June 21, 2016

Burney Falls State Park (mile 1416.5) to bushcamp (mile 1432.3)

Miles: 15.8

Everyday on the trail is special, but today was extra special. It was the longest day of the year (Summer Soltice) and in the thru hiking world it was hike naked day.

Unfortunately, this stretch of trail was not ideal for partaking in the festivities. We started hiking in a very populated State Park, spent majority of the day hiking amongst mosquitoes, flies and gnats, and bushwhacked through overgrown trail.

Nevertheless it was still an awesome day.

We woke up around 5 with the intention of hiking by 7 to beat the heat. As you can imagine based on our history, that did not happen. Laurie got up to go snuggle with her mom and Andy fell back asleep. We were all exhausted from the stress of the day before and appreciated the extra sleep.

We had a delicious shmorgesboard breakfast of hard boiled eggs, avocado, black beans, chicken, hummus, fruit and nori.

When you have been backpacking for over 2.5 months there is no right or wrong time to eat anything. And, if you are Laurie you have been eating savory breakfasts for years.

We drove back to Burney Falls and picked up the PCT right where we left off. The trail was mellow at first, paralleling a road. We walked under the cover of pine trees, shaded from the quickly intensifying sun. We crossed some dirt roads and began a gentle climb.

Sue walked with us for the first 2.5 miles telling stories about her first backpacking trip at age 7. It is amazing how gear and food options have changed in 60 years.

We parted ways at the top of a hill. Goodbyes are hard for Laurie, particularly when she is not sure when she will see her mom again. Maybe in 2 days, maybe in 2 months…

The heat and the swarming bugs kept our hugs short as we were all eager to keep moving.

After another 2.5 miles the trail dropped down to Rock Creek. We took a break to get water and relax. Laurie melted onto a cool rock in the shade and fell asleep almost instantly. Andy stuck his feet in the water and worked on yesterday’s blog post.

Just after noon we shouldered our packs and headed across the bridge. From there the trail gained 3000 ft. Luckily it was mostly gradual and shady.

But it was hot!

Although we were in the shade, without any wind we roasted. We walked slowly and steadily, both saturated with sweat.

In 4.4 miles we reached a junction to a creek. We dropped our packs and walked the 0.1 mile down to Screwdriver Creek.

The water was refreshingly cool. Laurie placed one of the cold water bottles on her stomach as we climbed back up to the trail. It felt wonderful.

The trail continued up gradually. We walked past vibrant ferns and overgrown bushes. At some points the trail was so overgrown we could not see one another through the brush.

Today, the trail seemed to have many scents. At differing moments we smelled artichokes, cotton candy, fish and the only one that actually made sense – pine.

It was an olfactory experience, adding to the usual sights and sounds of the trail.

We passed 4 southbound hikers from Taiwan. They had also flipped up to Ashland from Kennedy Meadows. It felt like we were fish swimming upstream against the current.

This led Laurie to second guess our decision of hiking north from Belden yet again. Andy reassured her by reminding her that we are having fun, enjoying the trail, and that everything will be ok. Really, Laurie just wants to fit in.

“But why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Andy asks her, channeling Dr. Seuss.

Around 6 o’clock we got to our potential campsite. Earlier in the day our plan was to take some fun pictures here and keep hiking, but as the day wore on we both felt tired and liked the idea of an early evening.

As we turned the corner Laurie spotted a tent. Darn! We had gotten used to having no competition for the good camping spots. This spot was on a ridge with a spectacular view of Shasta.

Having spent all day in the trees waving our arms to get rid of bugs, the idea of an exposed and potentially windier and thus less buggy spot was very appealing. Apparently it was appealing to other people as well.

We chatted for a bit with the 2 guys camped there. They were section hikers from the Bay Area and curious about our experiences in the Sierras.

It is interesting how everyone focuses on the snow as the challenge, while for us it was the stream crossings.

We walked on another two tenths of a mile and found a spot on a ridge near a dirt road. Almost immediately the bumblebees, flies and mosquitoes found us.

But they couldn’t stop us. We wanted to celebrate hike naked day – at least for a little bit.

So we put up the tent, stripped down to our birthday suits and took a few photos with Mt. Shasta as the backdrop.

The cool breeze moving around our bodies felt really good. And so did the freedom to just be in that spot, together, enjoying ourselves.

After about 10 minutes we retreated to the tent. Andy put on some clothes and went to get the rest. By this time several bumble bees had made home inside our clothes.

Carefully and without getting stung Andy returned to the tent with all of our clothes.

We ate dinner and watched the sun drop behind the horizon. And the sunset. Oh my, what a sunset! It was stunning.

The sky turned pink before becoming orange. This is one of the many reasons we are our here.

Tomorrow we hope to beat our mileage record. We will see what the trail and our bodies provide.

Tonight we are grateful for magical sunsets and avocados.

June 20, 2016

Baum Lake (mile 1405.9) to Burney Falls State Park (mile 1416.5)

Miles: 10.6

We had a hard time waking up today but were determined to be up and moving before the mosquitoes ate us alive. We rallied and were on the trail before 6:30am.

Success. No bugs!

Four tenths of a mile up the trail we celebrated our 1,000 mile mark. We can hardly believe we’ve walked this far. It’s rewarding to know we can walk this many miles and feel as good as we do.

We hope our feet, bodies and minds continue to serve us well over the next 1,650 miles.

We walked fast, making miles quickly in the cool morning air. At a sort of high point near power lines we had reception so we took a break, made calls, answered emails, uncussessfully attempted to upload blog posts and moved on.

A few miles later, after crossing a series of dirt roads we came upon the Wild Bird Cache.

Trail magic!

Coolers full of soda, water, red vines, cheese puffs and pretzels were generously left by a family for hikers to enjoy.

Laurie finally got the fizzy, sugary drink she was craving yesterday. It wasn’t as rewarding since it was morning and still cool but she enjoyed a root beer nonetheless.

The table had boards nailed onto it, encouraging hikers to use sharpies to sign their names and a message if they so desired.

We appreciated the surprise and creativity of this cache. Thank you to those who maintain it!

We walked less than about hour and ran into Laurie’s mom headed toward us. She found us again. Yay!

We walked the 3.5 miles to Burney Falls State Park together.

It was beautiful! Millions of gallons of water cascading down two main waterfalls and at least a dozen others careening over weeping rocks covered in lichen. The lush forest surrounding the falls added to the beauty.

We then headed to the general store where Andy picked up our packages and Sue bought coconut popsicles for Laurie and herself.

The store wanted to charge us $16 for holding two packages. We were expecting to pay only $5 per box and were quite irritated. We told them that online it says the fee for holding packages is $5 per box, at which point the young lady behind the register looked in her log book and lowered the price to $11 for both boxes. Very shady.

Andy had chosen to send our resupply boxes to businesses and motels so we don’t get stuck in towns when the Post Offices are closed, but many businesses have increased their package pick up fees. A lot of them just before the hiking season started.

It was almost noon and we needed to charge our electronics, get food, shower, do laundry and post our blogs.

Andy stayed at the store charging everything while Laurie and her mom hiked one mile back to Highway 89 to get the rv.

When they returned we headed for the showers. We hadn’t showered in 7 days! But before we could go to the showers Sue insisted we go to the dump station to fill up her water tank.

It was hot, we were hungry and this was one more thing to do. Once the tank was full we all got in the rv. Andy was holding into the frame of the rv while getting in when Laurie shut the front passenger door on his fingers.

Andy’s ring finger was bleeding and his index and ring fingers hurt too, but nothing seemed broken.

Andy rushed back to the filling station, turned on the water and rinsed his bloody finger while Laurie grabbed a band aid.

Andy will be ok. He won’t lose any of his nails.

Finally we were on our way to the showers. We divided the quarters we had between the three of us and went to get clean.

Laurie had never used a coin operated shower before and it had been at least 7 years since Andy used one.

Laurie and Sue seemed to be enjoying themselves but Andy was not. The machine had returned one of his quarters. But it was too late when he noticed this had happened.

The water turned off just as he put in the quarter. Rats! He put in another quarter to get at least two more minutes of blissful hot water but nothing.

He was out of quarters with his upper body still covered in soap.

The day just kept getting better and better…

When Laurie was done she came to check on Andy and offered him three quarters. Thank you Laurie!

Andy put the quarters in the machine. No water. Frustrated, he called for Laurie while punching the machine.

After punching the machine a second time it returned his quarters.

He quickly grabbed his things and moved to the other shower. He put in the quarters and he had water again. But it was really cold and he waited what felt like a minute for the water to warm up.

The race against the clock isn’t a game Andy enjoys. He knew he had enough time to rinse himself off but it was still frustrating.

When he got back to the rv it was 2pm. We got to the laundromat in the town of Burney around 2:30pm, put in a load and headed for the Safeway for lunch.

We bought two roast chickens, a dozen eggs, hummus, carrots, kimchee, salad greens, grapes, cottage cheese, nectarines and four avocados.

We took the grocery bags to the rv while Sue went back in to buy more fruit. We felt uneasy with our clothes sitting in the washing machine but Sue insisted we get gas first. She asked Laurie to clean the windshield which took additional time.

Finally around 3:45 we returned to the laundromat, put our clothes in the dryer and went in search of a place to eat.

Needless to say, we were all hangry and irritated by this point. None of us had eaten or drank much since 10am.

We were all on edge.

After lunch, we drove to a potential campground but it was closed. We drove back to Burney Falls State Park in hopes of camping there but they were full, so we dropped off Andy so he can charge the electronics while Laurie and Sue went in search of home for the night.

It’s been a long day. Our town stop was a luxury and became more of a headache than it was worth. We go into “go” mode when we get into town and it is hard to make time for tasks other than our own.

Sue was a good sport and we tremendously appreciate her driving us around. We will plan the next visit where there are less distractions so it is more pleasant for everyone.

Laurie and Sue returned to pick up Andy after having secured a spot at Dusty Campground just outside Burney Falls.

We ate dinner in the park before heading to our campsite on the shore of Lake Britton. It was pretty but buggy.

We were all tired and ready for bed. Laurie hung out with her mama while Andy relaxed in the tent.

It’s now 10pm and we are finally in our sleeping bags. What a day! We are ready to get back on the trail. But first we sleep.

Tonight we are grateful for grapes and available campsites.

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.