“Above all do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thoughts so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it… Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be alright”.
– Soren Kierkegaard, Philosopher
The Seventeenth Week – Wild Fire Woes…
Whilst the smoke from the persistent wildfires continued to obscure our views of the surrounding scenery, we were however treated to several wonderful sunsets made all the more dramatic through the smoky haze.
Day 113 – Tuesday, 31st July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,544 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,566, 22 miles
With less than 150 miles to go to reach the Oregon border, we begin Week 17 feeling very melancholic as the Carr Fire in Shasta County continues to burn in Northern California. Currently the sixth most destructive wildfire in California’s history, it has spread to almost 127,000 acres (bigger than the size of Denver) in just a week, destroying over 1,000 residential structures and killing six people (two of whom were firefighters). With the deadly fire still only 41% contained, our thoughts and prayers go out to the community of Redding and the surrounding neighbourhoods that are affected, as well as the 13,000 strong crew of firefighters working hard to get it under control.
Fortunately for us, the PCT remains open, and we have already made it more than 100 miles north of the epicentre so are not in any immediate danger. Yet we are still seeing the effects of the fire in the surrounding environment as the air continues to be filled with smoke and ash. Since leaving Castella on Saturday afternoon and getting back on the trail, overall visibility has been poor and the air quality low. Thankfully with us both being fit and healthy, our breathing hasn’t been affected too much, however we have had sore, itchy and watery eyes, which we assume is a condition of the persistent smoke hanging thick in the air and shrouding the valleys. We have also noticed that there’s much less bird song and wildlife around in general, which we are attributing to the current situation.
So with all of that in mind, at the moment we’re still walking north trying to outrun the smoke, even more determined to reach the Oregon border next week (our planned date being August 6th). Yet we are currently hiking with little enjoyment. As the smoke is obscuring almost all there is to see across the valleys, mountains and ridges, which have been appearing as silhouettes through a haze of white, we are now simply walking to get the miles done, not for the love of it.
Waking up to another smoky sunrise as the horrendous Carr Fire continues to burn in Shasta County.
So when we left camp today at 7:30am, the air still thick with smoke and the acrid smell of fire just as strong as the previous few days, we knew once again that we wouldn’t see much in the way of expansive views, nor be lucky enough to get even the briefest glimpse of Mount Shasta. Despite this 22-mile section of trail today keeping us up high for most of the time, following cirque after cirque around the rocky ridges as we headed towards the Trinity Alps Wilderness, we could have just as easily been walking under a tangled, green canopy of leaves, with tall and thick-set Ponderosa pines guarding the trail, for all that we could see. (Or not, as was the case.)
Refocussing our attention onto the smaller aspects of the trail in an effort to stay motivated.
There was nothing else to do but put our best foot forward and plough on regardless, much like every other thru-hiker currently on trail in this area, of which there were at least 15 or so that we had seen and chatted with at various water stops over the last couple of days. (These were all new faces, none of whom we had met previously either back in the Sierra or even further back in the Californian desert. When we got talking to German thru-hiker ‘Tinkles’, whose boyfriend incidentally seemed to be suffering from the dreaded norovirus, it was uncanny that she had actually started on April 10th, the same date as us, yet we had never met her on trail before!)
As we rounded the ridge we were treated to some beautiful blue skies, an element of the trail we felt like we hadn’t seen in a while.
Putting on our best smiles despite the current conditions, and being thankful that the trail remained open.
With little in the way of ‘big’ scenery to keep up motivation, it seemed that the majority of PCTers were now pushing to get to the town of Etna for a zero day, followed shortly afterwards by a stop in Seiad Valley, a small community right on the PCT that would be the final resupply stop in Northern California. For us, it helped that we had pre-booked a motel in Etna just for one night so we had something to look forward to in a couple of day’s time. But until then, we were relying on technology once again to give us some entertainment along the trail and a little light relief from the effects of the smoke.
We had given ourselves just 22 miles to hike today, what we now consider a ‘short’ day! So as we broke it up into segments of 6 miles to second breakfast, then 10 miles to dinner, followed by a final 6 miles to camp, (all distances based around access to water sources), we listened to the audiobook of George R. R. Martin’s “The Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms”, a standalone book, that also works as a prequel to the “Game of Thrones” collection, detailing some of the history of the Houses and events between families some 100 years before the big battle for the ‘Iron Throne’. The three short stories in the book were both intriguing and highly entertaining so the time on trail seemed to fly by.
Entering the Trinity Alps Wilderness area in Klamath National Forest.
Teasingly, a change in wind direction allowed us to see some of the expansive wilderness we were currently walking through.
Before we knew it, it was 6pm and we were setting up camp just off-trail past Mosquito Lake Creek at Mile 1,566, our intended end-point for the day. Being near the creek meant we could soak our feet and wash off the daily dust, but best of all, we were not bothered by any mosquitoes. Not a single one! It was something we had pondered over when deciding where to camp, the creek having such an ominous name. But whether it be down to the smoke or better still, that their life cycle has finally come to an end, mosquitoes were now one less thing to cause us concern! As darkness fell and sleep took over us, we hoped that the dreadful fires and ensuing smoke would soon be a thing of the past as well.
One fantastic piece of news we have found out this week is that the 13-mile section of the PCT that was closed between Observation Gap (Mile 1,695) and Grouse Gap (Mile 1,708.2) over the Oregon border, caused by the spreading Hendrix Fire southwest of Ashland earlier last month, has now thankfully been reopened. As we want to walk every PCT mile we can, this is great news as it means that we won’t have to follow old forestry roads in an effort to walk the alternate 19 miles around the fire closure area, which some thru-hikers have chosen to bypass by hitching instead. (The PCTA had recommended taking the Siskiyou Stage bus between Seiad Valley and Yreka, then finding onward travel to Ashland.) No matter how tempting it is to hitch around the wildfires, after making it this far, we want to walk every single mile we can whilst the PCT remains open!
Whilst we don’t agree with graffiti, this little ‘thought for the day’ reminded us how lucky we were to be hiking the PCT at all right now!
Day 114 – Wednesday, 1st August 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,566 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,591, 25 miles
Having heard some hikers roll into camp late last night, we awoke at 6am this morning to find Whoopie, Spell Check and Splifford cowboy camped just an arm’s length away from our tent! It was all very cosy, but a little too close for our liking as we had pitched without our tent fly on and wanted to wash and get dressed with a modicum of privacy. We might all be thru-hikers, but we still have certain standards despite living on the trail for the past 4 months, and we also have that level of prudishness that is typical of the English!
Thankfully, they weren’t in a hurry to get up and remained in their sleeping bags, whilst brewing coffee. So we quickly got ready and re-packed our bags, which for once felt significantly lighter with having only one day of food rations left, and then we were back on trail by 7:15am. We were determined to get to camp before dark and had planned on covering 25 miles to keep us on track for reaching Etna tomorrow, where we would be staying in a motel and taking a much-needed ‘nearo’.
Waking up to another very smoky day. When we set off at first light, we were in complete white out.
You’ve got to take the bad days with the good… At least the PCT remained open for now!
The excellent trail conditions helped us push on regardless of the air quality.
Today we were repeatedly climbing along high ridgelines as we continued through the Trinity Alps Wilderness, which meant we could maintain a steady pace even if we couldn’t enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains. From complete white-out in the morning after setting off however, we then had a day of changeable conditions and pleasant surprises with the smoke unexpectedly clearing by late afternoon.
With the smoky conditions persisting, we looked for more beauty alongside the trail. It was in no short supply in Northern California, with the flora being both pretty and plentiful.
We spied two mountain lakes through the smoky haze.
We were treated to greens in all shades as we meandered through moss-covered trees.
Raspberries ripe for the picking right beside the trail!
More colourful wild flowers capture our attention and take our minds off the bigger picture.
The trail was easy going underfoot, which meant we could stride out and maintain a steady pace.
Through the smoky haze, were mountains beyond mountains as far as the eye could see.
A panorama looking across the valley. Dare we hope that the smoke seemed to be lifting?
More excellent trail giving us a taster of what we are anticipating the state of Oregon to be like underfoot.
By the time we reached the Russian Wilderness, instead of just a glimpse through the smoky haze, at last we could take a good look at the vast mountain ranges sprawling out far into the distance. From our vantage point along the ridge, we could also view the jagged peaks piercing the skyline right above our heads. Suddenly, as if by magic, the trail became very exciting again!
Reaching the Russian Wilderness and feeling much more positive with the smoke unexpectedly clearing by late afternoon.
With us now being able to see further than just a few strides, we wondered what marvel was going to be around the next corner?
A day of endless ridge walking was getting better by the hour…
The sun had finally blazed through the smoke as we entered an old burn area.
Looking across the vast mountainside now that we could finally see it.
Jagged peaks dominating the skyline were visible at last!
The golden hour begins to light up the mountainside.
The final few miles of ridge walking as we entered the golden hour provided us with wonderful views of the surrounding peaks, which were now bathed in a delicate yellow glow. Despite our initial reservations about the day being another disappointment, it more than exceeded our expectations and lifted our moods, just with us finally being able to see our surroundings. With a renewed spring in our step, we made camp just after Statue Creek as the sun was beginning to settle on the horizon.
What had been keeping us going until then was the thought that once we reach Etna tomorrow, we’ll only have 91 miles of Northern California left, so crossing the border into Oregon will soon be a reality! But it made it all the better that we could at last see some of the wilderness areas that Northern California is famed for.
Being able to see the environment we were walking through made all the difference to our moods and motivation. Setting up camp just as the sun was going down was just an added bonus for the day!
Day 115 – Thursday, 2nd August 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,591 to Sawyers Bar Road at PCT Mile 1599.7, 8.7 miles, Hitch to Etna, The Etna Motel
We awoke to the promise of an even better day as the smoke finally seemed to have dispersed somewhat, especially towards the east where we could now see giant granite peaks soaring into the pale blue sky – something we hadn’t been able to look upon in what felt like a really long while because of the thick blanket of white smoke obscuring everything from view.
Dawn brings with it the promise of a wonderful new day!
With blue skies and the sun shining, we felt like the trail gods were with us once more!
We had left ourselves just short of 9 miles to get to the Sawyers Bar Road where we were hoping to get a hitch to the town of Etna to collect our next food resupply box from the Post Office and treat ourselves to a night in a motel as we hadn’t slept in a bed since our stay in South Lake Tahoe, which was almost a month ago now. We had also heard that Etna was well served in terms of breweries, so we might just have to partake in sampling a new kind of beer or two and enjoy a few well-deserved hours ‘off-trail’.
After setting off just before 7am, we walked for an hour, mostly uphill, before stopping at Paynes Lake Creek to filter water for a cup of tea and to have our second breakfast. For this section, we had planned our food out perfectly as we were now eating the very last of our rations, so our packs felt the lightest they had ever been (especially as our warmer gear had already been bounced forward and we had done away with some unnecessary toiletries!).
After breakfast, we then had a fairly steep uphill climb of around 600 feet taking us to the top of the long ridge we had started hiking up yesterday evening before making camp after Statue Creek. Reaching 7,000 feet, we then enjoyed a wonderful view looking down onto Taylor Lake, a particular treat having barely seen anything but the tall Jeffrey pine trees and Manzanita brush lining the trail right in front of us during this past week.
More ridge walking, but this time with a spectacular view!
We could actually see reflections on Taylor Lake without having our view obscured by smoke which felt really exciting!
With the smoke clearing on this side of the valley, we also noticed much more wildlife around compared with the last few days, where at times, other than our trekking poles hitting the ground, it had been eerily quiet. Once again there were chipmunks racing about fallen tree trunks, lizards darting across the soil taking refuge under rocks, white-faced woodpeckers tapping high up in the trees, but most of all we enjoyed hearing the raucous call of a boisterous Steller’s Jay, a bold flash of blue catching the eye as it teasingly flew from tree to tree following us along the trail! Even the deer seemed to be out with a new-found confidence, foraging through the undergrowth despite the presence of hikers close to their path. In the midst of adversity, it felt like the ‘wilderness’ was coming to life again, and that was just the best feeling about being on trail!
Now feeling much more positive about our forthcoming days in Northern California, my mood was lifted even further when we managed to get a hitch to town within a matter of minutes. After walking down the ridge and reaching Sawyers Bar Road where the PCT continues through the Marble Mountains on the opposite side, we were lucky enough to get picked up by Etna’s very own resident artist and part-time trail angel named Peter. (His artwork is on display in the Paystreak Brewery where his daughter works if you ever get the chance to visit!)
Looking onto Sawyers Bar Road as the trail winds downhill from the ridge. From the road, we were hoping to hitch a ride into the town of Etna to collect our next resupply package.
Forest fires can bring to life a real gem. These pretty pink flowers beside the trail are what we have commonly seen in burn areas that we’ve walked through in Northern California. They are known as ‘fire followers’ and bloom after blazes.
It was a very pleasant drive to town winding downhill through the mountains, especially listening to Peter talk about his family and his time as a teacher in Etna before his retirement. His love for his community and the Marble Mountain Wilderness area as a whole really shone through making us eager to experience the full glory of it for ourselves instead of the mountains being hidden behind a mask of smoke. But as yet, nothing was guaranteed. The views might have been clear today, but a change in wind direction would revert the valley back to being blanketed in white. We just had to hope that the trail gods were still with us and that good trail karma was following us north.
Arriving in the town of Etna. The sign calls it a ‘city’ but to us it really was just a fantastic example of traditional, small town America and not like a city at all.
When we arrived in Etna, Peter being the great guy that he is, dropped us off right outside the Post Office so we were able to collect our resupply packages straight away. We then headed off to the Etna Motel, a ten minute walk across town (everywhere in Etna is within a short walking distance) to find out if we could check in with it only being around 11:30am. Having seen huge banners across town advertising a street party the following day, we also hoped to extend our stay to two nights as we couldn’t miss the opportunity of joining in with the ‘Jammin’ On Main’. Going to the street party would be a fun way to spend some time off trail and also give us the chance to sample some Californian ales from the breweries we had read about.
We were in luck! Not only could we check in early and take a much-needed shower, but we were also able to book the room for an extra night. With joining in with the community celebrations and giving ourselves a full day ‘off’ the next day, we decided to get all of our town tasks done in one go, so then ensued a busy afternoon stocking up with some extra goodies from Ray’s Supermarket, visiting Dotty’s Café for some lunch, spending a couple of hours in the local laundry and perusing the Dollar General store just on the outskirts of town, mainly to see if we could get hold of any more packets of ‘beef crumbles’. Alas, this dollar store didn’t have any in stock, but we did manage to purchase ten packets of Spam, one of our trail kitchen staples that we’d not been able to find in ‘packets’ since our time in the desert!
It felt like a 1980s throwback straight out of the movies when we saw this Etna Police car on the Main Street.
Cute and quirky – The Little Public Library on Main Street.
Keeping abreast of the latest wildfire news, we picked up a local newspaper to find out more about the smoky conditions.
Feeling rather accomplished after successfully completing our long list of jobs, we then later rewarded ourselves with dinner and drinks at the Paystreak Brewery. There was a real friendly vibe as soon as we entered the place and not only did we see German thru-hiker Tinkles and some other PCTers from earlier that morning, but we also bumped into Trail Angel Peter again who was having dinner with his friends.
Visiting the very friendly and welcoming Paystreak Brewery for dinner that evening.
Having visited most places in town during the course of the day, we found Etna to be both charming and quirky. The buildings along the Main Street have a traditional ‘wild west’ look, some with a modern twist, and this coupled with the genuine friendliness and interest from the locals we interacted with made it one of our favourite trail towns so far, so we were very glad (even excited) to be staying an extra day!
Day 116 – Friday, 3rd August 2018, The Etna Motel, zero miles
Making the most of our zero day in town we slept in until around 9am and then took a walk to the Wild Crossing Coffee Shop for breakfast. We couldn’t resist ordering the large ‘breakfast burritos’ filled with everything, which were really excellent! The place was busy and seemed to be a real hiker hub with people charging phones and making use of the WiFi, which the owner very kindly offered us as soon as we walked in. Having stayed at the motel we didn’t need to make use of either facility, but it was great to be offered all the same! Similarly, for budget conscious hikers not wanting to stay in the motel, the town of Etna provides camping in the local park with access to showers and charging points for PCT hikers for a minimal fee of $5 per person per night. It must be said that the whole attitude and ethos from the community towards hikers is nothing but supportive and we can’t thank them enough for making Etna such an amazing spot close to the PCT to resupply and take some rest in.
With breakfast over and the ‘Jammin’ On Main’ not starting until 4pm, we went back to the motel to work on the blog and upload some video before heading to the street party. By the time we walked to Main Street around 5pm the whole area was abuzz with people either wandering around the food and drink stalls, playing games with their children, or watching the live band playing in the street. Sampling some of the goods on offer for ourselves and popping into the Etna Brewery for a beer we felt like proper tourists enjoying a summer holiday! The only thing signalling that we weren’t however was the fact that we were still wearing our hiking clothes, which had at least been freshly washed for the occasion. They were also a reminder that we couldn’t enjoy the brewery too much as we would be getting back on trail the following morning.
Let’s get this street party started! Locals brought their camp chairs to sit and watch the band play.
Visiting the Etna Brewery Pub for a swift pint!
I sampled the Blackberry Blonde, which was my favourite beer on the trail so far!
Wayne opted for a High Gravity Brew – the 9% Double X IPA!
The furore of the street party brought with it another nice surprise. Sitting along the pavement enjoying the music was none other than Elizabeth and Charles, the remaining two hikers out of the original ‘Three Musketeers’, whom we hadn’t seen since way back when we all camped at the White River Reserve. Elizabeth looking a little thinner and Charles looking a lot hairier, we had to do a double take before realising it was them, as we hadn’t seen them in such a long time. So it was great to chat and catch up with them, especially realising we had literally only been a day or two behind their schedule and had experienced much of the same with regards to the freak weather around Hat Creek Rim, as well as the terrible smoke since leaving Castle Crags. Instead of now picking up the pace however, they were intending on slowing down a little as Elizabeth’s family would be meeting them in Oregon where they were going to have some extra time in the Crater Lake National Park. They were also aiming to complete the trail by October 1st, allowing them an extra week of slack compared with our own very tight time schedule.
Leaving them to enjoy the show, our final stop of the evening was ‘Denny’s Distillery & Bar’ where we were going to splurge and have dinner as well as sample the house gin that is distilled on-site. Very classy inside, it is a little more pricey than its competition, but it’s worth paying the extra as the food from the Distillery is both flavoursome and well-presented. (In fact, we felt very under-dressed for such a nice place and thought we might not get a table!) It was packed with people eating and drinking both inside and out, but we managed to get the only remaining vacant table as the original booking was a ‘no show’, so again we were in luck! I’m not sure how many hikers usually dine in The Distillery with there being plenty of other options in town, but after weeks of dining on trail food it was definitely worth paying that little bit extra for fresh, quality food. It had been a while since we had indulged in some gin too, so the ‘house special’ went down well as a night-cap, both of us having enjoyed a really lovely evening and now feeling that we never wanted to leave!
Feeling a little under dressed even in our hiking ‘town clothes’ when we visited the Denny Bar & Distillery – but at least our clothes were clean today!
By the time we went for dinner later that evening, all the tables were full outside!
Showcasing our ‘poshest’ meal on trail! We had eaten plenty of burgers so far, but Wayne couldn’t resist sampling this gourmet one!
Likewise, we had eaten our fair share of pizzas on trail, but this Carbonara base with spicy prawns and fresh veggies was not your standard run-of-the-mill stuff! It was pizza deliciousness!
Dessert too! This baked peach with strawberries and balsamic glaze tasted like heaven on a plate!
Day 117 – Saturday, 4th August 2018, The Etna Motel, hitch back to Sawyers Bar Road, PCT Mile 1599.7 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,618, 18 miles
What a treat to have slept in a proper bed for two nights! All in all, Etna was a real oasis for us where we enjoyed some top quality food and fun off-trail time! But we couldn’t get used to such comforts as we needed to get back on the trail today or we wouldn’t make it to Ashland for August 8th (our revised date), which we had earmarked as our next major resupply town. Located approximately 120 trail miles north of Etna, we had already given ourselves a challenge to make it there in 4 days, which meant we had to do around twenty miles out of Etna, then three days of 30 miles, followed by ten miles to the highway where we would need to hitch a ride to town. As Ashland has a good range of amenities, including a big supermarket, we thought it would be prudent to put together several resupply boxes to see us through both Oregon and Washington where resupply options on trail are quite limited. We would also pick up some fresh foods where possible along the trail, but at least if we had some of our usual staples, we knew we wouldn’t go hungry. Hungriness does not make for a happy hiker!
So even though we were reluctant to leave the lovely community of Etna, we had no choice if we wanted to stay on schedule for completing the trail next month. ‘Next month’ – it seems very surreal saying that, but yes, we have just over 1,000 miles left and want to finish the PCT on September 22nd! But before checking out of the motel, we thought we’d spread the hiker love about town a little bit further and so paid a quick visit to ‘The Bakery’ for breakfast. The Bakery was extremely busy when we walked in, and it stayed like that the whole time we were there with a continuous stream of customers queuing up at the counter to order their cakes and pastries. Indeed, the spiced apple fritters we had after our first course of breakfast burritos were absolutely delicious, it is no wonder the place is so popular!
After filling up on plenty of extra town calories, it was time to get back to business. We still had a lot of walking to do if we were ever to get to Canada! As luck would have it, we got picked up by a local forestry guy named Roger within a matter of minutes of us walking along the Main Street with our backpacks full to the brim with our new resupply of rations. He was on his way out of town and would be passing by the PCT trailhead whilst checking the condition of the roads, so he was happy to give us a ride.
Feeling the trail love from another amazing trail angel. Thanks to Roger we got back on the trail before midday!
Arriving back at the Sawyers Bar Road around 11:30am, we thanked Roger for his kindness before getting back on trail and finally setting foot in the famed Marble Mountain Wilderness. But we were no longer expecting to be wowed by the magnificent mountain peaks as unfortunately the smoke had come down heavy again (the wind direction having changed the previous evening) and there it still lingered, obscuring just about everything from view.
Entering the Marble Mountain Wilderness as the smoke returned to blight our path.
Our first and best view of the Marble Mountain Wilderness before thick smoke covered the valleys once more.
The highlight of being back on trail today was reaching the 1,600 mile marker. That meant we’d be crossing into Oregon in just a few days!
Resigned to the fact that lingering smoke would now be typical of the situation for the rest of our time in Northern California, we put one foot in front of the other, setting a good onward pace and resolved to get the miles done regardless of the scenery. That was until I tripped on a stone jutting out of the ground that had gone unnoticed, which suddenly sent me surging forwards… The result of which was me landing awkwardly with my right arm outstretched to break the fall. It all happened so fast that I was unable to utilise my trekking poles to keep myself upright, so instead I went with the fall, but it was my right arm and shoulder joint that took all the impact on landing, made worse as it included all the weight of my pack as well. It instantly seared with pain and at first I wasn’t sure whether I had dislocated my right shoulder as I couldn’t lift the weight of my own arm. After helping me back to my feet and assisting me in getting my pack off, Wayne was more concerned that my arm might be broken. I on the other hand just dismissed that idea stating that is was more likely overstretched tendons and a pulled muscle – nothing that wouldn’t sort itself out in a day or two. (Little did I know how long it would actually take to get better!)
Now the dilemma here was do we walk 12 miles back to the road and hitch back to Etna or do we push on and continue forth to Ashland? I had also grazed my forearm and knees, but whilst I could still walk, I was adamant that I wanted to continue and bad arm or not, I resolved to make it to Canada no matter what. So although Wayne really wanted me to get my arm checked out by a doctor, he had no choice but to accept my stubbornness. After a few minutes of dusting myself off, I painfully put my pack back on and started moving down the trail. It was slow and steady moving as I quickly realised I couldn’t hold my trekking pole or apply any pressure with my right arm, but I wouldn’t accept that we should turn back. I took some painkillers and gritted my teeth and was really just hoping for the best – that the pain would at least be more bearable and that my arm would heal quickly. If it was still no better in a few day’s time when we reached Ashland, then maybe I’d have to concede to Wayne’s insistence on me seeing a doctor after all.
Hiking through an old burn area and back into the smoke before my terrible fall on trail.
Over many years, hot summer fires have shaped California’s wooded landscapes and native plants.
Whether set by lightning strikes during hot, dry periods or by human activity, seasonal fires have swept through the forests countless times.
Moving out of the smoky valley and back onto the open mountainside where the views were much better.
Feeling lucky to have some intermittent views along the way!
Stopping for an early dinner – all prior to falling over on the trail.
Enjoying what we had seen of the Marble Mountains so far.
Another ridge walk section, which is where I accidentally tripped and fell, badly injuring my arm.
We managed to walk 18 miles before I really needed to stop and rest, so we set up camp along the ridge after finding a small saddle area that was just big enough to fit our Condo in. As we had reached just over 7,000 feet it felt much colder than the temperatures we had been used to lately, so I slept with my down jacket on, the extra layer providing some extra warmth – something I hadn’t done since the Sierra. My arm throbbed intensely and even after more pain killers it took a long time for me to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Going over what had happened, and discussing how it had been a complete sudden and startling accident, we both agreed that it could have resulted in a much more serious injury. Wayne even said that with the way my body had literally been propelled forward through the air, he was relieved I was able to stop myself and also lucky that with such momentum I hadn’t gone over the edge of the ridge. It just brought it home how easily something small and unforeseen can result in total disaster and quickly put an end to your thru-hike. Not wanting to dwell too much on what the consequences of a broken arm would really mean (and keeping my fingers crossed it really wasn’t broken) we diverted our attention to the three owls that were out hunting, flying swiftly and silently between the trees around our tent. Being the first owls we had seen on the trail, it made for a good end to a rather disastrous day!
Soldiering on after my fall with the aid of one trekking pole.
The gorgeous sunset we saw whilst setting up camp helped to take my mind off my throbbing arm for a while.
Camping up high, despite the cooler temperatures, meant we had an incredible spot to watch sunset from. Injured arm or not, I didn’t want to end up off-trail missing magical moments like this.
Day 118 – Sunday, 5th August 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,618 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,650, 32 miles
When the alarm went off at 5am, I could barely move my arm and instead of it feeling better, in reality it felt much worse, so I didn’t get up until after 6am and even then it was a struggle. Both my shoulder joint and the top of my arm throbbed and it was even more painful to try and lift and manoeuvre my arm when getting dressed, so having had a repetitive strain and muscle injury previously in my elbow and forearm, I knew it wasn’t going to be something that would heal in just a couple of days. But for now, taking a few more Ibuprofen was all I could do to try and cope with the pain.
We finally set off at 7:30am with me still using only one trekking pole for support in my left hand, the other stowed away in my pack. Wayne had courteously took my bag of food rations to lighten the load, which helped, but in fact once I’d managed to get my backpack on it didn’t hurt my shoulder at all. I did however struggle to tighten my hip belt and pull using any force from my left hand. There was just no strength there whatsoever.
Grinning and bearing it having woken up to my arm feeling even worse than yesterday, but enjoying the explosions of wildflowers through the old burn area which commonly follow wildfires.
When you just want to stop and spend the rest of the day at a bothy beside the trail because you’re in pain, but you’ve still got to get the miles done – it’s not much fun.
Thankfully, the trail was kind to us today. There were two long uphill climbs, the first leading towards more of the Marble Mountains where luckily the smoke had cleared somewhat again this side of the valley affording us some pretty views of the surrounding colourful peaks. There were also lots of wild flowers and wildlife in general on the trail to keep us entertained and take my mind off the pain in my arm, for a while at least. (The painkillers weren’t nearly strong enough!) We saw numerous lively chipmunks stuffing food into their generous cheek pouches before scurrying off at lightning speed, swarms of bees busy collecting pollen from bright purple and yellow wildflowers and several skittish deer foraging around for food. Another striking feature today were swathes of what we thought looked like Elderflowers lining each side of the trail. They had become so tall and overgrown that they towered above us, and as we parted the branches it felt like we were bush-whacking our way through a wild jungle. (That bit didn’t help my arm at all!)
Colourful wild flowers cover the hillsides attracting bees and butterflies galore.
These dense, tiny white flowers sent out an alluring sweet smell.
A profusion of wildflowers attracts an array of pollinating insects.
Wild and wonderful… A floral phenomenon encroaches onto the trail.
Standing out of the crowd – A purple Penstemon catches the eye.
Hiking onward, trying to give my arm some light relief keeping it by my side.
The Marble Mountains cloaked in green.
Another camera-shy deer runs away as soon as we try to take a photo!
Early evening, we followed the trail down to Grider Creek where a wooden bridge crosses the water and the trail continues on the other side of the canyon. As there was a nice cool breeze, we decided to take the opportunity to sit by the creek and have dinner. Having filtered water earlier and been plagued by mosquitoes, we had decided to move on further as it was no fun being harassed when taking a break. Unfortunately however, at the new spot the mosquitoes had been replaced by another trail nuisance – lots of irritating wasps, or as the Americans call them – ‘Yellow Jackets’, so it still wasn’t a very relaxing dinner break. (The fact that my arm was still hurting probably made me even more irritable and even less tolerant of these trail pests than usual!)
Making the most of the smoke lifting today and really noticing how green the trail had become.
This yellow soil and rock was an immense contrast to earlier in the day.
Someone had really put a lot of effort into making this a comfortable camp spot! We would love to have camped here, but unfortunately it was just too early in the day to stop yet.
By the time we had cooked and eaten, the sun had already set, but with around 5 miles left for the day, we then had one final push to make it to camp. Following the course of the river through the steep valley, we arrived at Grider Creek Campsite with our head torches on to light our way through the darkness, having walked the last couple of miles along a ridge, then down several switchbacks, before crossing the bridge over the creek. With trees overhead obscuring any view of the stars, it felt like we were walking in the dead of the night even though it was nearing 9pm. It was eerily quiet and the switchbacks with drop offs made our steps more hesitant, our head torches lighting only a few feet in front of us and causing a nervous feeling of tunnel vision.
Therefore, it seemed to take forever to cover the last mile, so we were relieved to finally get there, having smashed out 32 miles despite me being in great discomfort with my arm the entire day. I couldn’t wait to just get wrapped up in my sleeping bag and get it in a comfortable position in order to sleep. Thankfully having come down a lot lower in elevation it felt much warmer compared with the previous night and it didn’t take us long to nod off as we were both utterly exhausted. All in all, it hadn’t been a day to remember for the right reasons – I was just glad to have got through it and made our intended miles with only one functioning arm!
Day 119 – Monday, 6th August 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,650 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,680, 30 miles
It was our penultimate day in northern California! But instead of relishing every last moment of what had been an incredibly varied, beautiful yet challenging, wonderful but exhausting time walking across the ‘Golden State’, I was preoccupied with the current state of my arm. It had only been two days since falling on it, but the pain didn’t seem to be easing and I was still unable to lift it without the use of my other arm to support it. In short, it didn’t seem to be getting any better and now even I was getting concerned that I’d done some serious damage to it. I was really struggling, even more so in the heat and with the significant elevation gain that we had to contend with over the course of the day. Climbing uphill with a heavy pack and only the use of one arm and trekking pole for support is really difficult. But I was still determined to push on to Ashland where I was hoping that with some proper rest and a couple of zero days, it would make a miraculous recovery!
We set ourselves a 5am alarm call and we did actually get up straight away despite still feeling tired from yesterday’s exertions. After some more painkillers, my arm did initially feel a whole lot better in comparison to when I woke up the previous day. I still struggled to raise it in the air and it hurt intensely to lift it to put my clothes on, but I could manage to do more with it that didn’t involve too much pressure. E.g. it hurt to even pull the tent zip around the inner door to close it. Our motivation to get going so early however was that we knew the café in Seiad Valley opened at 7am, so we were planning on treating ourselves to a cooked breakfast before tackling the ascent back out of the valley which is the biggest climb of the NorCal section of the PCT.
Getting back on the PCT at first light, bound for a cooked breakfast in Seiad Valley.
Braving the six and a half mile road walk into town…
It was a 6.5 mile road walk from the campsite to Seiad Valley, which followed mostly alongside the full and fast-flowing Klamath River before we had to cross it via a road bridge in order to reach the small community. What made the road walk more bearable was the juicy, sweet bulbous blackberries growing in abundance all along the roadside. We couldn’t help but keep stopping and picking them, which in the end became a real distraction that was slowing us down. Just before the bend in the road, about halfway to town, we were offered a ride to the café by a local woman in a pickup truck to save us the road walk. There were already several PCTers crammed in the back and with my arm still hurting, it was a real temptation to accept. However I remained strong, and we declined the offer, otherwise we couldn’t hand on heart say that we’d thru-hiked the entire trail if we had hitched and missed out some trail miles – even if it was a road walk.
Simple and understated yet stunningly beautiful – The subtle sunrise over the Klamath River.
Growing beside the road, this red shrub really caught our attention amongst all the greenery.
We had been looking forward to being able to pick some wild berries along the trail as soon as they were ripe, and today there were blackberries in abundance.
Straight from the bush, these ripe, juicy blackberries were the best I have ever tasted!
Taking the road bridge over the Klamath River.
We reached town just after 8am and headed directly to the Seiad Valley Café for breakfast. We had heard about the ‘Seiad Pancake Challenge’ – which is to eat 5 ‘challenge’ sized pancakes covered in syrup within two hours and they will give you them for free instead of paying $15.95. I wholeheartedly thought that I could live up to the challenge without question, however the omelette with avocado and hash brown potatoes was what I really wanted to eat as we’ve been hankering after more and more savoury stuff lately. Wayne is also not a pancake fan, so we went with our first choice of omelette instead of rising to the challenge and being stuffed all day! (Clearly ‘Two Plates’ was not on form today and I’m putting that down to my arm injury!)
Reaching the Seiad Café, as quoted ‘Home of the Infamous Pancake Challenge’!
Our first choice of omelette with hash brown potatoes was a winner as everything was excellent! As American breakfasts go, it was one of the better ones we’d had on trail.
Having enjoyed a couple of hours in the Café, it was time to get back on trail. We hadn’t realised until another hiker chatted with us that instead of the PCT there was an alternate route out of the valley that followed an old forestry road, making the climb a lot gentler. Just before the highest point, the alternate route then rejoined with the PCT where the road came to an end. We considered both options and with my arm still causing me so much pain, we decided to take the forestry road to save a significant uphill climb, especially because I was trying to rest my arm and I would be walking uphill all day relying on only one trekking pole as an aid. We didn’t consider it cheating as we were still walking and not taking a ride, and we had already been forced to take several other PCT re-routes due to various trail closures so we couldn’t be PCT purists.
Despite taking what we thought would be the ‘easier’ option, the road walk was still tough, winding uphill for over 11 miles, 9 of which were not on a smooth tarmac road, but on a stony track gaining us 4,000 feet in height from the valley bottom. It was also extremely hot and taking the road meant that there was virtually no shade. It seemed that the cooler climes of the last few days had disappeared and the sun was back with a vengeance. As we slowly progressed up the road switchbacks we had to take a rest break and drink plenty of water every hour, something we hadn’t done since our time back in the desert. When we reached a waterfall along the road where we could top up our water supplies, we were grateful that we had just a mile and a half of the track left.
No longer in the desert but today with the temperatures in NorCal it sure felt like it! Even more so when we saw a snake on the road!
In fact, today turned out to be one of the hardest days on trail, especially as even when the road came to an end and we re-joined the PCT, we still had another 1,000 feet to climb. Again we were offered a hitch to the top, this time by a couple of guys riding ATVs who stopped to see if we needed any help. But again, not wanting to break our continuous thru-hike to Canada, we resisted and carried on walking, two other hikers accepting the offer of a ride instead. (They thought we were crazy to refuse!)
It seemed like it had taken forever, but finally we had completed the long uphill section out of Seiad Valley and now had a little respite with some flatter trail winding around the mountainside.
Entering another burn scar exploding with wildflowers.
The beauty of the trail today really kept us going…
Soon after we reached a spring where we took another rest break and filtered more water. Already there taking a rest themselves were Whoopie, Spell Check and Splifford whom we hadn’t seen for a few days. We were really pleased that we had bumped into them on trail again as even though we’d taken an unplanned zero in Etna by staying the extra night, we had still caught them up, which meant we were back on track and making up the time we’d lost by doing some extra miles! Even though we felt shattered from the earlier climb, we decided to hike on a further three miles as it was still light. An hour later, we ended up camping on an open saddle area, pitching the tent and cooking dinner in the fading light of the sun. There had been plenty of wonderful distractions today, but overall I was really glad the day was over and we were that bit closer to Ashland where I could properly rest and give my arm chance to recover.
The Glorious Golden Hour lights up the trail.
Our final day in NorCal… Now time to hit the trail in Oregon!
Over the last week, we have increasingly found that the trail is becoming more of a physical challenge because of the demands of the 30+ mile days and the cumulative effects these are having on our bodies, particularly with regards to the conditions of our feet, which now constantly ache and feel bruised all over. (Massaging heat gel into them at night really helps, but in the mornings, until they are warmed up we can barely walk on them!) Fatigue is also a big factor now as we are not nearly getting enough sleep or rest because of the 14 hour+ days on trail. With us crossing into Oregon tomorrow we are also playing a mental game, as now we can see the end is finally in sight – we just want to get there!
With me injuring my arm, the one positive realisation to come out of it is that we didn’t quite realise how much we want it – how much we really want to make it all the way to Canada. To have the opportunity almost snatched away in an instant due to injury has really made us realise the importance of finishing. And no matter what, that’s what we intend to do…
10 Comments
I really admire the way you struggled on despite your painfil injury. Well done that woman!
Thank you! After walking that far there was no way I was going to let it stop us from making it all the way to Canada.
(I can be very stubborn!)
Wow! Great stuff! (I knew it would be…) First, thanks for all of the nice comments – that’s awesome. As hard as is this challenge is, you throw in the smoky air, and that sucks, and then the fall….unbelievable, and you kept going, 30 + mile days! Fantastic effort. And now I have to wonder. What else could possibly go wrong? Step in a beehive? Get the dreaded beaver fever??? Can’t wait for the next exciting, excruciating installment.
Hahaha! You’ve already had the spoiler in knowing that we finished – but no, it wasn’t all plain-sailing to Canada! (Although not so dramatic as your suggestions.) Once we’ve set our minds on something though, we don’t like to give up!
Thanks for your great feedback once again. 🙂 Next post, coming soon…
Wow, Danielle that must have really been painful and to keep walking those big mile days!! Total respect.
Excellent blog and pics again.
So excited for the next instalment. I’ve been checking every day since the last one for this one 🙂
Awwww thank you so much Margaret. 🙂 Getting fantastic comments and feedback like that definitely keeps us motivated to finish the blog posts and videos and get them uploaded. Some more coming your way very soon!
Another great post and it seems the second half of the walk was throwing more than just the miles at you. Extreme determination to keep going after what sounds like a really bad fall and injury as well as the worry of trail closures, fires smoke etc. Relief to read this knowing that you did actually finish! Really enjoying the videos as well by the way. Combined with blog it gives an amazing insight into what walking one of these trails is really like
Thanks so much Andy. We are trying hard to give an all-round picture of what the trail is really like but in our own styles.
It has taken a couple of months but my arm is so much better now thank you. 🙂
The trail has handed out some tough challenges but its spectacular beauty, in scenery and wildflowers, is just the reward you need to keep the spirits up. Another amazing post of this incredible journey. Yes, you obviously make it but I hope the arm didn’t take too much of the joy away.
Thank you Helen. The arm ended up being the least of our worries by the time we got to Washington. We had a tough final week on trail and were more than ready to finish because of the bad weather! It’s taken a while but my arm is so much better now thank you 🙂