“When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top”.
– Anonymous
The Fourteenth Week – Stepping Into Summer!
Showcasing the green and grand forested hills of Northern California!
Day 92 – Tuesday, 10th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,141 to Wild Camp by Peter Grubb Hut at Mile 1,161, 20 miles
We seem to have turned a corner as we make strides into Northern California! It’s a new day, a new week and we have a new positive mental attitude to go with it! The sun is shining, the mosquitoes seem to be few and far between (hopefully they are now coming to the end of their life-cycle) and the trail is much better underfoot so we can at last push out some big mile days without it being too burdensome. (Alternatively, I could be at home writing end-of-year school reports, so all of a sudden, 25-mile days are much more appealing!)
We have just over 500 miles of North Cal left, so when we put it into perspective, we’ve already covered two-thirds of this tremendous state and still have some awesome sights to see as we enter the Cascade Mountains – the next three coming up being Lassen Peak, the first of the big volcanoes in Lassen Volcanic National Park, Hat Creek Rim, a fault scarp that rises steeply above Hat Creek Valley, followed by Mount Shasta, which at 14,179 feet, stands nearly 10,000 feet above the surrounding area and dominates the skyline from numerous vantage points. (All of which is completely new and exciting to us having never hiked in this area before!)
With the sun already shining on the tent when the alarm went off, a woodpecker tapping a tree nearby and the gentle buzz of a hummingbird flitting here and there gathering nectar from wild flowers behind the tent, it was an awesome morning to wake up in the wilderness. We can tell summer is definitely here, not just because the flowers are in full bloom or the sunrise has already happened before we wake up, but because our sleeping bags are now being used as quilts and even I am peeling off the layers in the middle of the night as it gets ridiculously hot!
Taking advantage of the higher temperatures, we bounced forward some of our cold weather gear to Ashland in Oregon to help lighten our packs a little. With sending home our bear cans as well, it does seem to have made a significant difference. Our packs are fitting better and are much more comfortable during uphill climbs. It also helps that we will now be carrying five day’s worth of food or less having resupplied ourselves with packages from South Lake Tahoe for the next month. (Our planned collection points are Sierra City, Chester, Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, Etna, Castella and Ashland where we have sent our ‘Bounce Box’.)
Heading for Tinker Knob! It’s usually better to get a big climb out of the way first thing in the morning whilst it’s a little cooler.
Thank goodness that our packs were feeling lighter as we started the day with an uphill climb to Tinker Knob at 8,949 feet. The trail rises 1,600 feet in elevation in just under 8 miles, with the climb on the final section being fairly steep, so fortunately for us there wasn’t any snow remaining on the trail making it more difficult. As the route is completely exposed to the sun, we were grateful of a handful of trees offering us a small pocket of shade at the side of the trail when we sat down for our second breakfast below the summit. Also acting as a wind break, they shielded us from the big gusts of wind that seemed to come out of nowhere every so often. It would have been a fairly straightforward scramble up the rocky eastern face to the very top, however neither of us had the energy to go off trail and bag the Knob! Instead we eagerly tucked into our granola, fruit and nut mix and enjoyed a hot cuppa (Wayne’s preference now being coffee, mine still being tea), whilst taking in the tremendous view from the position of the elevation marker. Today, that was good enough for us!
Starting the long, uphill climb to Tinker Knob.
Cloaked in green, Northern California looks like one giant forest!
What a view! The forested hills seemed endless.
It was great to get out of the trees as the trail took us up high. Ridge walking is our favourite as it affords us such expansive views!
We didn’t venture off-trail today to bag the peak. Reaching the elevation sign for Tinker Knob was good enough!
Feeling on top of the world when you’re atop the highest thing around!
With five miles down and a good 45 minute rest, we then had 7 miles of fantastic ridge walking to go before reaching Highway 40 and Donner Pass, which we’d earmarked as our lunch spot. Ridge walking is my favourite as it offers expansive vistas and you can usually see where you’re headed and what the terrain is like so you know what to expect. This ridge, which we were surprised to find was unnamed, took us below Mount Lincoln and afforded us wonderful views of Lake Mary and Lake Angela.
The trail gradually wound downhill back into the forest.
Pretty pink flowers cloak the mountainside.
The perfect rock seat for taking a rest break.
Moss covered Douglas-fir trees tower above us.
When we reached Donner Pass, (Named for the famous and tragic ‘Donner Party’ of 87 pioneers who were stranded by heavy snow going over the pass in October 1846 whilst en route for the Sacramento Valley. When they ran short of food, some survived by eating corpses of their fallen companions. When they were rescued, only 47 of the party were still alive.) We first made use of the ‘Porta-Loo’ provided for hikers by the community, then took advantage of the picnic tables outside the Sugar Bowl Academy that was closed. There were plenty of day hikers driving in and out of the parking area at the trailhead, but there was no trail magic today. That was until a fellow PCTer brought us over a bag of crisps and some cans of fizzy drinks saying he was re-joining the trail after spending a week in the town of Truckee and had brought too much food with him. Of course we would happily take it off his hands!
Trail town communities think of everything! A ‘Porta-Loo’ for PCT hikers, courtesy of the Donner Summit Association and Truckee Donner Land Trust.
After another 45 minute break we were refuelled and raring to go! Four more miles of walking and our next stop would be Interstate 80 and the ‘Rest Area’. With picnic tables, flushing toilets and vending machines, we were looking forward to more cold drinks and making use of the facilities so close to the trail. As we would have access to tap water, we planned on cooking dinner there and washing up before we made camp a further three miles up trail. It was a little change to our usual routine, but this was how we had planned to do our 25-mile days – in 5 segments of 5 miles, punctuated with regular rest breaks and calorie intakes! It’s all good for motivation, especially when you know there is a big climb ahead.
Leaving Donner Pass, the trail meanders uphill around Mount Stephens, a large granite outcrop with a scenic overlook to Lake Angela. The beautiful view took our minds off the climb, which was both a hot and sweaty one in the afternoon sun. It didn’t seem long however before we were passing beneath the interstate via two drainage tunnels that were thankfully free of water. It was then a short walk to the ‘Rest Area’ that was busy with car trippers pulling in and out after stretching their legs and making use of the rest rooms.
As we made our way uphill after leaving Donner Pass, we had a wonderful, clear view of Lake Angela.
Looking back towards the switchbacks we had just hiked up and beyond is an old train track running along the mountains.
We too made use of the toilet facilities and were pleased that we could wash our hands properly with soap and water as our hands always seem to be ingrained with grime from the trail, no matter how often we rinse them in streams when we go past. We were then much too excited at the presence of vending machines! A cold, fizzy drink with full fat sugar was all that Wayne had been hankering after for the past two hours since leaving Donner Pass. So he in particular was more than a little dismayed to find that the drinks machine was out of order. Other than hot-foot it across the interstate to the Rest Area on the opposite side (which was an unnecessary life or death risk), there was no way we’d be getting more cold sodas today! But out of the next vending machine, we did manage to get ice-creams, which kind of made up for it!
Other pros of stopping by at the Rest Area was that we were able to dispose of our big bags of rubbish in the ‘trash’ cans (it’s amazing how much you accumulate in just a few days) and we also found that we had a phone signal, which was handy to research the facilities available in Sierra City, our next town stop along the PCT. After cooking dinner at a picnic table in the shade, we left at 6:15pm with the intention of hiking on three more miles to reach the Peter Grubb Hut, a well-equipped bothy maintained by the Sierra Club primarily as a backcountry ski lodge in the winter. (It’s the first hut that northbounders encounter and an anomaly on the PCT, unlike the Appalachian Trail where thru-hikers generally go from hut to hut each day.)
Tonight’s quick cook dinner was a new trail kitchen idea! Chinese flavoured rice with ‘Spicy Tuna, Rice & Beans’ mixed in. Accompanying that was tortillas, cheese and some Frito crisps, which made a nice change!
We found that having just eaten dinner, we had lots of energy to tackle the last segment of the day. First we had a steady uphill climb over two miles to Castle Pass between Andesite Peak and Castle Peak, which was on good switchbacks. Having a firm, clear trail underfoot, without the hindrance of rocks and roots (as experienced earlier leading down to Highway 40) makes for much nicer walking. It also means you can appreciate your surroundings more as there is less need to look down and concentrate on where you’re placing your feet all the while.
Continuing north… Tonight’s planned camp spot was beside the Peter Grubb Hut.
When we arrived around 7:30pm, the Peter Grubb Hut was in use by several PCTers, including Gandalph the Blonde, who was busy drying out his socks by the fire inside. There were hikers camped out in the adjoining room to the kitchen and some were emptying out their packs and setting up their sleeping bags in the upstairs attic room that had a quirky ladder to take you up through what was the tiniest entrance hole we’d ever seen! Needless to say, it was that busy we decided to camp outside away from the herd. There were some mosquitoes around, but as we’d already eaten dinner, we quickly got set up and barricaded ourselves inside the tent! It was time to get some sleep and psyche ourselves up for our next big 25-mile day planned for tomorrow!
The Peter Grubb Hut – an excellent but rare facility for hikers on the PCT.
Day 93 – Wednesday, 11th July 2018, Wild Camp by Peter Grubb Hut at Mile 1,161 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,186, 25 miles
The hiker hut wasn’t very alive with activity when we left our camp spot beside the Peter Grubb Hut this morning around 7:45am. Our guess was that most hikers had left early or were making the most of sleeping indoors in the loft, so were enjoying a lazy start to the day. Either way, we didn’t see Gandalph on the trail, nor Whoopie and Spell Check who we expected to overtake us with their trail family by mid-morning with their faster pace.
Back on the trail ourselves, we rushed through the Ground Valley as the wet meadow area was buzzing with mosquitoes. We had not missed them the last few days so were annoyed to find that they were back with a vengeance and could be blighting our time on trail once again. As we headed uphill through a shady forested area they were still on the attack, but thankfully their presence became less and less as the area got drier. Our new theory is that every time we come to hillsides covered in what look like bunches of small yellow sunflowers, the mosquitoes will disappear. Here the ground is generally very dry, but these particular flowers survive and grow well as they are everywhere! As cacti was the dominant flower of the Southern Californian desert hills, so too is true of these yellow beauties in lush, green Northern California – and where the yellow flowers are present, the mosquitoes are not!
These mini yellow ‘sunflowers’ survive well in dry conditions. It could be coincidental, but whenever we see them, there doesn’t seem to be any mosquitoes around.
Glad to be heading uphill to a mosquito free zone and a land of yellow sunflowers, we were also pleased to have stumbled upon Goat Man whom we had not seen since leaving Idyllwild, some thousand miles back! It’s crazy how people just keep popping up on the trail again after all this time. It was great to catch up with him and swap some trail kitchen ideas as he too has had to increase his calorie intake like Wayne. We said farewell to him at North Creek, but as we’re now all “In a race to get to Canada,” (Goat Man’s words), we’re sure we’ll catch up with him again somewhere soon.
After filtering water from the creek, we continued up to the saddle overlooking Paradise Valley where we sat under the shade of a large tree for our second breakfast of the day before heading onto the ridge. There was a perfectly placed rock seat with a tremendous view overlooking the forested valley below, which I made the most of with a bowl of granola in one hand and a cup of tea in the other! This is the life! We couldn’t complain about the trail today as it was well trodden underfoot and despite a few undulations here and there, we could stride out and make good time. For once, the walking felt easy so we were gaining momentum for tackling more big mile days.
The wonderful, smooth trail that made it feel easy today!
Second breakfast with a view!
Happy hikers as it was a great summer’s day and we were discovering what Northern California has to offer!
Today for example, as the terrain wasn’t too taxing and as we had our target of reaching Sierra City by lunchtime tomorrow, we bashed out another 25-mile day without it feeling too strenuous. Don’t get me wrong, we were both tired when we reached camp at 8pm having been on the trail for just over 12 hours, but our legs felt strong and we weren’t so ‘exhausted’ that we couldn’t put up our tent, wash or cook dinner. (Some thru-hikers we have met who regularly push out 25 to 30 mile days just cowboy camp as they don’t even have the energy to put their tent up by the time they get to camp!)
Setting off again, the trail a complete joy today!
We spied some new flowers that we hadn’t seen before growing well in the dry, stony ground.
Another well-positioned rock to stand on to take in the tremendous view.
Panorama to show the scale and expanse of the beautiful valley we were skirting around.
By the time we stopped for lunch mid-afternoon, we had again been walking along an exposed ridgeline with expansive views of the valleys on either side. So we had a wonderful view overlooking North Creek Lake and Meadow Lake whilst eating tuna and cream cheese bagels and peanut butter straight from the jar. With regular snack breaks, tackling 25 miles today had not seemed bad at all.
Looking onto North Creek Lake. Another rest break and another intake of calories!
We stopped for our final snack break around 5pm where we also took the opportunity to top up with water from the creek before heading downhill on switchbacks towards the Jackson Meadows Reservoir. There is a Forestry Campground by the reservoir that charges $25 per night for a pitch, however the PCT winds uphill away from it, so after filling up our water supplies again, this time from the campground faucet (which was actually a fire hydrant) we continued on to a wild camp spot above Bear Valley. (No, we still hadn’t seen any bears!) When we arrived, we weren’t too surprised to find 3 hikers already camped at the site we had earmarked, but luckily there was still enough space for us.
We walked through a forest restoration area. It was cleared in 1996 to salvage weak and dying trees, and was finally recovering some 22 years later.
Smiling as the trail weaving through the woodland felt like walking on carpet.
Huge dandelion seed heads lay undisturbed until the next strong breeze…
As the flat area where we had pitched was behind a rocky ridge, we were already in shade and it seemed to get dark quickly, so we hastily got the tent organised and had a wet wipe wash before dinner (the joys of ‘dry’ camping!). We then enjoyed hot chocolate drinks as the final sliver of light faded just below the horizon in the distance.
Another 25-mile day in the bag and we were feeling OK! What’s exciting for us now is that we will soon be reaching the halfway marker! At 1,325 miles, we estimate we’ll get there in another week or so. Here’s to those little steps, but big milestones that are good motivators in keeping us going!
Day 94 – Thursday, 12th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,186 to Highway 49 at Mile 1,196, 10 miles (1.4 off-trail miles to Sierra City, free camping behind the Church)
It was a special day today, not for the epic scenery on trail, but because it was Wayne’s 47th birthday! So he woke to a birthday breakfast (nothing too fancy as we were wild camping), but a cream cheese bagel with candles numbered ‘4’ and ‘7’ put a smile on his face! It was just a small treat, but it made the start of the day different to our usual camp routine. Later, we would be heading to Sierra City for more birthday shenanigans. (Well we were hoping so anyway! Having looked on Google Earth, we knew we’d be passing through a small, one street town, but it had a ‘saloon’ and that’s all that mattered!)
Wayne’s small birthday breakfast treat on trail.
The trail was excellent when we set off. Much like yesterday, it was firm underfoot but without obstructions, so we powered out 6 miles in two hours before stopping for second breakfast by Milton Creek, at Mile 1,190. The pre-used camp site area by the creek had a lovely homely feel complete with log seating, a tree trunk for a table, boulders and a fire pit, so we made use of the ‘wilderness’ facilities and set up our stove ready for hot drinks to accompany our granola mix. We were surprised then when Jen (Trail name: Firearm) made her way down the switchbacks and came over to join us. The last time we had seen her was at Sonora Pass and we thought after our zeros in South Lake Tahoe that she’d be well ahead of us by now, so it was nice to catch up and once again have it confirmed to us that we’re all now covering similar daily distances and that our pace is standard for most thru-hikers reaching this point.
We passed a kaleidoscope of butterflies flitting from flower to flower. There were so many of them, that for once it made it easy to capture one on camera.
Following the course of Milton Creek.
Stopping for second breakfast beside the creek at a well-appointed wilderness camp spot.
We gained an unexpected visitor when Jen hiked through and came to join us.
Eager to reach town and get to the Post Office before it closed at 2pm, we all then got back on the trail and powered out the last 5 miles to Highway 49. There were a few small ‘ups’ and some rocky sections of trail to traverse, but we didn’t let it slow us down with thoughts of birthday beers and burgers on our minds. After passing a picturesque watering hole area that really tempted us for a swim, especially as it was well over 30°C, we reached the roadside by 1pm. It was then another mile and a half east to Sierra City. We began walking along the road, but stuck out our thumbs to hitch whenever a car passed that was travelling in the direction we were headed. With less than a mile to go, a local guy named Mark pulled over and let us sit on his tailgate for a short ride the rest of the way into town, which we were really appreciative of. (We didn’t have far to go, but it saved our legs the last few off-trail tenths of a mile that don’t count in our overall distance to Canada!)
After it being quite dry yesterday, we now walked beside the river until reaching the road.
Crossing over the North Yuba River as we made our way downhill towards Sierra City.
The Sierra Buttes in the distance dominate the skyline.
We passed some very inviting looking water holes but we didn’t make time for a swim as we were intent on getting to town.
Sierra City is a mile and a half east of the PCT along Highway 49, so we set off on the hot, road walk.
Natalie from 6th Grade had created this billboard to remind people of the dangers of wildfires.
Grateful to local guy Mark for letting us sit on his tail gate the last few tenths of a mile to town.
The General Store was our first stop to get cold drinks before we went and pitched our tent at the back of the church for free. As there isn’t another camping option in Sierra City, hikers are allowed to camp at the church (except on Sundays) and use the public rest rooms next door (one of which has a cold water shower, which we couldn’t wait to use!). The area behind the church is much smaller than what we were expecting and there were already 6 or so tents pitched on any flat, shady spot available, so we were glad to have arrived when we did with space being at a premium. Luckily there was one vacant spot big enough to accommodate our 3-person ‘condo’!
Sierra City Country Store. (It’s an expensive resupply option so we were glad to have sent a food package to the Post Office there!)
Taking up the offer of free camping behind the church. (The photo was taken the following morning when most hikers had gone, as the night before we had been practically tripping over everyone!)
After showering we then hit the store for beer, cider and burgers, Wayne choosing the ‘Gut Buster’, a local special for his birthday treat, which was a deli burger made from one whole pound of meat! (Even though I can easily get through two plates of food, I opted for the half pound burger as I didn’t think I’d manage the full pound! Plus it’s Wayne that needs the extra calories, not me!) Even with his smaller stomach after getting used to trail portions, Wayne did manage it all, which was a real feat!
Wayne takes up the challenge of eating the 1lb ‘Gut Buster’ burger! Well it was his birthday!
The first time I have found a cola bottle with my name!
We then sat around with the rest of the ‘hiker trash’ on the front porch outside the store chatting and using the Wi-Fi, before it closed at 5:30pm. After this time, everywhere seemed to shut down, so we relocated to the picnic table behind the church sitting with Lost Boy, Just Dale and one of the locals as the table was in the shade and it was still very hot early evening. In fact, it turned out to be the hottest night on trail so far with me only using my sleep liner instead of my bag as it remained muggy and uncomfortable sleeping in the tent the entire night. We walked down the street around 10:30pm hoping to go to the saloon for one last drink, but unlike in England where the bars seem to be open practically 24/7 these days, it was already closing so we had an imposed ‘hiker midnight’ and headed back uphill to the tent. When we got back, there were even more hikers trying to squeeze their tents into any available gap and we also had to take care not to step on any bodies as there were several cowboy campers laid out on the ground already fast asleep.
How to avoid the vortex – Goat Man literally came into town to pick up his resupply package, then wanted to hitch to get straight back on trail.
The Buck Horn ‘Saloon’ that we didn’t end up getting to sample.
It might have been a ‘quiet’ birthday celebration for Wayne in comparison to what we usually get up to at home, but we enjoyed it nonetheless making new friends and chatting with like-minded people. The early night might just help us get back on trail at a decent time tomorrow and avoid getting sucked into the vortex as I must admit, trail towns are getting harder to leave.
Day 95 – Friday, 13th July 2018, Sierra City, (free camping behind the Church), 1.4 miles to re-join the PCT at Mile 1,196 to Wild Camp by Tamarack Lakes at Mile 1,205, 10.4 miles
By the time we got up around 8am on Friday morning, which we now consider a lay-in after early starts on the trail, most of the hikers that had crashed out behind the church last night had already left. Our intention wasn’t to leave Sierra City until after lunch, not just because we were suffering a little after last night’s inebriation, but because we were eager to sample the store’s other famous hiker favourite – the ‘2lb Breakfast Burrito’!
As the store didn’t open until 9am, we went to the rest rooms to make use of the free shower again, the cold water piped straight from the mountains offering some relief from such a warm and humid morning. Sat at the picnic bench nursing a hangover of his own, we were surprised to find Gandalph the Blonde, whom we had last spoken to at the Peter Grubb Hut. He had rolled in late last night and cowboy camped beside the rest room area and now had all his ‘stuff’ (I say that loosely as he hardly has anything at all in comparison to us!) spread out over the picnic table. As there wasn’t a laundry facility in town, his nifty idea was to put on his various clothing, then go into the shower fully dressed to wash it! How clean both he and his clothing would actually be is questionable – but at least he was making an effort! Some hikers were avoiding the shower altogether because there wasn’t the option of hot water!
A breakfast worth waiting for! These amazing 2lb breakfast burritos set us up for the entire day!
By the time we had eaten breakfast, the sky had grown dark and for the first time since starting the PCT back in April, there was full cloud cover above threatening rain. All of a sudden, it also felt much cooler, the dramatic change in temperature working in our favour seeing as we had to face a long, uphill climb out of Sierra City, if we ever got going today! (We were now suffering from a food coma as well!) Then it happened… A few large spots of rain fell to the ground! The locals were praying that the freak droplets would develop into a full-on rain shower, which is understandable considering how dry California is at the moment. Absolutely everywhere in the Golden State, Sierra City being no exception, needed water badly. We bailed into the tent assuming the heavens were about to open, but in actual fact, nothing came of it. Just as quickly as the clouds had swept in, the sky was clearing again, the sun remaining strong and fierce.
So we did some blog work, shared out our new food resupply, then organised and re-packed our bags. After dismantling the tent, we returned to the store once again for final sodas and ice-cream. It was so tempting to stay just one more night, such is the seducing nature of the comforts and conveniences of being back in civilisation. But as this trail town was very limited with regards to the conveniences we really needed e.g. laundry and WiFi, we were able to drag ourselves away!
So just after 3pm (a very late start to our hiking day), we began walking down the main road leading out of town, whilst sticking out our thumbs in the hope of bagging a ride the short distance back to the trailhead. Today however, we weren’t so lucky in the hitch-hiking stakes and found ourselves having to walk the mile and a half back down Highway 49 to re-join the PCT at Mile 1,196!
It was a struggle to get back on trail late in the afternoon, but it could have been worse… It could have been raining!
This late in the afternoon, we had only planned on going 10 – 12 miles, but we had a back up plan if that proved a little too far. From 4,591 feet leaving Highway 49, we had to climb back up to 7,000 feet, which fortunately was a gradual ascent as the trail took the form of several long switchbacks. It then followed a long, stony ridge on the south side of the Sierra Buttes affording us an expansive view down the valley. There is a look-out from the top of the buttes, but we didn’t have the time or inclination today to go off trail and hike up there, even though we had been told it offered a superb view where on some days it is possible to see as far as Oregon!
Dramatic skies above the Sierra Buttes, but the rain we thought would come never materialised.
In the other direction, the cloud breaks to reveal bright, blue skies, which has become standard for us across California!
Incidentally, we passed the 1,200 mile trail marker below the Sierra Buttes!
The highlight of today’s walking was reaching the 1,200 mile marker, signalling another 100 miles of trail completed in our quest to reach Canada on foot! But the downside came shortly afterwards when we found out that our journey was to be extended by a few extra miles. From Mile 1,203.4, approximately 4.4 miles of old trail is bypassed by 6.9 miles of new trail, (which was completed in the Fall of 2017). So in effect, it was adding on an extra couple of miles to the total distance of the PCT, which for us wasn’t a real issue, but it must have proved a major headache for the PCTA with regards to amending distances on signs and maps to be accurate and up-to-date. We followed the new route, which led downhill on nicely graded, new switchbacks, that were pleasantly free of any rocks or tree debris that are so often trip hazards. This took us directly to Tamarack Lakes, a beautiful spot, where we intended on camping that evening.
Walking below the Sierra Buttes.
The trail weaves across the mountainsides before heading downhill to Tamarack Lakes.
A perfect photo opportunity!
We were treated to tremendous views down the grand, green valley!
A small section of the PCT has been re-routed adding on an extra couple of miles to the entire distance of trail. (Like 2,650 miles wasn’t enough!)
The sky was very atmospheric as we headed down to the lakes.
We arrived at the first of the Tamarack Lakes as the sun was setting, which wasn’t surprising considering the time we had set off. There were a few hikers already camped around lake but there was still plenty of room, even for our ‘condo’. As the outlet of the lake was flowing close by to where we pitched, we were able to take advantage of having running water and so rinsed off our feet and legs, which felt so much better than having to make do with a wet wipe wash! We didn’t have dinner (gasp!) as we were both still full from the burrito we had eaten at breakfast, so we just snacked on a chocolate bar before bed!
Our final treat of the day was watching a deer foraging around camp, quite unperturbed that we had made our home for the night in its territory. It had been a good end to what had been one of our shortest hiking days on the entire trail!
Day 96 – Saturday, 14th July 2018, Wild Camp by Tamarack Lakes at Mile 1,205 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,227, 22 miles
As mentioned in the previous blog post, we’ve been having major tent problems with regards to our inner door zips. For the past week or two, the zippers have not been functioning properly, so the zip fastenings keep on splitting open at various parts, leaving gaps in the door. Having researched the issue on the internet, we discovered that zipper failure is a common problem of Big Agnes tents. Unfortunately, the zippers fail after prolonged use and especially when the tent has been used in dusty areas, as the dust clogs the zipper and stops it from pushing the teeth of the zip together properly. If there ever was a trail to test the longevity of Big Agnes zips then the PCT is it!
So even though we had got up straight away this morning with the intention of leaving camp at 7am, we still didn’t get away until half past the hour as we literally wasted so much time trying to close the inner door zips properly before packing the tent away. As the tent is our haven and protection against mosquitoes and other annoying bugs at night, it is a problem we really need to find a solution for, and quickly as the zippers are progressively worsening, but without the expense of buying a brand new tent and the hassle of sending ours back to Big Agnes for repair whilst on trail.
So after a stressful start, we finally set off! The first of the Tamarack Lakes that we passed was calm and peaceful, so we enjoyed lovely early morning reflections of the surrounding trees mirrored in the perfectly still water. We didn’t know it at the time, but it was probably one of the most scenic views of the day as the majority of our time on trail was then spent hiking through thick forested areas and taking prolonged ‘rest breaks’, so it felt like we weren’t getting very far, very fast.
Beautiful reflections on the still waters of Tamarack Lake.
Another lovely early morning lake view.
After the first two miles or so, we arrived at the Pack-Saddle National Forest Campground where we were able to dispose of our rubbish in the bear-proof bins and avail ourselves with the pit toilets. You might as well make use of such facilities when they’re there! When we were getting ready to leave, Sunshine and Trail Mix had just arrived. They too had hiked down to the convenience area with the intention of doing the exact same thing.
Around two hours after leaving camp, we then reached the first creek where we could filter water. We had only hiked 4 miles but as it had mostly been uphill, we decided to take the packs off for a break and enjoy second breakfast near to the creek. Sunshine and Trail Mix arrived not long after and took an extended break as well. Hiking past us then was a whole array of different thru-hikers including Lost Boy, who today seemed to have lost his sidekick, Trail Dale.
A new, striking flower we spied from the trail.
Making use of the pile of branches to help us cross over the creek.
We caught up with Lost Boy who had found the perfect spot to take a break and sit and enjoy the view.
We too enjoyed being out of the trees for a while as the trail crossed over the top of the ridge.
A splendid spot above the valley giving us a different perspective of the Tamarack Lakes.
We did actually see Trail Dale as we were leaving camp. He too had stopped by the lake last night and cowboy camped as he was not feeling well after leaving town. We joked that his now shrunken hiker stomach couldn’t handle the giant 2lb burrito that we’d all had for breakfast yesterday, but it was most likely his body telling him he needed to slow down and rest after a 42 mile day on Wednesday! When we were setting up camp Wednesday evening, with 10 miles to go the following morning to get into Sierra City, Trail Dale had literally jogged past us shouting that he wanted to get into Sierra City that night! 42 miles of hiking in a single day – that’s absolute craziness! No wonder his body was fighting back! We think his trail name should be changed to ‘Road Runner’ from the Wile E. Coyote cartoon as that’s what he reminded us of as he sprinted by. We were literally eating his dust!
We got moving again after an extra-long second breakfast only to be distracted soon afterwards when we unexpectedly got an AT&T phone signal as we hiked uphill and out into the open along a ridge. As we didn’t have cell service in town yesterday and as the Wi-Fi was painfully slow (as with all establishments that allow hikers to congregate outside around the electricity points to re-charge their devices and use the internet), we hadn’t as yet done anything about our failing tent zips. The only thing we had managed was to research Big Agnes’s policy for product failure versus general wear and tear and take note of their customer service number. So whilst we had the opportunity, we managed to research and order ourselves four replacement screw-on zippers that will hopefully work and zip our tent up properly without any hassle of unpicking stitching and re-sewing. We now just had to wait another week to receive them care of the amazing USPS ‘General Delivery’ service, where they would be held for us at the Post Office in Chester, the next trail town we would pass through.
A few miles further on and we had reached another water spring, so again we filled up our bottles with cool, filtered spring water and decided to stay and have lunch on a rocky slab in the sunshine. Compared with what we wanted to achieve, today had been slow going and we’d hardly covered any miles, so managing 26 miles in total seemed a bit too optimistic come mid-afternoon when we had only covered around 12!
The unexpected ridge spot that afforded us good 3G cell service.
Going slow can also be attributed to the fact we had lots of annoying undulations to contend with today, a number of which were big climbs taking us high above each valley of which we had to gain a significant amount of elevation. This meant it was also very tiring. On reaching the next water source, we found several thru-hikers already congregated there, all discussing how many miles they had left for the day. It seemed that it had been a tough day for everyone and most wanted to set up camp within a mile or two. Although we didn’t feel much like it, we still wanted to push on at least several more miles before sunset, so it seemed we would be going the furthest today.
Wayne decided to cook dinner by the creek, which tonight was a packet of flavoured tuna mixed with rice as it was both quick and easy, especially with us wanting to get some more miles in before dark. We did exactly that, completing 22 miles before setting up camp at around 8:30pm.
As it was a ‘dry’ camp (away from any water source) we had to carry a full load of water with us, but thankfully the last segment of the day was on good, gentle switchbacks leading to where the trail crossed a dirt road, where our camp spot was located beside it. By the time we had pitched the tent and finally unpacked all of our gear, darkness was upon us, so it was good that all the cooking was out of the way and we could just get cleaned up and go to sleep!
We had already revised our plans and intended distance for tomorrow as we were both shattered from a long day of climbs. We hoped that after a good night’s rest, tomorrow would feel a little less taxing.
Day 97 – Sunday, 15th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,227 to Wild Camp by Middle Fork Feather River at Mile 1,250, 23 miles
It was already so warm when we got up at 6am that it felt like a morning hiking in Corsica on the GR20! We were glad of the early start therefore as we had a long uphill climb to contend with first thing, but now being well rested and more focussed we were able to power out the 8 miles, not stopping for second breakfast until 10am.
Waking up to another warm, sunny day in Northern California.
Unlike in the desert where the trail had always been well-graded, we were finding more and more in Northern California that some sections of trail were particularly steep and seemed unfriendly to horses, this being an equestrian trail as well. Wayne commented that at times the trail was unfriendly to humans too!
In all honesty, it wasn’t a particularly exciting morning to be on trail. We found ourselves just walking along a dirt track winding in and out of the forest. Some days it’s just walking to get the miles done and that’s how it is! It was the abundance of butterflies and delicate wild flowers that caught our interest, but we have said that we need to get more attuned to the trees and learn to recognise the different types as there will be plenty more trees and woodland walks to come as we head further north into Oregon.
The PCT takes us into the forest once more.
Beautiful butterflies liven up a walk through the woods.
Leaving the Sierra Nevada behind and entering Northern California, we have found the PCTA Water Report to be an invaluable resource once again as a lot of the seasonal streams up north are already dry, which means we are having to check regularly on the availability of water and are reliant on the creeks and rivers that are considered ‘reliable’ sources. Unfortunately, in Northern California that may mean hiking off-trail some distance to access water, like today where we had to go 8 tenths of a mile along a road, then hike down below the road to a creek to top up our supplies, then return to the trail. As there was not another reliable water source for at least 9 miles, we both filled up with two litres each. More and more we are finding similarities between Southern California and the North. If it were not for the distinct lack of cacti and agave plants we could swear we were back in the desert!
We even discovered a small water cache, (3 x large 10 gallon drums of water) placed by the next dirt road that was an unexpected find. As we had only just topped up our supplies we didn’t take any water, leaving it for those who truly needed it, but it was a wonderful gesture from whichever trail angel had thoughtfully left it there. It was especially useful in rehydrating Goldie – a thru-hiker whom we found at the side of the road waiting for a ride into town as he was sick with suspected giardia. (Thankfully when we saw him a few days later in Belden he was looking and feeling a lot better!)
Delicate wild flowers inject the trail with colour and capture our attention.
One of the ‘reliable’ creeks to get water from. Even in Northern California, many of the seasonal streams have already dried up because of the scorching temperatures.
Passing green and lush vegetation, but in places the trail in North Cal is as dry as the desert.
We are once again having to check the PCT Water Report to pinpoint reliable sources of water close to the trail like this natural spring.
We pushed on to Middle Fork Feather River where we were hoping to find a suitable wild camp spot close by. There was a sandy area close to a large bank of rocks where we were able to clear enough space to pitch the tent. Then making the most of camping close to water again, we clambered down to the river and got in for a swim. It felt so good to rinse off the dust after a hot, sweaty day! We were also able to rinse out our clothes so at least they now smelt ‘river fresh’!
When we left the riverside and returned to the tent, our thru-hiker friend Jen had laid out all of her gear in the spot just opposite us. We recognised her backpack instantly as it’s the same as mine! She came over to see us as she had cut the underside of her foot badly and wanted some advice about it. Wayne is not a ‘feet’ person at all, so he passed over the job to me to inspect, clean and dress the wound. Basically, Jen had cut her foot on her tent-peg whilst hurriedly getting out for a pee in the night! It was a deep gouge that still had a big flap of skin over the top that lifted up and was red raw underneath. It must have been so painful to put pressure on her foot whilst walking, we were not surprised that she cried and stayed put by the river all day to rest it. It would be worse if it got infected, so after cleaning it with an alcohol wipe from the First Aid Kit, I first tried supergluing the cut. It didn’t seem to bond that well, so I also put some surgical tape strips across the sides to help seal the wound, followed by a dressing pad. Whether it was more a placebo effect, she seemed a lot happier after that anyway, and then sat with us whilst we cooked dinner.
Crossing the bridge over the Middle Fork Feather River to find a wild camp spot for the night.
There were lots of nice pockets of water to swim in and cool off!
As Wayne served up dinner, Lost Boy then arrived, minus Trail Dale again, so he also decided to camp in our little enclosure, albeit his set up was much simpler as he got out his ground sheet in preparation to cowboy camp. He also set up his cook pot and got some water on the boil to pour into a packet of pre-prepared pasta and sauce mix.
We then all sat around a non-existent camp fire chatting about the day and sharing our thoughts about the recent changes on trail until it was too dark to see each other’s faces, the stars above obscured by thick cloud cover. It was cosy and felt like the beginnings of an interesting ‘trail family’ coming together.
Day 98 – Monday, 16th July 2018, Wild Camp by Middle Fork Feather River at Mile 1,250 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,275, 25 miles
For the final day of the week we bashed out another 25 miles, but it was a tough uphill slog for most of the day. We left camp just after 7am, then broke the day up into segments. The first stint was 8 miles before we stopped to have second breakfast. After worrying about her as she’d already left camp before we got up, we passed Jen after about 4 miles. She was fine and steadily making her way up the long switchbacks out of the river valley. She said she was still taking it slow, but her foot was feeling much better than yesterday, all thanks to my nurse skills!
Once we had completed the initial climb out of the river valley, the trail stayed high, traversing the top of the ridge.
Pushing on to reach ‘Look-Out Rock’.
From the Middle Fork Feather River we had a long uphill climb out of the valley over ten miles, so second breakfast gave us a good burst of energy to complete the final two miles of ascent, taking us to ‘Look-Out Rock’, the high point of the day. After two days of walking almost entirely through dense pine forest, it was a welcome change being back out in the open with expansive views in every direction.
It was no wonder this spot was named ‘Look-Out Rock’!
Taking in the view from the top of ‘Look-Out Rock’.
After a quick stop for photos on top of ‘Look-Out Rock’, we then continued on a further 4 miles to where the PCT crosses Bucks Lake Road. The majority of PCTers hitch-hike from the road into the town of Quincy to resupply, but we had chosen to bypass Quincy having stayed in Sierra City last Friday. Instead, we were carrying enough food for six days and had sent a resupply parcel further up trail to the town of Chester, which we were planning on getting to on Friday. We were debating the possibility of there being some ‘trail magic’ going on at the trailhead, but today we had no such luck. So we sat on the grass under some trees in the shade and ate our ‘usual’ trail lunch, Wayne already three-quarters of the way through his second jar of peanut butter in a week! (Even though we devised a new trail menu and have had different food since leaving Lake Tahoe, it already feels like we’ve been eating the same things since forever!)
An unexpected trail treat – Coming across the Bucks Lake PCT Book Box! It would be too heavy to carry a book and we have Kindles, but it was a nice distraction having a browse through the box to see what titles were in there.
We were looking forward to a meal in the restaurant when we reached Belden! As I said previously – walking and eating – it’s all we do!
Exotic looking flowers that were new on the trail!
At least we didn’t have to go too far off trail to find water today.
We had 11 miles left to reach our intended camp spot. As it was now only 2:30pm, we decided to lay out and have half an hour cat napping just so our feet and legs had a little longer to rest as we had really powered up the hillsides this morning. (We didn’t realise what a real luxury this is, as on 30+ mile days we barely get chance now to have a break!)
Well rested after a nap and ready to complete the final segment of the day.
As we got ready to set off again around 3pm we saw a ‘PCT Trail Register’ box, so of course we had to sign the book and have a good look at the pages to find out who had passed through recently. It was great to see many familiar names and find out that particular thru-hikers we have talked to a lot, such as Marc and Tami, are only two or three days ahead of us. But we were disappointed to find two sets of names missing, those being Rooster and Horsey (our favourite trail cowboy and four-legged friend), and Diana and Sandra, the Swiss girls from Lake Constance. Where they are now, we can only guess…
Signing the trail register as ‘Condo & Two Plates’ from the UK.
We pushed on another 6 miles before stopping to filter water and take a snack break. Since stepping foot in the Bucks Lake Wilderness, part of the Plumas National Forest area, we could see that a tremendous amount of work has been done recently to clear the trail of forest debris and remove obstructions, e.g. rocks, roots and fallen trees, which were now conveniently off the direct path of the trail making it a whole lot easier and nicer for us.
Walking through the Bucks Lake Wilderness, we could tell that a lot of work has been done to clear the trail of debris and obstructions.
The final 5 miles were both long and tiring. We had to battle with more uphill, then we had a flattish section giving us some respite, before the final uphill push onto a rocky outcrop that overlooks Silver Lake, where we had planned on camping. Some people had already pitched their tents further along the trail, so we stopped at a good gravelly spot that was next to a giant flat slab with an overlook that afforded us wonderful views over the valley.
Looking onto Silver Lake from the overlook near to where we pitched our tent.
Having arrived just before 8pm, we didn’t have too long to enjoy the view. So we hurriedly put up the tent, had a quick wet wipe wash, and then Wayne cooked dinner. We sat on the edge of the overlook and ate it as the sky turned pink and the last sliver of light faded.
Wayne rapidly prepares dinner in the fading light of the sun.
Enjoying the blue hour as darkness begins to descend over Silver Lake.
Looking onto our pretty wild camp spot in the Bucks Lake Wilderness above Silver Lake.
We were shattered, but we had a good pick-me-up to look forward to tomorrow after hiking down into Belden. As there is a restaurant directly on the trail, we were going to treat ourselves to a ‘proper’ lunch before we hiked out again later in the day.
We have just over 400 miles still to go to reach the end of California! The state is so immense and diverse, it could well be its own country. Venturing into Northern California for the first time, we didn’t quite know what to expect, but this section is already very different to what has come before. Yet it has been so dry and dusty in parts that it reminds us of our time back in the desert where it was difficult to keep anything clean, including ourselves.
Where we assumed we’d be passing creeks and rivers and camping alongside lakes most nights, this hasn’t been the case as they’re actually few and far between compared to the High Sierra, or the PCT has taken us up high along a ridge line where we can see a lake, yet it’s not accessible from the trail.
We have already learnt that we need to take more notice of the trees and be prepared for a more ‘enclosed’ time on trail as it takes us from the openness of the mountain ridges into the dense wilderness of the forest. But there is much else to look forward to as we make strides into the Cascades on our continuing journey north to the Canadian border…
Yet more than a physical challenge, it is now becoming a mental game.
17 Comments
More great scenery. The best Triple Crown trail diary. Great stuff. Videos are excellent too.
Thanks Robin, your comments are much appreciated! 👍😀
Truly enjoy reading your writing and the pictures are beautiful. Everyday I check to see if you have been able to download another week – you guys must be in Oregon by now. Hope you stay physically and mentally strong…..its like doing a marathon everyday with 40 lbs. on your back, hills and mosquitoes, sweat and dust – I just don’t know how you do it. You’re inspiring, and thanks to you doing this, we get to go along, vicariously. Wish I could be out there, you know, for a couple of days, or a week!
Continued good luck.
Thanks for such lovely comments Bob. Yes, we’re in Oregon now, about a third of the way through! We are really struggling for internet at the moment and also time for editing etc as we are doing 25-30 miles per day for the foreseeable! But I write on my phone as we go, so the rest of our journey will be posted online eventually. We have a motel in Cascade Locks booked for 29th August, so that will probably be the next upload.
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
We are really spoiled by this beautifully documented travel reports. The PCT has never been so well described. You are living the dream of many hikers. As the end is approaching and time passes it will be quieter on the trail. Stay healthy, positive and enjoy!!!!!
Thank you Walter! Really pleased that you’re still following along and enjoying the trail reports. 🙂
Yes, we are spoiled. Magnificent scenery from our armchair. Truly sensational photography and reporting. I just love the variety and masses of wildflowers, the butterflies, reflections and the magic of the blue hour. Best wishes for staying focused and strong.
Thanks again for such wonderful comments! They’re much appreciated. 🙂
Just come upon your excellent site and have read your PCT blog over the past two days to catch up. The praise for your writing and photos is well deserved and I look forward to following now as you update. Best wishes for the trail ahead.
Thanks for following along Kevin and taking the time to comment is much appreciated! 🙂
Once again another fabulous report with stunning pictures. I savour these only reading when I have the time to digest every word and examine every picture.
What a fabulous experience, you are living the dream. Like Bob above, I’d love to experience just a small section of this amazing trail.
Stay healthy and happy.
Thank you so much Margaret! Your really lovely comments are very much appreciated. 🙂 Glad that you’re enjoying our updates and videos and following along with our journey!
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
Well, I’m assuming you guys quit…..hope everything is ok
Hey Bob, we certainly haven’t quit! We reached the 2,000 mile marker yesterday and are currently resupplying in the town of Sisters, Oregon. It is just an ‘in and out’ though, so no time to upload unfortunately. The smoke has been terrible the last few days and there are wild fires in Washington too, so there are some detours in place but we are continuing! The last 30 miles of the PCT are now closed due to a 300 acre fire at Holman Pass so we can’t legally go to the Northern Terminus and cross into Canada, so we are keeping our fingers crossed it will re-open before we get there, but also working out a ‘Plan B’ to get to the Northern Terminus from the Canadian side. Whatever happens, we are determined to finish! We have just over 4 weeks left now. Our next blog post/ video will be from Cascade Locks as we have a ‘zero’ day next Thursday! 🙂 Hope you still keep following along, it’s hard to post regularly with limited internet and also doing 25-30 mile days!
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
Delighted to see you are still covering the miles. Like Bob, I was a tad concerned even knowing how difficult it is to up these posts.
I’ve stayed at Cascade Locks near the bridge and hiked a very short section of the PCT. Such a beautiful area. I was devastated when the Gorge had their wildfire last year. Sincerely hope the smoke and fires clear so you can reach the border without hassle.
Thanks Helen! We’ve had excellent news today – there is a re-route for the final section that still takes us to the monument so we can legally cross into Canada and finish properly! We’re so happy about that. I’m sat in the Bridgeside Diner now using their internet before we leave Cascade Locks. It’s cloudy but the air is much clearer here. 24 days to go – Washington here we come!!!
Such an interesting room! 24 days to go! Glad to know that. You will eat them up. Reading your newest post just now, it seemed it would take forever.