Today was a resupply day so there was no rush to get started, nevertheless we were keen to get to town and hit the trail before 6:30 am. We had a short steep uphill stretch in the 8 miles to the road crossing and then settled beside the trailhead and chatted to some other hikers who were also waiting for the shuttle bus to town. We had a couple of hours to wait before the next scheduled pick up but a man (Carl) pulled over in a pickup and offered us a lift into town. He piled us all into the back with our packs and drove carefully so that the ride was uneventful wrt bums. 10:30 saw us in town heading straight for the coin operated showers. Then clothes into a washing machine and we whiled away time in the nearby Cafe where we enjoyed milkshakes and burgers.

We had to collect a resupply box we had mailed to the grocery store from Portland and buy a few fresh items for lunch makings. By 2:30 pm we were ready to go but had to wait until 5pm for the next ride out. Beside the grocery store there was a lovely lawn and trees in the shade where hikers could hang out so we rested there and enjoyed the company.

Right on 5 pm Norm Bright, a retired gentleman who lives near Trout Lake, took a bunch of us all back to the trail.

Of course the path was an immediate steep climb but we were happy to put a few more miles behind us before dinner and bed. It seems we have now passed the 2500 km mark.

Tomorrow we expect to climb to the treeline on Mt Adams.