DAY 130: SHELTER COVE RESORT

miles: unsure

Definitely wet this morning. Our sleeping bags were soaked, the inside and outside of the tent was soaked. We were covered in moisture. Perhaps lakeside camping is not a bright idea? We slept with the tent doors open in order to mitigate the condensation but... it just opened the door for even more moisture.

The lake in the morning.

Sunrise.

I'm fascinated by Oregon History.

"This is part of your American hertiage. Honor it, protect it, preserve it for your children."

Interesting sign, interesting bridge.

Now begins a series of interesting tree orifices:

Inspection of the tree orifices.

Does anyone know what these tree markings are? They look like someone carved the letter "i" into the tree some time ago and the tree has since engulfed the carving and created a series of tree orifices/scars.

We were thrilled at the thought of getting to Shelter Cove Resort, our stop for the day. What would it be like? What amenities would they provide? You never know with these small town "resorts" what you are going to get. Sometimes they are expensive, touristy and fancy and sometimes they are trailers and shacks or places of no electricity.

You just never know what to expect. I've learned to not get my hopes up.

When we arrived at Shelter Cove, we were pleasantly surprised! The employees were super helpful, unbelievably hiker friendly, and full-service. We were able to shower, albeit for $1.50 for 3 minutes - a militant amount of time. We were able to do laundry. They had good snacks, ice cream and beer. They allowed us to hang out on their side porch and charge our devices. There was a magnificent hiker box full of goodies and the setting was nice.

Here we would wait for Smiles and Dr. Slosh, who have been hiking just a half day behind us for a few days now. We couldn't wait to hike with them again! A team we would be.

After our chores were done, we sat by the communal fireplace and looked out at Odell Lake, reminiscing about our college days at the University of Oregon, just a few hours away. This is the first time on the trail I have felt like I am "home". I feel at home here, like we are getting closer and closer (finally) to the Pacific Northwest and all that is familiar. Highway 58 and Willamette Pass is nostalgic for both Ben and I because both of us have done a lot of hiking and snowshoeing in this area. It will be fun to connect the dots, revisit old haunts, and enjoy our old stomping grounds. It feels great to be home.

The familiar! These woods! These lakes! I remember all of this!

Shelter Cove Resort.

A nice communal fire pit with plastic adirondack chairs.

A nice setting. Odell Lake in the background.

Perfect place to put your feet up.

Smiles and Dr. Slosh arrived in the evening and we rejoiced and recounted stories from our last few legs of the trip, comparing and contrasting our take on the recent storms. They have dealt with the same series of thunderstorms, same rainy days, same extreme weather conditions, only in different places. It is nice to know that other people are out there on the trail, experiences the same challenges and overcoming them. It is easy to feel alone out there, especially when we go days without seeing another hiker. This past leg (from Crater Lake to Shelter Cove) we have gone the entire length (77 miles - ish) without seeing another soul. Which is really odd... Ben and I are not used to hiking together on our lonesome and it has been strange to feel so isolated.

It was great to see familiar faces. Especially Smiles and Slosh, they are like family.

We schlepped our belongings over to the backpackers site behind the store and set up camp and made a fire. It was nice to enjoy the company of other hikers - it had been so long since we'd shared dinner with other people over a fire.