Day 148 : (17.07 miles)
mile 2220.45 – 2237.52

Up early and highly motivated.  We were hungry, thirsty for something other than flavored water, and would like a shower and non-stinky, sweat soaked clothes. We walked through huckleberry fields, running creeks and thick forest.

It was, of course, mostly an uphill approach to get to road 23 where we will have to hitch into Trout Lake.  As we make our way to the road, we spy a familiar vehicle. 

Coppertones custum rig

It’s Coppertone’s!  Root beer floats! 

Rock Ocean and his VW

Even better, we spy Rock/Ocean’s VW van, and hope we can yogi a ride from him to Trout Lake.  Yes on both accounts.  Easy peasy.  We are in town in no time.  There we see Oklahoma, who graciously gives up his queen bed room for the single beds room above the Trout Lake grocery store.  We pick up our resupply, which include Paul’s new Salomon shoes, as his a seriously worn out.  As we do our laundry, which was free, we sit outside the store and talk with Oklahoma and consume more beer than I can remember.  This is a unique and tightly knit community, that actually likes hikers.  A flea market is being set up across the street from the store.  The proceeds from the sales there, which reach up to $20,000 dollars, helps to pay for every graduating high school senior in the town to go to college or trade school.  Talk about taking care of your own.  What a wonderful concept and incentive for their youth.  Once we are out of beer (the store closed) we wander down to the Chevron station, that also doubles as a Cafe, for some gourmet burgers and their signature huckleberry shake. Yum.  All packed up and asleep a little after hiker midnight, with a ride at 8am tomorrow morning we are ready for the next section.