July 27

I left my campsite early today for a few reasons. First, my neighbors were up and going early which helped me find the motivation to do the same. Second, the mosquitoes started waking up around 6:30 and coming under the tarp to annoy me with their high pitched buzzing. Finally, and more importantly, I had the thought of town and cookies on my mind. So I packed up, ate a granola bar for breakfast, and was on trail by 7:00. It was a short 8 miles to the ski resort and Kracker Barrel store, but I remember it taking forever. I did meet Meander on the trail. A trail angel that did a lot of work for my fellow sobos on July 4th on Harts Pass. I missed him because I was on my way to Canada, but heard great things about him and it was really nice to meet him. He's a great guy and has done loads of thru-hiking. He was trying his best to convince me to hike New Zealand this year after the PCT. It's all very tempting, but my bank account is probably going to say that's a bad idea.

By 10:30 I had a quart of milk and two giant bags of delicious chocolate chip cookies that I tore into. I made it halfway through the first bag then slowed down to pace myself for a full day of calorie loading. Around noon the ladies at the store had a fresh pizza made so I had to have a slice. I had gone through the hiker box, discarded a few items for other hikers, and pretty much finished my checks for food for the next 8 days when Louis "Poptart" showed up. He bought a quart of milk and we both went after the cookies again. I continued to charge my phone, and download maps on the wifi as Poptart re supplied. He bought a huge dish of lasagna that the ladies through in their oven. When it was almost ready they made us a huge spinach salad with cucumbers, green red and yellow peppers, and a lime vinaigrette dressing that was incredible. I honestly think we got a little special treatment for showing up clean. Meander did mention those ladies didn't like some of the stinky hikers that came through, but were otherwise very friendly. Poptart and I make a point of being clean when we come to town anyway so it was normal for us. We will mention to the nobos as we see them coming up that hygiene is appreciated at the Kracker Barrel store in White Pass.

After all that, and an ice cream bar before leaving, Poptart and I left for a campsite just two miles down the trail. I can afford it after a 26, a 24, and 7-ish plus 2 today makes 19.7 average for 3 days. Great campsite except for the hoards of mosquitoes. I may need to buy a small bivy-type mosquito net in cascade locks. I've heard the mosquitoes only get worse in Oregon. They shouldn't be bad up at elevation tomorrow in the goat rocks, and I am so excited for the view I've heard it's just unbelievable.