Day 67: mile 1416.5 - 1440.5
- PUDs?
- Phlox of flowers
The three of us did a good job of motivating each other to get out of bed this morning. I think we were all a little sore and tired, but eager to get back on the trail. After a less-than-impressive continental breakfast, we were able to get an easy ride back to the trailhead from a local trail angel. People's kindness continues to inspire and impress me.
The pack still felt heavy, but not as heavy as it could have been. I am finally starting to get over my opposition to leaving excess food in hiker boxes, with some support from Mighty and Cashmere. Between the three of us we probably dumped ten pounds of extra food that had accumulated over the past few hundred miles. And I still probably have more than enough. But you have to break down walls one brick at a time 😊
Burney Falls
We made a quick trip down to the waterfalls that are the namesake of the state park. It was nice to enjoy them early in the morning without the throngs of tourists. Then it was back on the trail. The trail was primarily a tree tunnel, and I was beginning to think that we were stuck doing PUDs (a term Cashmere taught me - Pointless Ups & Downs - which meant doing climbs but not getting a view at the top) but we traversed a few exposed ridges that offered incredible views of Mt. Shasta. No PUDs today!
Lilies, of the white variety
One of those views that make the climb worth it
After 24 miles we found a campsite surrounded by beautiful flowers (which I learned are called Phlox (pronounced "flocks")) with a stunning view of Mt. Shasta to the west. Too good of a campsite to pass up. We crammed into a spot probably meant for two tents, so I decided to cowboy camp again. I could get used to this. Watching the sun set behind Shasta and the sky darken from a deep blue to a star-filled black brought a certain peace over me. A slight chill in the air is keeping the bugs at bay, making for an almost-perfect evening. I'm not sure how it gets much better than this 😌
Shasta at sunset
Tonight's motel
Day 68: mile 1440.5 - 1470.6
- Cold nose
- South to Canada?
There is something special about waking up with a cold nose, with it being the only bit of skin that is exposed to the outside world. Between my sleeping bag over my torso and legs, my beanie pulled down over my eyes, and my buff around my neck and mouth, my nose was the only bit of skin that a passing hiker (or passing bear) could see. And the cold nose just makes you want to burrow yourself deeper into your sleeping bag. Zzzzzzz...
She looks pretty good in the morning too
With a cool alpine glow shrouding Mt. Shasta, it was impossible not to eventually pull myself out of bed to take a look. Once moving, the chilly morning prompted a quick breakfast and change of clothes before getting on to the trail to warm back up. It amazed me how chilly it was given the warmth of the previous two days.
And in the middle of the day
With Lassen Peak growing smaller in the distance, Mt. Shasta is now the main subject of our adulation. Most of the day was spent climbing up and down small hills, the views socked in by trees, but on more than one occasion we got to an exposed ridge line and had a clear view of the imposing volcano. The rest of the scenery wasn't too shabby either. To the west we could see some particularly rugged peaks - the southern end of the Cascade Range. We'll be in the Cascades before we know it.
We don't seem to be getting there very efficiently though. Before leaving for the trip, one of my good hiking buddies gave me a tip to help keep me from getting lost: "If in doubt, remember Canada is usually North." I wish the PCT route planners would have listened to this advice. Today, despite hiking over thirty miles, we ended the day further south than when we started. It felt weird to walk with the sun in your face. Hopefully we don't have too many more southbound excursions on the horizon...
When we aren't looking at Shasta, the views are less snow-capped
The miles kept piling up, with the only afternoon slowdown being a rattlesnake that scared the living shit out of me. I had my headphones in (not expecting to see snakes), and heard a buzz that I thought came from right behind me. I whirled around and tore my headphones out, expecting to see a rattler that I just stepped over. Nothing. Weird, maybe I was just hearing things. I turned back around to start up the trail, took half a step, and jumped back as I locked eyes with a pissed off rattler just a few feet away. Once my heart rate returned to normal and he was off the trail, it was back to walking, but headphoneless, and at a much more cautious pace.
"Don't tread on me" 🐍
"Don't worry" 😁
After another 30-mile day, Mighty and I set up our tents while Cashmere hiked on. These 30's are still a little rough on the feet, but getting easier all the time. As long as we don't throw too many back-to-back-to-back...
Day 69: mile 1470.6 - 1496.1
- Go big, nap hard
- Clear cutting
After a shitty night of sleep where I mainly tossed and turned on my slightly uneven sleeping pad, I was slow to get moving. It seemed like the best sleep I got were the few hours before the sun came up. Needless to say I wasn't very happy about getting out of the sleeping bag. If nature hadn't called, I might still be there...
Once I got on the trail (about half an hour behind Mighty) it was a slow, uphill start. It amazes me how sore my first hundred steps can be, yet how good I feel after half a mile. Once the feet and legs were warm, the miles went quicker. The scenery didn't offer much - mostly tree tunnels with an occasional (pretty spectacular) view of Shasta.
Peek-a-boo
How many pictures of Shasta can I post? I don't think they have gotten old yet...
I caught up to Mighty, and we found a nice spot to stop for lunch. Too nice, in fact, as I ended up taking a two-hour nap. I'll credit that to the poor nights sleep. Earlier that morning Mighty had characterized my personality on the trail as "go hard, nap big". Today I was definitely living up to the latter half of her description.
Once I got back on the trail, the miles came easy. Naps work wonders. There wasn't much silence the rest of the day, as you could hear heavy logging machinery for much of the afternoon. The hillsides are speckled with areas that have been, and are being, clear-cut by local timber companies. It is a sobering sight, but a reminder that the printer paper, toilet paper, cardboard, and other items that we consume on a daily basis have to come from somewhere. I have gotten pretty good at only using one square of TP, a habit I might have to continue once I get back to civilization.
Clear cut hillside
Rather than push another 30-mile day to get to a state park campground in Castella (my next resupply) I stopped after 25, setting me up for a short day tomorrow. And the last few miles of the day went painfully slow, as my feet made it known that they were ready to be done. Hopefully they appreciate the short day tomorrow.
Day 70: miles 1496.1 - 1498.7 (plus four unregistered miles)
- Castella...
- ...then Dunsmuir
Much to the chagrin of my feet and legs, I was up before the sun so that I could make it to the campground in Castella by 7am. It was Cashmere's birthday, and we were hoping to sneak a celebratory breakfast in. I found the ladies' camp just as they were getting ready to go, so we made the half mile trip to the store where we picked up our resupply packages and took care of logistics. Then we hitched a ride five miles north to Dunsmuir, a full service town with a few breakfast options.
Commandeering a table while we organize our resupplies
Turns out most of those options were closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (it was a Wednesday). After a few miles we found a little espresso place that also served breakfast. Turns out it was pretty damn good. They didn't just have pancakes. They had bacon cakes. 'Nuff said.
Mmmm, bacon cakes, dipped in syrup, and topped with whipped cream. More please!
Mighty and Cashmere decided to hike on, but my body was hurting, so I ended up grabbing a room in Dunsmuir and taking a near-o. I think I needed it. As soon as I got to my room, I took a shower and fell asleep. Hard. I woke up in time to go grab dinner, and I was proud of myself for keeping things reasonable (a pint of ice cream for dessert is reasonable, right? right.) Then it was back to the room for a soak in the bathtub, a self-applied foot massage, and more sleep. I have never appreciated being clean, and sleeping in clean sheets, as much as right now.
Day 71
- Zeroooooooooo
- Eat, sleep, repeat
I was still gingerly walking on sore feet this morning, so after hemming and hawing (and eating another bacon-cake-filled breakfast) I decided to follow up my near-o with a zero. I keep reminding myself this isn't a race, and I don't have any hard deadlines that I have to finish by. So I don't need to push it *too* hard.
And I think I needed it. If I wasn't sleeping (which I did for about sixteen of the last twenty four hours) I was eating (the supermarket makes some reallllly good deli sandwiches), soaking in the tub, or stretching. By the end of the day everything was feeling good, so I scheduled a ride to the trailhead for 6:30am tomorrow morning. And I am going to enjoy every last minute on this bed 😴😴😴