June 30, 2016

Sawyers Bar Road (mile 1597.3) to Marble Valley (mile 1621.2)

Miles: 23.9

Andy slept well under the Swiss flag while Laurie wished she could fit in the refrigerator to escape the heat. Eventually we all fell asleep. It was glorious to sleep with an actual pillow and sheets.

The kind folks who run hiker hut do a fabulous job keeping the place clean and ensuring we have everything we need.

Andy and Speed took Jim out to breakfast to thank him for the ride to and from the trailhead. Laurie and Fixie stayed at the hiker hut and ate quesadillas and oatmeal respectively. At 7:30 am we all piled into the truck to drive back up to Etna Summit.

As we pulled up two hikers greeted us. They were So Far and So Good. We met them outside of Belden the second day after our skip. The trail has an amazing way of reconnecting hikers. It seems you just never know who we will see when.

Scenery wise today was one of the best yet. The views and wildflowers were fantastic and got better the further we walked.

The first 10.5 miles were filled with gradual ups and downs. The air was surprisingly cool and our bodies felt rested. We clambored over or walked around some blow downs but not enough to frustrate us.

The four of us reconvened at a stream around 11:30 and decided to push for the campsite 23 miles from Etna Summit. We were feeling good.

We hiked amongst the wildflowers, stopping occasionally to take pictures. The meadows were bright green and water was abundant.

After lunch we started to climb. We walked past small waterfalls and meadows filled with purple, red and yellow wildflowers. Water spilled onto the trail and for a moment it felt like we were back in the Sierras. The sun illuminated each water droplet as they cascaded over rocks and fell into a clear rocky pool below. It was captivating.

We stopped and simply watched the show, trying uncussessfully to capture the show with our cameras.

A mile or so after we resumed walking we crossed two snow banks and switchbacked our way up to a notch in the mountain. As we crested over we had views of beautiful deep blue Man Eater Lake. Snow patches dotted the surrounding mountains, forming a picturesque alpine vista.

We walked in awe, tripping over the rocky trail as our eyes kept moving back to the lake and surrounding mountains.

After this is where the day got long. We dropped down about 1000 ft and then climbed right back up, switchbacking through a burn area. We appreciated the shade and tried to stay positive and appreciative for the view of the lake although the climb and the previous descent felt pointless.

Once back up on the ridge we hiked past many trail junctions, through beautiful meadows, over rocky hills and past many blooming wildflowers. We felt grateful to be here now, when temperatures are a little bit cooler, the majority of the snow has melted and the flowers are at their peak.

Around 5 pm the miles seemed to drag on. The trail was scattered with downed trees, some easier to get around than others. In total we encountered about 30 blow downs today. It was enough.

Walking past slabs of marble, Andy was suprised at its sandpaper like texture.

As the evening light illuminated the marble wall above us, we descended into Marble Valley. We waded through a sea of tall grass and wildflowers down to Marble Meadow.

We found a nice flat spot behind a delapadated ranger cabin. The temperatures were cool and we were all excited to sleep.

These long mileage days are hard but we still smile knowing we wouldn’t want be anywhere else.

Tonight we are grateful for suprise alpine lakes and flat camp sites.

June 29, 2016

Paynes Lake (mile 1591.5) to Sawyers Bar Road (mile 1597.3)

Miles: 5.8

We had all agreed to leave at 6:30 am. We wanted to have a full day in Etna for some R&R. Plus, we have heard Etna is the friendliest town on the PCT and wanted to experience the magic.

It was easy walking until we hit a snow patch on an exposed north facing slope. We slowly picked our way through it, with Andy creating nice steps for each of us to use.

We texted Jim, the guy we had met the day before, while walking along the ridge. Through this 1100+ mile journey we have learned that when you can see a town below from a ridge, usually there is reception.

Jim was waiting for us when we got down to the road. We piled into his pickup and headed down into town.

We claimed our spot at the Hiker Hut and went in search of breakfast. The hut wasn’t quite ready for us yet as people were just leaving. We were fortunate to be the first hikers there to claim the 4 beds available in the hut.

Speed took off on one of the loaner bicycles. We chatted with another hiker (and film maker) named Squatch and attempted to take off after him 10 minutes later. Laurie fiddled with the chain but the crank was bent. Andy rode around in a circle to test his bike. He came back and noted that the pedal was loose. He looked down and the pedal assembly fell off. Guess we won’t be riding!!

We walked towards the restaurant but took a detour to Ray’s Place, the local grocery store. Our bodies were craving veggies. We ended up having a picnic brunch comsisting of hummus, lettuce, tangerines, tofu, avocados and black beans.

The rest of the day was filled with town chores – laundry, blog, drying out the tent and sleeping bags, sorting food, and calling family. It was a nice mellow day but there is never time to just sit and relax.

Around 5:30 we found working bicycles and rode a mile to one of the 3 restaurants in town – Dotty’s burgers. The meat was the most local we have ever had, being from the ranch next door.

We stopped at the store on the way home to get ice cream. Talenti was on sale for $2.99! This town keeps getting better and better!

We returned to the hiker hut for the evening. Laurie had a second dinner of quesadillas, something she has been craving for miles.

We chatted, elevated our feet and enjoyed the feel of cotton clothes on our clean bodies.

By 10 pm we were all in bed with the lights out.

Tonight we are grateful for Talenti in small town grocery stores and cozy hiker huts to call home.

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.