June 15, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 1309.5) to Stover Spring (1332.3)

Miles: 22.8

We woke up early, committed to hiking over 20 miles to make the following day shorter. Laurie’s mom Sue is meeting us is Lassen and we want to maximize our time with her.

We were walking by 6:15am, shivering as we began and hoping to warm up as we walked. It was cold!

Search and Rescue had posted a sign warning hikers of “deep snow ahead.” It was dated 5/29 so we anticipated that it had melted but we weren’t entirely sure. We kept our microspikes handy just in case.

The trail was mellow, wandering in and out of the trees and open volcanic ridges. It felt like we were walking along a braid – at times we walked on top of the ridge and other times on either side.

We had a nice view of snowy Mt Lassen in the distance when the clouds parted.

We wandered on, stepping over logs and winding our way up and down the hillsides. The trail was pretty easy and the miles flew by. We kept expecting the temperature to rise but instead it got colder as we got higher in elevation.

After an hour and a half we got to a junction. Every trail and spring are well marked. We left our packs next to the trail and dropped down a third of a mile to Little Cub Spring. The water was clear and cold.

On our major climb of the day, we caught up with another hiker named Karen. She started in Truckeee a few weeks ago.

She was happy to see us as she reported being lonely. We are all ahead of the pack and are lucky to see more than 4 hikers a day. We chatted for a bit and continued on. It was too cold for a long conversation without a layer and gloves!

We encountered a few snowy patches on the north facing slopes but nothing like what we had been on or warned about. We made our way across the snow, Andy digging in steps and Laurie moving quickly to avoid slipping.

About a quarter mile before the Butt Mountain junction (yes that’s what it’s called), the trail crossed over to the southern side of the ridge. The snow disappeared and so did the trail amongst the small Manzanita bushes.

We were thankful for our pants as we plunged through, moving the bushes away with our poles and arms.

From here it was a gentle but windy walk to mile 1325 – the PCT midpoint. It was anti climatic and we felt a whole slew of emotions.

With our skip this was really only our 919 mile marker. That alone is something to celebrate and we feel grateful and happy to have made it this far.

Within 5 minutes, Flo and Gecko arrived. Flo has walked from Campo so we congratulated him on the accomplishment and then we all sat down to eat lunch.

Suprisingly we had service and as soon as we turned on our phones the notifications poured in.

Laurie got an email and text informing her that the results of her Geriatric Specialty Exam were posted. She nervously checked as Andy published our latest blog post.

Laurie passed her test and the celebration continued with a little dancing and singing to Bon Jovi’s “We’re halfway there….oh livin on a prayer.”

Now you have the song stuck in your head. You’re welcome ☺

We parted ways, Gecko and Flo speeding off towards hot chocolate in Chester and we took our time descending through the forest towards the highway and eventually camp.

We walked through logging areas, frequently crossing over dirt roads and past signs warning us of falling trees.

We met two southbound hikers (30/30 and Jukebox) near Hwy 36. Both had flipped up to Ashland from Independence. They fondly spoke of smooth and well manicured trail ahead. We look forward to attempting our first 30 mile day in the near future.

We mentioned yesterday 4 things that slow down hikers (snow, stream crossings, blowdowns and overgrown trail) but there are two others: inclement weather and chatting with other hikers.

Thankfully we dodged the foul weather today. Similarly our conversations with other hikers were nice but short.

Just before 6 we arrived at Stover Spring. The final mile was uphill and for the first time today Laurie broke a sweat.

We filled up our water bottles with cool clear water and set off to find a flat spot. We passed a woman journaling under her tarp. She stuck her head out to say hello. She too just started in Belden and is headed north. It is reassuring to Laurie to know there are people around with similar plans.

We went about our evening routine – both putting up the tent, then Andy cooking while Laurie inflated the pads and stretched out the sleeping bags.

By 7:30 we were fed and cozy in our sleeping bags. It is still cold out but luckily not raining as had been predicted.

Tonight we are grateful for music and our playful spirits.

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.