June 28, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 1566.3) to Paynes Lake (mile 1591.5)

Miles: 25.2

The birds were our alarm clock. The horizon was orange and the silhouette of the Trinity Alps were visible from our tent. So were the mosquitoes.

It seems impossible to find a place to rest without the infamous buzzzz flowing into our ears.

We felt sluggish this morning. We started walking at 6:35 am. It was already warm.

The trail gently climbed through meadows and through forests of fir trees. We stepped over and around more blow downs than we have encountered in the last 200 miles. The ground was soft but the bugs were pestering.

We climbed up to a high point at which we took a break. The slight breeze was refreshing when it was present. Just as we were lacing up our shoes Fixie showed up.

Since we were not hiking as fast as previous mornings we made a goal to take shorter breaks today.

We dropped down through a gorgeous green meadow to the Scott River. We washed our faces with cold river water and headed up towards Highway 903.

With every breath we could feel the hot air entering our mouthes. We cherished the cooler shady sections and moved quickly through the sunny stretches.

Where the trail crosses the highway there was a guy standing next to his motorcycle, admiring the forest surrounding him. We said hello and he mentioned that he lives in Etna (our next town stop) and that he often gives rides to hikers.

Laurie slyly asked if he would come get us from Etna Summit the following morning. He agreed and gave us his number. These may have been the first digits Laurie has ever gotten!

From the highway we started a long, hot and beautiful climb. It felt like we were back in the Sierras although with less snow and much less water.

We took a break under a tree for lunch but didn’t last more than 20 min because of the constant pestering of bumble bees, ants and other flying insects.

Does one ever get used to bugs?

Laurie doesn’t feel like a real thru hiker because she doesn’t like bugs. Although we are not sure even a triple crown will change that.

Just as we were tying our laces Fixie joined us and we walked together the rest of the afternoon.

We ventured through meadows, up rocky switchbacks and through damp and cool forests.

We crested over a high point and the trail dead ended into a snow bank. The slope was steep and beneath the snow was a boulder field.

“We are back in the Sierras!” Exclaimed Andy with a grin.

We attempted to climb the rocks above the snow to get around but everything ended with a large drop off. Eventually we picked our way through trees and clambered over rocks below the trail. It took a while but we were happy to have made it across without injury.

We continued on, walking in a line of three. We played the alphabet game to keep our mind off the endless miles and the ever growing pain in our feet.

After a quick downhill we started climbing again, this time through the Russian Wilderness. We could see the trail slicing through the rocky hillside. Andy took off, challenging himself to see how fast he could get up the hill.

Laurie and Fixie slowly made their way up. The views kept getting better and better. We really felt we were back in the Sierras. Big mountains, snow on northern slopes, meadows thousands of feet below and gushing seasonal streams.

As we started the last 5 miles to Paynes Lake Laurie hit a wall. She was exhausted, hot, sticky and the blister on her left little toe hurt with every step.

When we stopped to get water Laurie sat on the sappy ground. She was too tired to care about taking off her pack or looking where she was sitting.

Laurie, who normally is the pace setter, settled into the caboose position. She put in her ear buds and listened to podcasts to keep her mind occupied as we walked up through a burn area and then down a rocky trail to the lake.

We got to Paynes Lake at 8 pm – the latest we have arrived in camp thus far. We found Speed and set up our tents.

After a quick dinner we fell asleep. Our bodies are tired and we both are looking forward to getting into town tomorrow. After a day like today we may need to take a zero.

Tonight we are grateful for podcasts and delicious home cooked dinners on the trail.

June 27, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 1543.4) to bushcamp (mile 1566.3)

Miles: 22.9

We woke up to orange clouds in a pale blue sky. Another beautiful morning in northern California!

It was hard to get going. We knew the longer we waited the hotter it would be so we managed to peel open our eyes and were on the trail around 6:20.

Fixie hiked with us all morning. The three of us traded stories which made the miles fly by.

We took a short break in the shade around 8 am. Fixie diagnosed Laurie’s recent foot peeling and cracked skin issues as athlete’s foot 😦

We’re not sure where Laurie came in contact with this fungus. She’s worn flip flops in most public showers. Hopefully we can find some cream in our next town stop in a few days to get rid of it.

At 9:58 am Andy checked his watch.

“We have gone 9.9 miles”

Without communicating we all started running.

At 9:59 we had done 10 miles. Another 10 by 10. Yay!

To celebrate we took a 35 minute shoes off break in the shade, trading snacks amongst one another. A young deer walked within 15 ft of us, swatting mosquitoes with it’s ears.

The next 2 miles we walked over rocky trail down to Highway 3. We saw Speed resting in the shade. He was gathering trash since a nice person at the campground had offered to drive it back to town. We all pulled out ziplocks. Trash doesn’t weigh much but it is nice to lighten our pack, minimize volume, and remove smelly items from our packs any chance we have.

From here the trail climbed. We walked in a line of 4 sharing tid bits of our lives. Being early afternoon the temperature was warm but luckily the trail skipped in and out is the sun.

About 2 miles in we stopped to get water from a spring. Speed continued on, Fixie and Andy went in search of water and Laurie sat and watched the packs. Andy and Fixie returned after 15 minutes with 1 inch of water between them. This was our first seasonal water source that wasn’t flowing.

We continued on another 1.8 miles with dry mouths to another seasonal spring. This one was overflowing with clear, crisp and delicious water. Water tastes so good when you are thirsty!

We carried on up the hill. It was a gradual up. The trail was soft and our bodies were tired but nothing hurt.

Mosquito Lake outlet was a nice steam with pools amongst the rocks. Laurie and Fixie took a dip while Andy soaked his feet. The water was refreshing and much warmer than Deadfall Lake the day before.

Having learned from the previous dry spring we loaded up on water. The next reliable stream was in 12 miles and while we all thought the seasonal ones would be running, we didn’t want to depend on them and end up without water again.

Our packs were heavy just as the climb got steeper. We slowly made our way up the hillside, stopping to catch our breaths and soak in the stunning views.

It’s really beautiful here. We can hardly believe our eyes. Another thing we can’t believe is that we are hiking south (ok southwest) for roughly 50 miles. Some people have a real hard time with this since Canada is to the north, but for us this is the PCT. This is where the PCT takes us. Trail builders wanted us to see these mountains. And for this we are grateful.

We had a snow field to cross four tenths of a mile from camp. It looked easy from afar but was somewhat tricky. Laurie postholed down to her thigh but thankfully there weren’t rocks hiding underneath the snow.

Shortly after we came upon a seasonal stream gushing with cold, beautiful water.

“It’s a mirage. It’s not really there” Andy jokingly exclaimed.

Sucks that we carried as much water up the hill in the heat as we did but we’d rather have it than not.

Around 6 pm we rolled into camp. Speed was sitting under a tree cleaning up after eating dinner. The three of us sat down near him and enjoyed a luxurious happy hour of cheese and Luke’s Crackers.

We chatted as we cooked and ate. It was a nice day, and probably the most social day we have had on trail.

It is only 8:30 and we are ready for bed. Maybe we will actually fall asleep before hiker midnight (9 pm) tonight. Well, at least Laurie might.

Goodnight.

Tonight we are grateful for good company and strong legs.

June 26, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 1516.4) to bushcamp (mile 1543.4)

Miles: 27

We woke up to a beautiful dawn. The sun peeped over the horizon as we packed our backpacks. We were walking at 6 along with Fixie and the two Swiss women.

We leap frogged with them all morning. The trail hugged the hillsides like a tight pair of jeans. We walked past bright red Indian Paintbrush and other flowers we don’t know the names of.

We hiked with Fixie for a while. Talking with another hiker broke up the monotony of the morning. This isn’t to say that the trail and surrounding mountains were not beautiful because they certainly were, but talking with others helps get one out of their own head.

We got water at Frog Spring and parted ways. Fixie stayed to snack and rest while we pushed on, not quite ready for a break. The trail gradually headed towards a saddle.

It was like being back in the desert – the late morning sun was intense and we could see the trail contouring the adjoining mountains. Unlike the desert however, there was a large lake below us, spots of shade and expansive views of snow capped mountains.

We kept stopping to take pictures, it was so darn pretty!

At the saddle (7,650 ft) we encountered snow for the first time in days. We side stepped down not wanting to glissade in fear of slipping off the rocky cliff.

From here it was a gradual 3 miles down to Deadfall Lakes. The mountains and rocks on this side of the saddle were red. We wished we knew more about the geology of this region to understand where the variety comes from.

Fixie caught up with us while we took a lunch break and we hiked the last 2 miles to the lakes together. Once there she and Laurie went swimming while Andy soaked his feet while sitting on a log. The water was cold but tolerable. We all felt so refreshed and rejuvenated.

Laurie loves to swim in alpine lakes and through the Sierras everything was frozen. The only other non frozen lakes we have walked by were in Lassen National Park when it was pouring. She was giddy for the next few miles as her body hummed with coolness for the first time in days.

We hiked on, past a few day hikers and backpackers heading back to Parks Creek Trailhead. Laurie secretly wished they would offer us food or cold sodas but no luck.

Once across the road we climbed again but only briefly. The trail stayed reasonably flat as we twisted around the mountainside. We walked across rock slide areas and through areas with trees scattered about.

We spoke about attempting our first 30 mile day but the next known tentsite was at mile 34. That was too far. We were both tempted to try for a junction a few miles away but after looking at the topo map the options of flat spots appeared few and far between.

We got to Chilcoot Creek around 6:45 pm. Speed, another hike we had met yesterday, was already there. We decided to stay. Had we pushed on to the junction it would have been only 29.2 miles. It wasn’t worth it. Maybe tomorrow we will try again. We will see how our bodies feel and what makes most sense.

We sat outside our tent in the sun and enjoyed a chunk of cheese. It was the best way to celebrate our longest mileage day yet!

Once the swarming gnats got the best of us Laurie retreated to the tent while Andy boiled water for dinner.

We ate, sorted food and devised a rough plan for the next 2 days. We watched the trees dance in the wind as the last light faded from the sky and our eyes got heavy.

Goodnight.

Tonight we are grateful for lakes to swim in and miso soup.