PCT 96 – Charlton Lake

Daily miles – 19
Total miles – 1923

Good night of sleep at the Shelter Cove Resort last night.   One could here all of the fishermen headed out on the Lake early in the AM with their motors cranked headed out of the boat harbor as though the fish would be gone should they just cruise out peacefully at 6am.  Most hikers are used to getting up around this time,  but may be not the majority of guests at the resort.

We packed up from the hiker site and headed over to the store and picnic tables in the hiker area around 7am.  The showers and laundry machines needed quarters which we could get at the store.  Sweetpea got in laundry for the four of us and we grabbed breakfast at the store (yogurt,  bananas, giant cookie and cinnamon roll).   The resort had very clean and hot showers,  and we were happy to have both clean bodies and clean clothes.

At 10:30ish,  we started making our way back to the trail.   The trail was pretty homogeneous today in that it was smooth,  but super dusty.   For much of the day,  we gave each other a minute or two headstart so that the dust would drift off to the side of the trail before passing the same by the same area.   There were several lakes that we passed by in the early part of the day,  all beautiful.   Tonight we have the good fortune of camping at Charlton Lake,  which is a moderately sized back country lake.   There are a few other folks camped here,  folks that drove in to a nearby parking lot  but they are quieting down right now at hiker midnight (9pm).

Mid day,  we passed by a very neat cabin that is maintained by USFS volunteers.   The cabin is an open concept octagon with a wood burning stove and solar panels for lights.   It is very basic and rustic,  and charming.

Editorial Sidebar: The four of us have grown a bit tired of the hiker scene when we come into towns or resupply points.   We all feel as though there are just too many people out here,  or more specifically too many people who don’t give thru hikers the best of reputations.  There will always be the odd duck out on the trail (just like in regular society) and that is fine.   But what we are encountering out here this year is the trashy wandering party that the Appalachian Trail has come to be known for (at least with the more substantial group going northbound). In some ways,  we are glad that the trails in the US that we look forward to hiking in the near and distant future are the less trodden trails that attract more veteran hikers (and thus fewer).   It is interesting to come to this conclusion (or just general feeling),  but it is,  what it is – thanks ‘Wild’.