PCT: Scott River to Masterson Meadow

Our day in numbers:

The Swiss left camp early and we finished our hot coffee and headed up the hill and into more burn.  We had been dreading it, but it wasn’t bad and before we knew it we were out of it.   We saw lots of Northbound thru hikers today.  We’ve been seeing them regularly.  Maybe a dozen or two a day, but today there was more.  

We met two hikers that have a strong online presence.  

The Giver from Footprints For Change is on a mission to get historically excluded folks out in nature.   

We loved having a long trail side chat with her and she gave us a lot to think about. 

Later in the day another familiar face walked into view.  This young, lanky man we met briefly in Florida at a trail event.   His name is Jupiter and we were once again blessed by his generous and humble spirit.   He’s now hiking 40 mile days and yet stopped to talk to two old section hikers.  

It’s illuminating seeing all the faces of the thru hikers.  Some make eye contact and say hi, others don’t.   Some folks seem to love to stop and chat a while.   One thing of note this year is that  there are a lot of Europeans on the trail and a huge group of solo women hikers.  Interestingly, the Europeans look very similarly dressed and they rarely wear hats.  

We are camped in a meadow area under some evergreens and just had to move our tent because it was raining pitch.   Little silver balls from the sky all over our gear.  Yuck!   One sticky mess.   

Mosquitos are out in force and I decked myself out in my mosquito proof wear, but while doing my dooty in the woods not a single one bit my bum.   Weird.   Am I toxic?