August 1, 2021 PCT miles 2184 - 2209.3 PCT miles - 25.3

Woke early because we have a long hike ahead. We took a side detour to see Panther Falls. We were not disappointed! Really gorgeous - much better than photos. Wish we could have explored the area more, but we knew we had a 4000 ft. climb ahead and weather is predicted to be unseasonably hot and humid (per locals) again…

We met Bumfoot and Tails today, both NOBO thru hikers. We exchanged notes about the trail and origin of our trail names. Bumfoot = Bumfoot from poorly fitting shoes. Tails because she told a tail about catching a fish - a funny story.

We made it up to Blue Lake - pretty, but decided to push on to Bear Lake a few miles farther. When we arrived and Rick saw it, he instantly dropped his pack and dove in for a swim. This lake would be great if there weren’t so many flies. Wow. Feels like a horse camp.

Chris found a gorgeous tent site on a peninsula (mentioned in Guthook), but there was a prominent sign posted on a tree stating ‘No Camping’. However, we did see plenty of evidence of recent camping and were sure other thru-hikers would use the site tonight (they did), but Chris wouldn’t do it. Stickler for rules. We hiked around the lake and found an ok site near the water in the shade. Biggest problem with this lake are the flies. Everywhere! Why? Make it stop!

We pulled out our head-nets - first time needed. Set up tent quickly and climbed inside for relief. A few ducks and ducklings swam in front of our tent site for our evening entertainment. We weren’t venturing outside unnecessarily.