June 14, 2016

Myrtle Flat (mile 1291.1) to bushcamp (mile 1309.5)

Miles: 18.4

Our alarms were set for 5 am but we didn’t start hiking until 8am. Andy hadn’t sleep well the past few nights and needed the extra sleep.

Adorned in all of our bug proof clothing we forged outside the tent. The skeeters swarmed but didn’t bite through our layers.

The trail continued up gradually through the forest. We tripped over branches as we walked. Arg!

After about an hour we came to Chips Creek crossing. It was a real creek but nothing like what we experienced in the Sierras.

Andy waded across and Laurie attempted to rock hop but the slippery rocks resulted in wet feet anyway.

It felt good to confidently cross a creek.

“This is what creeks are supposed to look like” said Laurie with a smile.

It was nice to see her smile return in the presence of running water. A few more successful crossings and her confidence will return too.

We bushwhacked our way through the next half mile. The trail was very overgrown. Luckily this only lasted a short distance.

There are many things that can slow progress on the trail, including snow, water crossings, downed trees and overgrown trail. Today we encountered all of them.

We crossed Chips Creek again – this time walking through the water without hesitation.

From here the trail was clear. We climbed up through dense forests. Laurie admired the neon green lichen on the trees and ground.

Suddenly the trees ended and we walked into a green meadow. We took a short break to switch our socks and cold soak our last night’s dinner for lunch.

We hiked on. The trail crested a ridge and we got our first glimpse of Mt. Lassen. We enjoyed walking on the ridge for about 15 min before dropping down the other side. Here we found snow!

The familiar crunching of the snow underfoot was comforting. We glissaded and walked down the north facing slope to the trial below. Andy managed to post hole once before we resumed walking on dirt.

We continued to walk through forests, feeling small amongst the giant trees. The air was cool and the trail shadey. Although we were still struggling to find our hiking legs, we held a decent pace.

Around 5 o’clock we emerged from the forest onto a ridge of volcanic rock. Yellow and purple flowers danced in the wind and in the distance we could see Mt. Lassen.

This is what northern California is known for! Grand views that stretch for miles.

We arrived at camp a little after 6. We didn’t make it as far as we had hoped but we were tired and wanted to ease our bodies back into the routine of hiking everyday.

We were eating dinner in our tent when Flo and Gecko walked up. They set up their tents and we all chatted while eating dinner.

Now that we are ahead of the pack, there are significantly fewer hikers. We both enjoy the company of others and appreciate camping with other people.

Flo and Gecko are faster hikers so we don’t anticipate to hike with them for long. Hopefully they will resupply quickly in Chester and come meet us tomorrow night.

As for now, we watched the sun set and the sky turn pink. We are cozy in our tent and are preparing for a good nights sleep. Our tired bodies really need the rest.

Tonight we are grateful for misquito free campsites and trail runners that dry quickly.

June 13, 2016

Miles: 7.1 (plus 6 hour drive to Trailhead)

Belden equestrian t/h (mile 1284.0) to Myrtle Flat (mile 1291.1)

Today was a loooong day. We left Oakland around 8:15am – later than we wanted, but not bad.

What should have only been a three and a half hour drive took us 6 hours. Again we didn’t really mind. We were happy to be heading back to the trail.

The drive to Belden was monotonous until we reached Highway 70 and climbed into the mountains. The smooth asphalt hugging the mountainside was complimented by train tracks on the other side of the Feather River.

Andy loved the scenery. He’d really like to take the train through here, if one exists.

We reached Belden around 2:15 pm. They call it Belden Town but it is hardly a town. There’s a general store, a motel and an RV park and that’s about it.

We parked at the equestrian trailhead and were walking by 3:15pm.

The road from the equestrian trailhead was lush. It was a drastic change from the white and snowy Sierras.

As we walked past the general store a hiker approached us. It was Flo, a Swiss hiker we haven’t seen since Big Bear (near mile 218).

He didn’t recognize us at first but we jogged his memory. It’s really funny how people don’t recognize one another after a few months.

Flo also hasn’t skipped any of the trail. He’s just a fast hiker on a mission. He will be staying in Belden but we trust he’ll catch us tomorrow.

We started climbing immediately after leaving the highway. It was exposed and quite warm, though not as warm as it would be in July.

Laurie’s mom hiked the first few miles with us to Indian Creek. We will hopefully see her again in a few days near Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Lassen National Park. Thanks for being our trail angel today Sue!

We felt sluggish this afternoon. It felt weird to be hiking again. It’s as if we have not been hiking for the past two months.

We felt weak and slow.

And the change in scenery was a shock. It all felt very abrupt. No natural progression or transition. We went from glissading on snow to stopping at the sight of garder snakes. Yup, we are back in snake territory but thankfully no rattlers today.

It felt weird to be hiking in trail runners again too. Andy kept slipping, kicking rocks and slightly twisting his ankles.

We managed to walk just over 7 miles before dropping our packs at Myrtle Flat, where the mosquitoes swarmed us immediately.

We quickly put up the tent and retreated inside. We didn’t leave the tent the rest of the night. We didn’t cook; opting instead for cheese, bars and dried druit for dinner.

We gave up trying to count how many mosquitoes were swarming the tent. There were at least 50 of them on either side of the tent until almost 9pm.

Though we feel out of sorts, we are happy to be back in the woods. We are happy to be hiking again.

Laurie’s heart hurts knowing her mom is all alone and only 5 miles away. She wanted to hike back and be with her.

“When we’re 100 miles away, I know I can’t do anything. But we’re so close.”

Andy reassured Laurie that we’d see her again in a few days time. For now, it’s already past hiker midnight and time for bed.

Tonight we are grateful for Laurie’s mama and endless summer skies.

June 10, 11 & 12, 2016

Miles: 0

We spent the last few days eating, researching and making our way to northern California.

A friend of Laurie’s and her boyfriend happened to be driving to San Francisco and gave us a lift from Andy’s parents’ home in L.A. Thanks Sara and Areio!

We then took BART to Laurie’s mom’s house in Oakland. Monday morning Laurie’s mom will shuttle us to Belden. Thanks Sue!

We really appreciate everyone’s help, comments and emails. We feel uplifted, encouraged and ready to hike again.

Next post will be from the trail!