Tue, July 24th - Echo Lake

Breakfast was great but it cost me over $20.  More then dinner with beer yesterday.  Crepes with hollanday sauce, biscuits and gravy - both homemade.  The hitch back to the trail was bad.  Almost 1-1/2 hours to first ride, then 1-hr for second in a very dirty car with lots of stuff on the floor.  Crammed my  pack on my lap and dropped my water bottle trying to shut the door.  It was then that I think I lost my pint of vodka.  The third hitch was easier up to Echo Lake but at the lake I realized I no longer had my sun hat.  The ride I got offered to drive back and look for it but was not successful.  Then, out of the blue, a local hiker offered me a like new REI sun hat.  Must be worth $45-50.  What a savior!  Sat at a picnic table with Natty and Navi(N&N) along with Special Delivery.  N gave me a beer!  Then N&N and I hiked the next 10 miles together past many many lakes.  Aloha Lake looked similar to 1000 Island lakes .  Very Nice.  I hiked within a mile of Dicks Pass hoping to get above the misquotes.  But it turned out that as I climbed the trail higher the trail turned and I was just above the lakes I was trying to avoid.  Still not many bugs and I had a great view below me.  Passed two new pct hikers: Flatlander and Flower.

Trail Angel and my new sun hat!

Echo Lake

Aloha Lake

Camp below Dick's Pass