Day 132 Thu 9-04 Shelter Cove
7.1 miles
From Trail Campground approaching Shelter Cove (mile 1902.5, elevation 6421)
To Shelter Cove (mile 1908, elevation 4802)
Upload 176
Descent 1783
Note: Previously I had not connected my day number on the tour (“Day 132”) with an actual calendar date (Thursday 9-04). The idea is to increase personal security by making it more difficult for anyone to estimate my current location. In fact, I’m sidetracked now, so I feel safe going online and posting that stuff. I’m still going through my daily notes and photos and trying to catch up on blog posts for the rest of my trip.
It was a short walk to Shelter Cove Resort. I was hoping to pick up my resupply box, hang out, and eat. My resupply box wasn’t available when I first arrived at Shelter Cove, but it was there a little later. It was accidentally shipped via USPS, but USPS doesn’t deliver to Shelter Cove, so they only get those boxes when they go to the post office in town. But by the time my box was there, inertia, both physical and mental, seemed to have set in. That made it difficult for me to organize my things and get back on the road. I ended up hanging out with other hikers and camping here for the night.
Sunrise on the way to Shelter Cove Resort
Train tunnel near Lake Odell
Shelter Cove is on Lake Odell and looks like a fishing oriented campground. It also only had RV sites (besides the free PCT campground). Not the most hiker-friendly, but did a good job with resupply options, if not the cheapest. A couple of notable things I wanted to buy that they didn’t have was a fuel container. and a USB AC cable to replace the broken one. Most of the staff were very friendly, but some seemed quite impatient with the hikers.
Shelter Cover Resort Tent
Smoky View of Lake Odell
They have an area near the tent that is reserved for hikers and with a shade canopy, power strip, tables, hiker boxes, and microwave, so it was still a nice place to hang out with other hikers.
PCT Hiker Area
They have showers. For 8 quarts, you supposedly get 5 minutes. It seemed more like 3 minutes to me. I was glad I used water from my water bottle to wash most of the dirt off my legs and feet before I started showering.
The PCT campground area was nice. It was separate from the RV sites and had many separate flat tent sites.
I spent much of the day charging devices. Someone had an extra USB AC cable, so I again have flexibility for charging devices. The replacement Kathleen sends me will arrive in my next replenishment box.
I had fish and chips for lunch from the resort grill. A worker later told me that all of the fish on the grill was caught locally at Lake Odell.
After lunch, I bought a 1.5 quart container of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I really had no difficulty finishing it. Does practice make perfect?
1.5 quarts of mint chocolate chip ice cream I ate
It was a challenge to squish everything into my Ursack, but I managed it. That means I didn’t have to leave anything behind or eat a lot of food before leaving.
I also had an idea for a “2000 mile” trail marker since it would go under 100 miles. I told myself I would go ahead with the idea only if I could find some biodegradable cord or rope. The store had a single spool of jute twine, which I took as a sign that I should plan to make my “2000 miles” sign. You’ll have to read a few days before to find out what I planned and how it turned out.
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