Day 64.5: mile 1347.5 - 1364.5
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
After talking myself out of spending the rest of the day (week?) by the pool, it was back on the trail. I couldn't let my hiking buddies get *too* far ahead.
The previous few miles, and the next fifteen, took us through Lassen Volcanic National Park. We had been able to see Lassen Peak for more than fifty miles, and we were about to see it from a few more angles. The trail doesn't go over the peak, but skirts around to the east, and then the north. It actually stays incredibly flat, which made for some of the easiest walking thus far on the trail.
Gorgeous greenery...
...beautiful burns...
...waist-deep waters...
After passing by a few lakes and walking through a few large burns, the trail left the park after what seemed like the blink of an eye. Even though we didn't get many good views of it, you always had the feeling that Lassen Peak was lurking just through the trees. I suspect we'll get more of that feeling once we get into the heart of the Cascades. There shouldn't be any shortage of impressive volcanic peaks from here on out!
...and lurking Lassen!
Day 65: mile 1364.5 - 1404.8
- Forty miles is a looooong way
- Subway Cave
- Five liters???
- Hat Creek Rim
I was awake at the usual time, but awoke to an unusually spectacular sunrise. The clouds that were sprinkled across the sky all shared hues of purple, red, and orange. Not a bad way to get the day started.
After about two miles I started thinking that this could be my first forty mile day. The day was turning out to be cool and overcast, this was some of the flattest hiking we have remaining on the PCT, and my legs felt pretty good. The downsides were that there was a thirty mile waterless stretch, and we were walking through a volcanic area, so the trail might get rocky, which would be rough on the pace and the feet.
Cool, cloudy day
The first ten miles took me just past Old Station (a small town near the trail) and included a brief detour to Subway Cave, the last water source before this thirty mile stretch. Subway Cave is a lava tube with holes at both ends, so you can make the quarter-mile walk through it. The cool cave air was refreshing, but I didn't want to stick around too long.
Headlamp? Check
The Hat Creek Rim is dry and exposed, and is typically incredibly hot. I had been setting myself up to night hike part of it, but with the weather being cloudy, cool, and breezy, I decided not to wait. The next water source also happened to be 40.2 miles from where I camped. The allure of a forty-mile day was too tempting...
As soon as I put my loaded pack back on (with five liters of water) I was having second thoughts. I had forgotten how heavy five liters of water was. I hadn't carried more than two and a half liters in like six hundred miles. At least the pack would get lighter as the day went on!
Once I started walking, the miles seemed to come easily, and a forty mile day was back on my mind. I ran into Shay, a former AT hiker who I had seen a few times over the previous few days, and we spent a good five miles getting to know one another. Twenty, twenty-five, and thirty miles passed. I was in the zone - a new feeling on the trail.
Lassen Peak at the start of Hat Creek Rim
Lassen Peak near the end of Hat Creek Rim
When I remembered to stop and look behind me, I was met with beautiful views of Lassen Peak, and the portion of the Hat Creek Rim that we had already traversed. The weather stayed just as beautiful as the views - I didn't see my shadow for the first time until 6:40pm.
I finally caught up with Cashmere, who had gotten ahead of me while I was napping by the pool yesterday. I was glad to see her because she made the last three miles of the day go by in a blink, despite sore feet, some chafing caused by my pack, and the falling darkness. Once we passed the forty mile mark we started looking for campsites. Our criteria wasn't very high, and I decided to cowboy camp because setting up my tent felt like too much effort. After finding a few flat-ish spots near the trail, we got horizontal in a hurry. We'll see how happy my body is with this decision tomorrow, but right now it feels great. I think.
What do you do when you get cell phone service? You stop in your tracks, no matter where you are
Soft evening colors
It amazes me how some flowers can thrive in such dry places
Day 66: mile 1404.8 - 1416.5
- Ouch
- Burney Falls State Park
The plan was to sleep in, but the birds had other ideas. Between the honking geese and the chirping who-knows-what, there wasn't much sleep to be had once things got light.
I didn't really want to start walking, either. The feet and the legs were definitely on the sore side, and I was dragging as I packed up. Mighty and Shay camped about a quarter mile before us, and came by around 6:30, offering enough words of encouragement to get me back on the trail. Only 12 miles to Burney Falls State Park...
Another cloudy, cool, noisy morning
After a loooooong five we came across trail magic at one of the many dirt road crossings. A cooler full of water and soda, some bananas, and some snacks were just what we needed. We signed the trail register (which also requested we write a joke - I can't repeat mine here 😇) and got going again once Cashmere caught up. The next seven miles seemed to take forever, but we finally made it to the park. My feet have never been happier.
Trail magic, and a place to procrastinate walking another seven miles
A guy was sitting at one of the first picnic tables we passed, and seeing that we were PCT hikers, offered us a beer. Then we continued to the store, where we bought and split a six-pack. It seemed like a good idea to figure out where we were staying for the night before consuming too much more alcohol (I think passing out in the bushes in a state park is generally frowned upon). We decided to hitch into town and split a room - I think we were all a bit worn out from the last little stretch.
Getting a ride turned out to be easy, and the subsequent laundry (my first actual load of laundry in like 325 miles), shower, and nap were all much needed. A huge dinner of Chinese food, and splitting a pint of ice cream, topped off the evening. The plan is to get back on the trail tomorrow, but we'll see how the bodies feel in the AM. Beds and air conditioning are really nice...
I like these signs a lot more than I did in Southern California