Thru-Hikers Find Shelter and Community at Camp Jonah

A Pacific Crest Trail hiker's joy at a potential new community turned to dismay when a large group arrived at their campsite with a 'No new friends policy.' According to the hiker's account on The Trek, the standoffish group refused to greet them or make space at a shared picnic table in Washington state.

Faced with an incoming multi-day rainstorm, the hiker, along with companions Jus-kween and Spicy Bite, decided to take a 'zero' day-a day without hiking-in the small town of Trout Lake. The town offered limited amenities: a tiny general store, a breakfast place, and a pizza restaurant. They needed a proper shelter to wait out the weather.

A Haven in the Storm

That shelter was Camp Jonah, a Christian camp that was originally a school. The hiker immediately felt at home upon entering. The space was filled with other hikers eating frozen pizza in the cafeteria, lounging on couches in the halls, and playing basketball in the gym. A former classroom had been converted into a dormitory with three-tiered bunk beds. The camp's owners, Becky and Jeff, were described as exceptionally welcoming.

The days spent at Camp Jonah became some of the hiker's best on the trail. The stranded group resolved to make their own fun, leading to spontaneous connections. They met hikers named Spicy G and Let's Go while working on a local newspaper's crossword puzzle. Games of Cambio and Egyptian Rat Screw were played with hikers called Boostie and Starlight, accompanied by leftover cake gifted by some local church ladies.

Forging a New Tramily

Unexpected links emerged among the hikers taking refuge. The writer was not the only one whose feelings had been hurt by the previously encountered cliquish 'tramily,' or trail family. Some had hiked with a person called Walmart on the Appalachian Trail in different years. Stranger still, the writer realized they knew Let's Go's brother from college Taco Mondays.

New hikers arrived daily, often soaked and shivering. Jus-kween would give them tours of the camp. The group spent time watching 'Love is Blind, UK Edition' under a quilt. A pancake breakfast featuring caramelized peaches and crispy bacon was cooked by Spicy G, Joker, and Eighteen. Activities included pool, air hockey, and ping-pong in a recreation room.

During a brief break in the rain, the group ventured to the Trout Lake Music Hall for drinks and live music, where Jus-kween chatted with someone named Squirvert at the bar.

A Trail Birthday Celebration

The community experience culminated in a birthday celebration for a hiker named Van Gogh, who arrived just before his birthday. The day involved a town rummage sale where Let's Go bought a cowboy hat and the writer purchased a game called 'The Game of Things.' Fresh tamales were a highlight, eagerly consumed.

To throw a party, Jus-kween and the writer bought ice cream, candles, and a peach-blueberry pie, unaware that hiker Joker had just left the same store with identical supplies, including a marionberry pie. This worked out perfectly, as eighteen hikers attended the birthday party that night.

After singing 'Happy Birthday' and eating pie and ice cream, Spicy Bite led a game of Fishbowl, which involved rounds of Taboo, charades, and one-word clues. The writer recalled 'dying laughing' as a hiker called Master Chef tried to explain the joke behind 'your mom' to a French-speaking hiker named Babushka.

Returning to the Trail

After four days and three nights in Trout Lake, the newly formed tramily of twenty hikers found the momentum to leave. They crammed into two pickup trucks to return to the trailhead. The weather forecast remained grim, but was an improvement over the previous three days of solid rain. They departed with the support of their newfound community.