all roads lead to rome

Day 105, Mile ?---The morning was great. Breakfast buffet, charged my camera battery right next to the table, got new shoes. It was really really cool to see my Aunt Terri and my Mom. I hadn't seen family(blood related) since July 1st. It was good to know that in roughly 15 days i would be seeing more familiar faces. They drove us up to the crater rim and we said our goodbyes. Then the skip-hike-hitch-hike day began. We got dropped off roughly 4 miles north of where we got off trail. This to the purists would be a major transgression. I myself am a reformed purist and Icebag was never one to begin with. Also we were coming up on a long waterless stretch so this would ease the pain. I am realizing now that this is going to be long and complicated but i will do my best. Our original plan was to take an alternate route after the rim through Diamond Lake that would add 5 miles but give us water and dinner at the resort so we could carry less food and water. About an hour after we left we ran into SlickB headed south bound. He said he had spent the last 4 days at a hot springs with naked hippy chicks and it was "priceless". He also said he left us a cache and directions at highway 138 on how to get there ourselves. Although the naked hippy chicks left, he would hitch back there this evening with beer and wine and food and we should join him. Last but not least there was an alternate route called the Umpqua trail that connected the hot springs with the PCT some 28 miles later; it was full of water sources the whole way. Sounded like a wonderful idea. It would actually add 8 miles to our journey so the 4 we skipped would be made up completely. Alright so now jump forward 3 hours, its 5oclock and somehow we still have 8.5 miles to go just to get to hwy 138, then hitch to the hot springs. We decide if there is any hope of making the hotsprings we need to hitch off the road leaving Crater Lake n.p. and paralleling the trail at that time. So we bushwhack east, hit the road and start walking north along the tiny shoulder, sticking our thumbs out along the way. After many cars passed us we finally got picked up by 3 brothers, their sister, and a sister-in-law. They were headed to Diamond Lake back to a family reunion. They were very nice and even smushed in the back seat so we could ride in the middle captain chairs, it was good. The sister appeared to be holding her nose the entire ride, i apologize for both Icebag and myself, but thanks alot for picking us up. So we went to Diamond Lake(also on hwy 138) via said hitch, got dinner and then tried to figure out how to get to the hot springs. A guy at the front desk of the lodge gave us basic directions and we headed back out to 138 to hitch. We tried until the sun went down and cars were starting to avoid us like we might be deer walking out on to the road or something. Just as we were getting our packs on to go, two cute girls pulled over going the opposite way and said they were headed to Medford. We said we were trying to go back the other way but thanks for being the only people to stop in the last half hour. As they took off we both looked at each other and said, why didn't we go to Medford? SlickB would have gone to Medford. So, we never got a hitch and we are back to our original plan on a side trail out of Diamond Lk that meets back up with the PCT in 7 miles. I think we are somehow a day ahead of schedule now, but I'm not sure, at all. I think we just skipped 17ish miles on the day, but I'm not sure, at all. I think i am going to try and make up these miles somehow since the hot springs fell through and now all we did was really skip for skippings sake, not good. But what i do know is its late and i need to sleep. Thought of the day; too many plans and you don't have one. Song of the day; cooooool cleeaaar waterrrrrrrr - somebody i might should probably know. Craving of the day; i was offered grapes by Aunt Terri to pack out and i didn't. I should have.

JWC on the PCT