PCT day 100 – Etna
We left at 7am. 6 miles to Etna summit - the gateway to Etna. 3 miles up then 3 miles down. Fairly easy walking. Powered by aleve for the pains in my feet ankles and knees, we made it in 2 hours.
As we stepped onto the parking area the Jamboree pulled in, the very thing we had been hoping to see for the last 3 days!!
Some hikers piled out and before we knew it the lawn chairs were out, the Gatorade and Dr pepper arrived and we were reinstated as Mayor and Queen of Etna Summit. Everything is right with the world once more.
Johnny Walker, Bronny, Root Canal and Night Feather got out and joined us as the trailhead. With the smell of fried onions Legend emerges from the RV with hotdogs!
We then played a game similar to horseshoes – hit the Dr pepper can with a metal disc. Hours of fun.
Nightfeather escapes the vortex and hikes out. Smokey arrives. Steady arrives.
Then a car with a trailer pulls up and we help unload the packs. 50 16-20 year olds on a 3 day wilderness trip. Their packs are double the size of ours - for three days. We take a little joy at laughing at their inexperience. Then, the school bus arrives and all the kids pile out and the madness ensues. We maintain our little area and chat to a few of the leaders and a few of the kids.
Johnny Walker and Root Canal are not related...
We watch the kids leave, they are carrying in a toilet...
Legend was hanging around at the trailhead so around 12:30 Cool Breeze, Smokey, Pasta and I got a ride with the guys who brought the kids packs up. They dropped us off in Etna at Dottys where I got a chocolate milkshake and chilli fries and we took advantage of the free wifi.
We went to the supermarket and resupplied our food. Then we headed over to the state park where we could charge our electronics. We were planning to get in and out quickly, but we saw the climb and decided to camp in the park for the night. At the park the Jamboree was there and Bronny, Root Canal and Johnny Walker, who went to the trailhead this morning to hike out and came back to the park to stay another night. Lots of others hikers came in throughout the day, Raingear, Deluxe (from Luxembourg), Liability (18), two Hawaiians we met at Belden, and 3 others who I can't remember their names. I went back to Dottys to make use of the free wifi and update the blog. I got another milkshake and a chicken/cheese/mushroom burger to take back to the park.
Raingear did a laundry run, I chucked in my socks and rags (pee and sweat). The rest of it can wait, I've only been wearing it a week. I washed my legs and face under a tap.
We sat around chatting and relaxing, Cool breeze made pasta for everyone, I've definitely consumed some calories today!
We played cards and after being the 'asshole' four times in a row I bailed and went to bed. I feel ill. My stomach hurts from all the food. Most people are cowboy camping under the pavilion, I set up my tent under the pavilion – nothing is crawling on me in the night! It's 11pm. It's really late!