Bushcamp to Big Lake Youth Camp
33 miles
Mile 1995.1
I packed up camp feeling prime from an epic night of sleep. We got started a bit before 5, excited to knock out the 33 miles between us and Big Lake Youth Camp, where we could enjoy some hot food and a shower.
It was a gorgeous morning as I made my way around the base of the Three Sisters.
About 9 miles in I entered into the Obsidian Limited Entry Area, where loads of shattered obsidian (aka Dragon Glass) speckled the trail.
I made a short side trip to check out Obsidian Falls, where I found a creek cascading down onto chunks of shiny obsidian below.
Pushing on, the trail wrapped around the North Sister before heading north through a lava field and into a recently burned forest.
While walking through the dead forest I came upon some incredible trail magic! Someone had left a dozen or so Powerades, a large container of animal crackers and a 5 liter box of wine! Yeah…the wine surprised me too…but hey I’ll take it!
After Spikes gave the wine a taste test, we both filled empty Powerade bottles with it to enjoy later for dinner.
From there, we crossed a highway before entering into Mt. Washington Wilderness, where the trail weaved through a massive lava field.
The sharp volcanic rocks made each step painful, but the extreme scenery made it worth it.
After the lava field traverses, the trail led up and around the base of Mt Jefferson, before diving back down to Big Lake, where we took a short side trail to Big Lake Youth Camp.
The camp was incredible, and so was the friendly staff. After checking in they invited me to dinner and directed me to the their newly opened PCT Center, a building recently erected just to serve us hikers. It had a lounge area, full kitchen, WiFi, laundry and showers. The place was rad, and operates off donations.
After a shower, Spikes and I started a load of laundry before chatting with the other hikers as we waited for dinner. At 6:30 we all headed to the mess hall where we enjoyed a hearty meal with 100 plus kids.
Stuffed from multiple servings, we left the mess hall to setup camp on the black sand beach on the bank of Big Lake before falling asleep. It was a neat spot to camp, with epic views.
P.s. Happy 80th Granddad! Hope your party was blast! Wish I could have been there. Thanks for supporting me in my adventures and for sponsoring my shoes!
Cheers!