Day 151 (12 June)

Miles 728 to 742.4 (14.4 Miles)
​Charlton Lake to Lower Rosary Lake

Today we allow ourselves a sleep in because we only got into camp late last night and don't have a big day ahead of us. We deserve this. :) We wake up at 6.45am and our mozzie friends are already waiting for us outside the tent. Very loyal insects. But we are not in the mood for a blood donation and decide to pack up everything in the tent first and then work our way outside, applying deet first thing. Unfortunately our spray is almost empty, and it still has to last us another day. We are slower at packing up this time and only leave at 8am. We are not really motivated today. We know that today we will be running into snow again as we are to climb yet another mountain. Where there is snow and snow melt, there are usually thousands of mozzies. Another thing we're not particularly excited about.

The first part is easy, but then the snow starts and we are lost before we know it. There is also a dangerous creek crossing as a snow bridge has formed above it and it takes us forever to figure out where we can hike through. It really takes us forever to reach the top where we finish our last breakfast items since tomorrow morning we will finish this section and will definitely eat a nicer breakfast somewhere OFF trail. Our next package with Swiss mayonnaise and Co. is already waiting for us in Northern California!

As we descend again we eventually leave the snow behind and take a foot bath break at Lake Bobby, a short distance off trail. This lake is beautiful! There are dark clouds forming on an otherwise lovely day and the colors of the lake portrait all kinds of different shades of blue and green.

Our next ascent has us dreading the upcoming snow again, but we are in luck! No more snow! It's very steep, but we are rewarded with amazing views. From the top we can see all the way south to Lake Odell where Shelter Cove is situated. Shelter Cove is the place where we got off trail last year to get Dario to the hospital in Bend to treat Giardia. In front of Lake Odell are the Rosary lakes. We quickly hike down and pass the first two lakes before setting up camp at Lower Rosary Lake. It's only 5pm, the sun is still out and we decide to jump in again. Warming up in our sleeping bags in the sunshine we later make our last pasta dinner in Oregon. Tomorrow we will hike 3 miles down to Highway 58 and hopefully get a ride south to California. Tomorrow's goal would be to reach Etna in Northern California, zero there tomorrow and start our last section of the PCT the day after. But when hitchhiking you never know what's coming, so we are looking forward to finding out. 3 more miles tomorrow, 3 more miles in Oregon and then we can say that we hiked the entire length of Oregon and Washington. California, we are coming for you!