June 19, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 1382.2) to Baum Lake (mile 1405.9)

Miles: 23.7

Our alarms went off at 5 am. We both opened our eyes, looked at the morning light casting a pink glow over Lassen and fell back asleep.

We woke up the second time around 6 am and motivated one another to get moving. Without a wet tent packing up was much faster and we were walking a little before 7 am.

The trail stayed on top of Hat Creek Rim for the first half of the day. We admired the green valley down to our left and took in the expansive views of Shasta to the north and Lassen to the south.

We walked through patches of flowers and dandelion puffballs. Laurie tried numerous times to make a wish and blow out the balls but the feathers were persistent and only a few blew off. We resorted to whapping them with our poles as we walked by. It was cheap entertainment for a few miles.

Lava rocks were scattered amongst the grasses and made for difficult walking, especially when the trail was overgrown.

We rolled our ankles numerous times and although it was morning and our feet were fresh, certain steps hurt more than others when rocks hit the sensitive parts of our feet.

Laurie tripped on one such rock and nearly fell flat on her face. Thankfully she has the reflexes of a cheetah and caught herself with a large lunge. It was a close one but she didn’t tweak anything.

Whew!

The grade of the trail was gentle. We walked along staring at the majestic appearance of Shasta covered in snow. There were no other mountains around and it stuck out almost as if it were photoshopped into the landscape.

The morning air was cool and refreshing and we felt happy. It felt good to be enjoying the trail and our adventure again. Our confidence was back and we were having fun. We are laughing and being goofy again like we were in the desert. Yay!

It ain’t all peaches and cream though.

Laurie has a hard time accepting the decisions she makes. She torments herself with constant “what ifs.” In this instance she regrets not picking up the trail in Truckee.

“What if the water crossings were easier? What if there wasn’t as much snow there as before Mammoth?”

Our 406 mile skip put us out of the range of snow and raging rivers but also ahead of most other hikers. Laurie misses the camaraderie. It is also possible that we will hit snow around Crater Lake.

All the unknowns create anxiety for Laurie. Andy, on the other hand, focuses on the present moment with an understanding that a lot can change between now and when we get to Crater Lake in early July.

Andy tries to reassure Laurie and remind her to enjoy the here and now, while Laurie comes up with plans to gather more info.

This is just another example of how different we are but how we use these differences to make us a stronger team.

During a short break after 6 miles we met 2 hikers who had also flipped. They were hiking south from Ashland after skipping all of the Sierras. It was reassuring to hear that the trail was relatively clear (some snow and blow downs but nothing major) til Ashland.

This trail provides constant lessons in going with the flow and letting the adventure unfold rather than planning it all out in advance.

The trail made a sudden turn into a forest and then down into an open grassland. Andy felt as though he had walked into the Serengeti.

The temperature had risen and it was now hot. We both wished we still had our umbrellas to provide a bubble of shade.

The trail, like life, can have us wishing for one thing, then cursing at the very thing we had wished for only two days ago.

We were cold, wet and uncomfortable in Lassen National Park. And now we are overheating and wishing it were colder. “I don’t know if I should enjoy this sun or not. Two days ago I was wishing for it” said a disgruntled southbound hiker who passed us walking with his head down.

We walked on, passed some oak trees, an algae infested pond and two women who had started hiking 3 days ago.

They were new to backpacking and looking to hike 1,000 miles to Seattle. Being from Texas they found the temperature mild, but the hiking difficult.

“How long til this doesn’t suck?” Asked one of the women.

Laurie responded by telling them that their attitude and approach will determine the experience they will have.

Later Laurie gave the gals her peanut M&Ms. “I like giving myself treats. It helps me feel better on rough days.”

It was now 2:30pm and we wanted to hike another 10 miles to camp. We figured if we hiked 2.5 miles per hour we could be at camp by 6:30pm.

We walked as fast as we could on the rocky trail. Laurie had a good laugh or two (or three) following Andy and watching him trip and kick rocks onto his opposite foot.

But not even his drunken walking could distract her from her discomfort. It was hot, the trail was rocky and there were mozzies swarming us.

“Two nuisances I can handle, but three is too many.”

“Gotcha. It’s like when we were in the Angeles National Forest right?”

“Yup. When we had poodle dog bush, poison oak, biting flies and heat.”

At one point we stopped to put water in our Platypus bladders. Laurie sat down to rest but was on her feet 2 minutes later because the mosquitoes were swarming her. Poor Andy didn’t even have a chance to sit before Laurie was on the move again.

All Laurie wanted to cool her down was for someone to give her an ice cold Coca Cola.

She could practically taste the bubbly, sugary goodness. This is odd because she never drinks soda.

We made it to Baum Lake and ran into many people fishing off the bridge and swimming in the lake. Laurie wished someone would give her a Coke, but not many people acknowledged us.

Too bad.

Half a mile after crossing another bridge over Baum Lake we made it to camp. It reminded us of Myrtle Flat – tons of mozzies and lots of deer deer.

On the way to camp Laurie commented how the people fishing were cheating because we were near a fish hatchery. Andy thought they were smart.

We quickly erected the tent and Laurie crawled in. She doesn’t like mosquitoes. Andy cooked dinner while Laurie cleaned her dirty feet and watched the mosquitoes swarm.

We are not sure when, but somewhere along the way Andy has stopped giving a shit about mosquitos. They love him, and still swarm him like crazy but he is okay sitting outside the tent cooking dinner.

Tonight we fall asleep to the buzz of mosquitoes from the safety of our tent. The moon is bright and our feet are tired but our hearts are happy.

Tonight we are grateful for the soles of our shoes and cool breezes.

June 18, 2016

Hat creek (mile 1367.1) to bushcamp (mile 1382.2)

Miles: 15.1

It poured last night. We woke up naturally at 6 am but since it was still raining we both fell back asleep. We were just under 8 miles from our designated meeting point with Laurie’s mom and we figured we could walk fast if need be.

The rain stopped around 7:00 am and we could see light coming through the tent.

“Sun??” Asked Laurie as she stuck her head out of the drenched and sagging rain fly.

The sky was still grey but the clouds were thining. We were hopeful for some sunshine. It had been a few days since we felt the warmth of the sun’s rays.

As we rolled up our pads we noticed moisture on Andy’s side of the tent. Could we have a hole in the tent floor? Our tent bag has many rips from bushwhacking and perhaps the tent got cut also? We decided to investigate further when we dried out the tent.

We put away our soaked tent and rain fly and were walking by 8:20am. By that time the sunlight illuminated the dripping pine trees. It was a magical moment.

We walked through puddles on the trail and through steaming meadows. The air was crisp but not cold. We quickly shed our layers and embraced the sunshine.

The trail meandered through the pine forest, crossing many dirt roads and past RV’s in the distance.

We climbed up and then down and could see the town of Old Station in the distance. As we dropped down into the valley we caught glimpses of Lassen. It looked as though it got a new dusting of snow!

Eventually we made it to the cutoff for the Subway Cave. Here we met Sue and we all piled into the RV to drive the half mile to JJ’s.

Town food is very subjective. On the trail you often hear that food at a certain restaurant is the “best on the trail.” This restaurant had that reputation.

Unfortunately we were underwhelmed. Some of the food was really good while others were ok at best. The burger Andy had was delicious while the egg scramble Laurie ordered and the Greek salad Sue ordered were ok. Even so we enjoyed the change it offered from trail food.

Paradise Valley Cafe before mile 200 wins for best Greek salad thus far while JJ’s has had the best burger.

We dried our wet tent and clothes on the deck, searched unsuccessfully for a hole in the tent, chatted with Sue and uploaded blog posts.

By 3 pm and with 11 liters of water between us we shouldered our packs and hit the trail once more. We were at the beginning of a 30 mile waterless stretch on the Hat Creek Rim. Andy walked through the Subway Cave and we all started back on the PCT together.

Sue walked with us for about 2 miles. Flowers mixed in with the tall grasses offered a smattering of red, yellow and purple amongst the green.

We climbed up 400 ft to the Hat Creek Overlook where we got our first views of Mt. Shasta. From here the trail stayed relatively level.

We walked on a mix of lava rock and dirt. It took a lot more effort and concentration than walking on the soft pine needles of the previous day.

We reached camp around 7 pm. Both of us were tired and our feet hurt. Andy boiled water for dinner while Laurie made home and got cozy.

Tonight the sky is clear and we will sleep with no rain fly. We watched the sun set behind Shasta as birds chirped in the trees surrounding our camp. Aside from their singing it is peacefully quiet.

Tonight we are grateful for a cloudless night and fast wifi in public places.

June 17, 2016

Warner Valley Campground (mile 1347.6) to Hat Creek (mile 1367.2)

Miles: 19.6

We woke up this morning to the sound of rain. So much for the hot and dry Northern California stretch.

Laurie’s mom was outside our tent at 6:30am encouraging us to get up and join her in the RV. It’s hard to motivate and get out of a tent when it’s raining.

The rain subsided and we rallied. Packing up a wet tent is no fun, but we’re hopeful to dry it at some point this afternoon.

Today’s is Andy’s 33rd birthday. To celebrate Laurie and Sue wrapped up a tin of sardines in a hand towel and presented it to him.

Andy really likes sardines and was excited to have them for dinner tonight with his buckwheat.

Sue made oatmeal on her stove which we all devoured. It was quite nice hanging out in the RV on a gloomy morning, but alas, the trail beckoned.

We were out and hiking by 8am. The trail switchbacked up and up immediately, providing great views of Lassen National Park.

Laurie and Sue usually hike with their heads down but Andy is the opposite – always looking up and around.

Andy noticed something odd up on the cliff above the trail. He took another look after a few steps.

Ears? Could it be a dog? No, they aren’t allowed on National Park trails.

The creature lifted his head and it was clear.

“Bear” he exclaimed to Laurie and Sue, who walked back to catch a glimpse of the small, blonde bear.

It was as curious about us as we were fascinated by it. It was bigger than a cub but a third of the size of an adult bear. It was the first bear we’ve seen on our hike!

We continued to switchback up the mountain side. In the distance we could see the steam from geysers and lakes, hanging low in the trees like clouds. It was beautiful.

Sue hiked with us for another mile before turning around. We hope she made it back to the campground before the rain started. She’s got a long drive ahead of her and we hope to see her in Old Station tomorrow!

The trail descended another 400 feet to a meadow. Around 9am the rain started and didn’t let off until 1pm.

Fortunately for us the trail was a cruiser and we made miles quickly.

Unfortunately our hands got soaked and cold very quickly. Andy’s fingers were so cold he couldn’t open or close a ziplock bag.

It poured as we walked through the forest, over puddles and through meadows. Our shoes and socks were soaked. We appreciated the wood planked boardwalks over the most swampy parts of the trail.

The trail suddenly ended at King creek. We could see it continuing on the other side and found a large log to walk across. The log was wide and secure but being 5 feet above the water both of us initially froze. It takes some time to work up the courage to cross something that high off the ground when water is rushing underneath. Staring ahead rather than down made it easier and after a short while we both made it across safely.

When the rain finally took a break we stopped for lunch. It was too wet to dry anything out but at least we were dry.

We talked about hiking in the rain and how we hope it doesn’t last weeks on end. Laurie doesn’t like being cold and soggy.

Andy tolerates it knowing it is temporary. He appreciates its beauty especially watching raindrops fall on a lakes and puddles.

We passed by many lakes today, all of which were tucked away in the trees, but close enough to see the rain ripples. Unfortunately it was too cold and gloomy to take a dip.

Around 2:30pm the sun finally broke through the clouds. There were many dark storm clouds in the area but we decided to dry out our tent fly for as long as we could. We took our shoes off, sat on a rock and ate a block of raw goats milk cheese.

Fifteen minutes later we could see the dark grey clouds getting closer and closer, so we put on our socks and shoes and got ready to go. As we shouldered our packs it started sprinkling and then shortly there after, pouring.

We decided to push on to Hat Creek – another 4.5 miles away to make our hike into Old Station tomorrow shorter. We’re a fan of challenges and hoped to be at camp by 5pm.

Well, we beat that, arriving around 4:30pm. We loved the trail into Hat Creek. It was like walking through a magical forest.

It was quiet, but not eerily so. The colors were vibrant. Green and brown grasses rustled in the wind and golden brown pine needles crunched under our feet as we walked beneath big pine trees decorated with neon green lichen.

We expressed to each other that if we didn’t need water we would have loved to camp here. The ground looked soft and inviting.

But alas, we kept moving. It was spitting rain when we arrived at camp so we went to get water before setting up the tent. When we returned from Hat Creek we saw a familiar hiker near our packs.

It was Phil! We’ve been wondering where he was and how he was doing. Now, he’s camped near us and it was great catching up with him. He plans to hike to Kennedy Meadows, then return to Oregon and hike north. Go Phil!

After attempting to make hot lemon ginger tea with dehydrated lemon and GinGins ginger candy, we had dinner. Andy was really excited about his sardines and practically wolfed them down with his buckwheat.

Laurie though was having a tougher time putting her food down. She wasn’t hungry but knew she had to eat. So she pulled out some nori sheets and finished her beans. Then she proceeded to eat a third of a bag of Jelly Bellys. There always seems to be room for candy!

We’re definitely eating a lot more these days, especially Andy. We’ll see if this continues over the coming weeks or if it’s just a temporary phase.

The rest of the evening Andy spent writing, editing and looking at pictures while Laurie took a nap.

It’s hard to leave the tent to brush up or pee or do anything with the on again, off again rain.

It’s especially difficult for Laurie. She loves to get cozy and finds it very difficult to get out again once she is in her sleeping bag cocoon. She’s had to pee for 4 hours now but has yet to leave the tent.

Tonight we are grateful for boardwalks over marshy trail and sunshine on a rainy day.