 20 miles from the road where you can get a hitch into Trout Lake. I’ll wake up early, bust out the 20, and hopefully get there by early afternoon. It seems like the best of everything- getting miles in for the day while also getting the perks of being in town.
So that’s exactly what I do. By 10:45 am, I’m 6.5 miles from the road to Trout. On a whim, I check if I have service and I do. On Guthook, there is a list of trail angels who offer rides for the 12 miles into town. It seems too good to be true, but I call the first number I see listed.
A woman answers the phone. “Is this the number to call to inquire about a ride from the PCT?” I ask somewhat hesitantly. She tells me one moment and hands the phone to her husband, Doug. Doug tells me sure he can pick me up today, what time do I expect to be there? I make some quick calculations and tell him 1 pm. I hang up, surprised and touched by the simplicity and kindness of people. A one minute phone call and I have a ride waiting for me on the road.
Sure enough, there Doug is in a beat-up blue pickup truck waiting for me when I emerge on the road. In the car, he tells me he is a retired high school music teacher and moved here from Portland about 15 years ago. He’s a member of the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) and tells me sometimes he does what they say, and sometimes he doesn’t. He has me sign my name in a binder, making it feel all very official.
Doug drops me off in the middle of town, which features two buildings. One is the general store and the other is a large rectangular shaped building. The rectangular building other has a diner on one edge, a car maintenance shop in the middle, and a cafe on the other edge. It’s very peculiar. But there’s coffee and internet at the cafe so I order an iced-latte, make myself eat lunch from my trail food which I have way too much of, and kick it on a grassy area behind the building.
After an hour or so, I see Max-Heap walking around and I call him over. He tells me he got a bed at a lady named Johanna’s house. More specifically, Johanna has a trailer set up in her front yard that she lets hikers stay at for a cheap price, only $20 a night. The trailer holds two beds for two people, and Max-Heap says he is the only one so far. So I call Johanna, grab that extra bed, and have myself a spot for the night.
I arrive to my trailer bed in the early evening and grab a shower for an additional $5 in the house. Johanna arrives home from work shortly after and she invites Max-Heap and myself to have a beer in the backyard. As we sip our beers, Johanna tells us about her colorful life. She’s majored in philosophy/woman’s studies in college, currently lives with her 3 teenage kids in Trout Lake, and tells us about moving around the country for a while with her kids.
As we finish our drinks, Johanna reminds us we are welcome to eat dinner in her house for an additional $15. I hesitate as I had my heart set on an elk burger from the diner, but the conversation has been good and Johanna says there will be bacon grilled cheese sandwiches with Gazpacho to go with it. Max-Heap and I say we are in, and it turns out to be totally the right call. We have dinner at the table with Johanna and two of her teenage kids, and it’s fun to be part of a family atmosphere.
The night winds down and I head back into the trailer. The trailer itself looks pretty old on the outside, but the inside is well kept and more spacious then I would have guessed. The bed is absolutely amazing, and it must be a full, if not a queen. I’m going to sleep well tonight.
