“You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain”.
– Tom Hiddleston
The Fifteenth Week – Dealing With Northern California Blues
Finally reaching the halfway point gave us an enormous feeling of accomplishment and relief. Knowing that the miles we had left would now become less than what we had already completed was a real motivational boost. Metaphorically speaking, it was all downhill from here!
This week we are excited to reach a major milestone on our Pacific Crest Trail adventure! After three months and almost 100 days on the trail, we will finally pass the much anticipated halfway point. We have already walked through baking hot desert, over snow-capped mountains and through beautiful wild flower meadows and met a whole host of amazing people along the way. Yet it remains a difficult concept to comprehend – the fact that we are still making our way through the expanse that is California! (Especially coming from England, a country that could easily fit into ‘The Golden State’ with plenty of room to spare!) Experiencing such diverse eco-systems within the same state though is quite incredible! It is no wonder that less than 50% of Americans have a passport. Why should they need to go anywhere else when they have an enormous amount of pristine wilderness right on their doorstep?
Traditionally however, by the time thru-hikers reach northern California, it’s where the going gets tough! 1,691 miles is a real test of your mettle, especially during the latter stages when Oregon is close and hikers are desperate for a change of scenery, change of pace and an overall morale boost to keep on going, which a change of state seemingly brings. With temperatures in excess of 100°F (38°C), being relentlessly attacked by mosquitoes, having to clamber over hundreds of downed trees blocking the trail, and having to repeatedly cover ‘big’ miles day after day, the ‘North Cal Blues’ really does hit hard in those last few hundred miles. But for now, reaching the halfway point was a good time for us to stop and look back at what we had actually done. Giving ourselves a few moments of self congratulations and credit for what we had achieved thus far was very much needed and I think, well-deserved. We now just have to maintain our focus and stay motivated to finish. We’re on the way. Each mile covered takes out part of the challenge, which gets less with every step…
Day 99 – Tuesday, 17th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,275 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,295, 20 miles
Ignoring the huge climb out of the valley that was to follow, we had been really looking forward to today as we would pass through the very small community of Belden (just 22 year-round residents at last count on the 2010 census) located on the North Fork Feather River, 7 miles southwest of Caribou. If all went to plan, we would arrive midway through the day, so we had already earmarked a lunch stop at the Belden Town Resort as it had a well-recommended restaurant. If ever there was a motivating factor to get us down from the mountains, this was it! Completing a mere 12 mile hike before we could reward ourselves with ‘proper’ food seemed an easy challenge to us PCTers, some 1,275 miles in! We just hoped this would prove the case and that there would be something different on the menu to ‘burgers’ as they’re getting quite tiresome now even for us hungry hikers!
With the promise of real food weighing heavily on our minds, we awoke to an amazing sunrise. From the comfort of our tent at PCT Mile 1,275 overlooking Silver Lake, we were privileged to watch a perfect ball, deep red in colour, rise above the horizon, already getting the new day off to an excellent start.
Getting the week off to a great start with a wonderful sunrise!
Wild camping at its best! We don’t mind waking up early when the view is as beautiful as this.
Setting off just after 7am, the trail was well-defined and good underfoot, taking us up high over a ridge so that we now had expansive views looking across to the valley we would be hiking into. As the 12 miles we had to cover were mostly downhill to Belden, we were able to maintain a good, fast pace, covering 6 miles in two hours. As excited as we were to get there however, we still allowed ourselves time to stop for second breakfast, sitting on the edge of a rocky outcrop that afforded us an expansive view along the ridge. (We’ve learnt from past experience, you’ve got to take a break at the scenic spots at every opportunity!)
Looking across the tremendous verdant valley whilst stopping for breakfast.
The trail begins weaving downhill towards the tiny community of Belden.
When we set off again, unfortunately the conditions of the trail had deteriorated somewhat. We now found ourselves fighting our way through the undergrowth as the trail was more than a little overgrown. The Manzanita bushes scratched at our legs as we forced our way through right before starting down several switchbacks, which were unusually steep in places, and took us on a rapid descent. Both our knees and ankles could feel the strain, but after 1,200+ miles, thankfully they were able to handle it! It’s amazing how our bodies have adapted. Almost four months in and feeling much stronger, we have quickened our pace even with the uphill, and are now without a doubt, what is considered ‘trail fit’!
Reaching the end of Bucks Lake Wilderness. Just before walking off-trail into Belden we signed the PCT register and had a quick scan over the last couple of pages to see who had already passed through.
After a couple of further stops to take on water, we had completed the descent into Belden by 12:30pm. Sky Blazer, the fastest thru-hiker we know, (tall, lean and a college runner, who literally zooms along the trail at no less than 4 miles per hour!) was already sat outside the store and restaurant indulging in a cold, fizzy drink. We too bought cold cans of soda from the store, then went into the restaurant for lunch. That was, after all, the goal of our morning’s hike!
We were surprised to see ‘traditional fish and chips’ on the menu so being ever so slightly fed up of the standard fayre which is usually a burger of some description, and of course fish and chips being a favourite dish of the British, we both ordered it with a side salad. (I think we were both more excited about the salad as we’ve been hankering after fresh foods such as tomato and onion for days now. No matter how inventive we try and make our trail food, there’s only so much ‘packet’ food you can eat!)
Very excited to have reached town for some ‘proper’ food!
It was great to find traditional ‘fish and chips’ on the menu!
As our meals were served and we eagerly tucked in, the tables quickly filled up with other ravenous thru-hikers, all of whom were taking advantage of there being a restaurant right on trail. By the time we had finished ice-cream for desert and more sodas, it was already mid-afternoon.
Feeling very full, afterwards we sat in the bar area with Lost Boy, City Boy, Sky Blazer and several other hikers whose names we still don’t know yet. Everyone was putting off getting back on the trail as it was so ridiculously hot here in the valley. With Belden being situated at 2,000 feet, we weren’t used to such high temperatures, especially when camping around 9,000 feet in the mountains was usually the norm. Distracting us from the heat was the sudden sound of piano music. It was a beautiful, classical tune that caught our attention and when we looked up, we were surprised to see that Lost Boy was the enthusiastic pianist in the room! Who’d have thought? Meeting new and interesting people every day, we have fast learned that there are many wonderful hidden talents of hikers!
We could have easily wiled away the hours and listened to him play all afternoon, but that wouldn’t get us any closer to Canada, so with our sensible heads, we were the first to drag ourselves out of the vortex around 3:30pm, leaving behind Lost Boy and the others who were now busy playing ping-pong and showing their competitive sides.
Maybe they had the better idea! When we set off it was unbearably hot, the temperature now hitting the mid-thirties. Initially, we had to hike up through a burn area, so for the first couple of miles there wasn’t any shade making the 5,000 foot climb out of Belden even more exhausting. Even though we had hydrated well over lunch, we had to stop for a water and rest break twice, also making the most of a gentle intermittent breeze. At one point I felt nauseous and shaky, like my entire body was overheating, so I was thankful when we came to a small creek flowing across one of the switchbacks. I plunged my hands into the cold water and splashed my face with several cupfuls of it to try and cool off and instantly felt much better.
Leaving Belden in the late afternoon sun, we had to resist cooling off in the river. Jumping off the bridge was very tempting!
Leaving town via the bridge that crosses the North Fork Feather River.
Looking back across the river to the resort that is basically ‘Belden Town’.
Smiling through gritted teeth as we now had a huge climb ahead of us! The notorious 6,000 ft ascent out of Belden is one of the longest climbs on the entire trail.
We had only intended on hiking around 9 miles uphill until we found a suitable camp spot by a creek so that we would have access to water the following morning. After such a hard slog, we finally reached a place to camp around 8pm. It had been a tough climb, especially without any respite from the sun until the trail finally left the burn area and headed into the trees. We tried to be positive and see the long, 6,000 feet of ascent as a challenge in preparation for another big day we had coming up – hiking around Hat Creek Rim.
We just had time to cook dinner and prepare hot chocolate drinks before darkness descended. Being under the forest canopy during the last three miles of the day meant we’d already had a lot less light to hike with. As we were settling down to bed, City Boy then arrived at the same camp spot quite unexpectedly and pitched near us. He explained that the others had stayed in town and were going to night-hike the 14 miles uphill when the temperature would be a lot cooler. That was a good idea in theory especially since we had only managed to complete 9 miles of the ascent. Tomorrow morning we would still face another 5 miles of uphill climb to get us to the very top! But that was tomorrow – all that mattered right now was sleep!
Day 100 – Wednesday, 18th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,295 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,320, 25 miles
Even though we still struggle with getting up early, we gave ourselves a 5:30am alarm call to ensure we had plenty of time for hiking 25 miles today, especially as we still had 5 more miles of the big uphill climb to go. Leaving camp by 7am, we knew it had been a good decision as it was much cooler and the side of the valley we were walking along was still in shade. Even better, we had good switchbacks to help us make the final ascent, so it was much less taxing than yesterday’s climb out of Belden in the intense heat.
Waking up to another splendid morning on the trail.
When we made it to the top, we stopped for a ‘rest’ break and had a well-earned second breakfast! It was also an important stop as the very top of the climb is now the ‘official’ 1,300 mile point on the trail after last year’s re-route creating an additional 3 miles of trail within the Plumas National Forest. However, there was yet to be a stone marker indicating such. Feeling a little disappointed that there was nothing to signify what we considered was another important milestone on our journey, we later discovered that it was still in the old position on trail, 3 miles further on!
There were lots of bees and ‘yellow jackets’ around today! (Yellow Jacket being the common name for a wasp in the USA.)
Happy to have found the 1,300 mile marker – even though it is now in the wrong position on trail.
We might be reaching the stone markers a lot quicker now, but with increasing our daily miles in Northern California, we’re finding that our trail shoes are wearing out much faster, which is causing us to have foot problems that we long since thought were over with. Today in particular, my feet were hurting again. To further the life of my shoes (until I can at least get a new pair delivered to a trail town) I’ve used duct tape inside the heels where the inner cushioning and material has worn away to try and prevent rubbing and ultimately, blisters. So far, there is just redness and soreness on my heels and ankles (zero blisters there yet), but I now have three blisters on my toes where the shoes are rubbing on the inside because the inner material has worn away and my socks have worn thin. After 750 miles, I think I’ll have to concede that these Solomon trail shoes are about ready for the bin! I was really hoping to get at least a thousand miles out of them, crossing the border into Oregon, with them seeing me through to Ashland. But as they’re now ruining my feet, I think it’s time to hang up the laces, loosen the purse strings and buy a new pair!
We stopped for water about a mile further on, and soon after Sky Blazer and Wipe Out caught us up. We had assumed on his 30-mile-a-day schedule that Sky Blazer would have passed us during the night, but after leaving Belden at 6pm, he hadn’t actually hiked as far as us. He was on a mission today though. Like us, his aim was to cover at least 25 miles, which would make for an easier morning hike and hitch into Chester tomorrow. But that was before we all then got very distracted by the fact that the area by the spring was a cell phone hot spot! I’d not managed to get an AT&T signal in days. Even in Belden I had no service or WiFi as the restaurant doesn’t give out the password, so we then ‘wasted’ an hour of valuable hiking time reading WhatsApp messages, looking at emails and checking social media. (On a thirty mile day, we really won’t have the time to be able to do that!)
A rest stop to top up our water supplies proved even more beneficial when we got cell phone service too!
Nor Cal natural beauty!
We finally set off again aiming for the next water spot four more miles up trail. We would have to fill up and carry 2 litres of water each as there wouldn’t be a reliable water source for the next ten miles. When we arrived, it seemed there was a ‘hiker trash’ party in full swing as Machine and his trail family had spread out all of their gear and were now laid out in the shade having made the decision to ‘nearo’ on the trail and stay there for the rest of the day. That hot, strenuous climb out of Belden had obviously ruined a lot of hikers yesterday! It would have been great to join them and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing, but we couldn’t allow ourselves to deviate from our schedule as we already feel short on time and pressured into having to do big mile days just to stay on track.
So after filtering water, off we went, envious of their laid back attitude and laissez-faire approach to the trail. For them it’s not about the walking but about the relationships and camaraderie on trail and the ‘partying’ in trail towns. (The downside to this however, in our opinion, is that they have already begun to skip sections of trail when a hitch is available, leapfrogging forward to the next town. ‘Hike your own hike’, we’re not judging, but missing out miles is just something we wouldn’t want to do.)
We were very envious of Machine and his trail crew relaxing at the spring and taking the afternoon off! (I think we have captured the essence of why thru-hikers get labelled as ‘Hiker Trash’!)
When we pushed on we came across a ‘Trail Crew’ who were happy to pose for a photo and explain to us the purpose of their important voluntary work. Prior to us coming along and distracting them with our chit-chat and questions, they had been busy removing fallen trees and other obstructions and generally working hard to clear the trail of debris making it all the easier and more enjoyable for us to walk on. We thanked them for their efforts as when you’re walking unhindered it really does make a difference, especially on long, tiresome days.
We greatly appreciated the efforts of this Trail Crew who had been hard at work clearing the trail of obstructions. A clear trail that is hindrance free makes it all the more enjoyable as you can concentrate on your surroundings and not on your feet!
A perfect example of a hindrance free trail! Can it get any better than this?
Enjoying one of the nicer trails underfoot in Northern California!
Our smooth trail joy was short-lived! It soon became rocky and mountainous again.
But with each step we are getting closer to our final destination! In hard times, we keep reminding ourselves of that anyway!
We were aiming to complete another five miles before we stopped again for a break, however hunger pangs got the better of us so we enjoyed a late lunch along the ridge after the ‘High Point’ junction. The trail then wound steadily downhill, descending around a thousand feet, which helped us pull back a little time. Our next water source was Robbers Spring, about a third of a mile off trail, which was both a long and steep trek downhill to the source and back up again, making us thankful that we’d taken our packs off and left them at the top. After we’d filtered enough water to take with us to camp and hiked back up the hill with it, the time was already 6:45pm, so we decided to cook dinner there whilst we still had some light. We would then push on afterwards and complete the final five miles, hopefully getting to where we’d planned on camping before it became too dark.
Navigation has not really been an issue for us on the trail as signs feature regularly!
Passing a burn area from a wildfire is always a stark reminder of how a burn scar can last long after the fire is squashed.
A rushed dinner beside the trail as we still had 5 more miles to complete before getting to camp.
The benefit of hiking further was that we were able to witness a gorgeous sunset, with deep, red light being cast over the forest and hitting different pockets of trees as we walked through them. It was just a shame that we didn’t have an open view to appreciate it more fully. As the trail wound up and around the ridge we were under a thick canopy of trees so our view of the skyline was mostly obscured. But we couldn’t complain too much as the vivid colour lighting up the forest was absolutely mesmerising.
The forest is bathed in a spectacular sunset glow.
Simply stunning. It has to be one of our favourite sunsets on the trail so far.
Beautiful skies fill us with optimism for the rest of our time in Northern California.
It got darker and darker as the sun dipped behind the mountains, yet we continued to walk. We didn’t bother to stop to get out our head torches, so we were relying solely on our night vision to guide us along. The trail was quite easy to see when it weaved through the Manzanita bushes as it was well-defined, but then it became more difficult in the forest areas as the ground became a combination of rocks and roots and forest debris which we had to step over, whilst barely being able to see what was on the ground in front of us. (Where’s a trail crew when you need one?!)
We finally arrived at the place we had earmarked for camping around 9:30pm. Sky Blazer and Wipe Out were already pitched there as we expected and as we couldn’t fit our tent in the last small spot, Sky Blazer kindly moved his smaller tent to allow us the bigger area that would accommodate our condo. With it being so late, and the fact he was already settled, we couldn’t thank him enough. Top man! We all then quickly got sorted and said our ‘good nights’ as suddenly there were lots of big mosquitoes to contend with. They were intent on blood invading the tent as we unpacked our gear, which then meant we had to spend a long time catching them (or rather splatting them) to clear our safe haven of the nuisances before we went to sleep. But even the mosquitoes couldn’t dampen our spirits tonight. We were thoroughly excited and eager for tomorrow to come as we would at long last be passing the mid-point of the PCT!
Day 101 – Thursday, 19th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,320 to PCT Mile 1,331 at Highway 36, 11 miles. Hitch into Chester, camping at Leisure RV Park
By the time we set off at 7am, the other two had already left. But that’s not unusual! We only had two and a half miles to go to reach the PCT Halfway marker, so it would be nice to have it to ourselves! We were both very excited as it would be the tipping point of the scale – the significance being that we would soon have less miles to go to reach Canada than what we’d already walked from Mexico. It was a huge milestone for us and a massive morale boost, especially as we had been lacking some motivation since exiting the Sierra!
Following up the Sierra is no easy task, and unfortunately for the Northern California section of the PCT, that’s exactly what it has to do. Although the trail passes through the Bucks Lake, Castle Crags, Trinity Alps, Marble Mountain, and Russian Wilderness areas, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, Lassen National Forest, and Lassen Volcanic National Park, a lot of PCT hikers don’t find themselves in love with Nor Cal. This might be partly the fault of the huge dives and climbs demanded by the valleys playing home to Northern California’s many resupply points or it might just be that by this point thru-hikers are tired and a little jaded so the charms of Nor Cal are lost. We didn’t want that to be the case for us, so we were trying hard to focus on the positives of each day.
After a rushed pitch late last night… From a new perspective in the morning, our wild camp spot turned out to be very nice.
With a quick pace in eagerness to get there, we soon reached the PCT ‘Midpoint’. With trail adaptations and variations over the years, the marker has moved a few times, but it is currently located at 1,326 miles. We felt a real sense of satisfaction and an immense surge of relief that we had made it this far! Even halfway to Canada was a huge achievement and the furthest we had ever walked in our lives. We posed for photos, revelling in the moment. The only thing underwhelming was the marker itself! We were of course hoping for something bigger. We weren’t expecting neon lights, but something a little more substantial to mark walking halfway through a country is surely not too much to ask for. We wanted to shout it from the rooftops!
The PCT Midpoint Marker indicating we have now walked halfway to Canada!
The GoPro was put to use for our ‘selfie’ shot.
Signing the ‘Halfway Point’ trail register! Just 1,326 miles of the PCT to go…
After our early morning excitement it was back to business! But we only had a few more miles to go and a shorter day overall as we were treating ourselves to a ‘nearo’ in the town of Chester. We continued on to water at Soldier Creek where we stopped to filter and have second breakfast. Thankfully the creek was flowing right across the trail so we didn’t have a long walk to find it. Then with a good calorie boost we powered on and reached Highway 36 by 12:30pm. Out came our ‘hitch’ poster and we managed to bag ourselves a ride within 15 minutes with none other than Paul Bunion, a ‘famous’ local carpenter, who kindly drove us the 8 miles east into the centre of Chester. (We weren’t too sure about the famous bit, but he did seem to know everyone in town! And he gave us a beer to celebrate our achievement so we’ll let him have his own moment of glory!)
One of the best additions to our hiking kit, the hitch poster bags us a ride within minutes. (Thanks Scoop for the fab idea back in Big Bear Lake!)
How lucky are we today?! Free beers and a free ride to town!
Cheers to Paul Bunion and his wonderful hospitality!
Paul cleaned out the front seats of his work van and gave us both a cold beer saying “…We deserved them after all that walking!” The beer was Coors Golden which we’d never tried before and it went down very well! We reached Chester in no time, thanked him profusely and then it was time for a crazy afternoon of standard off-trail tasks that we needed to get done in record time to squeeze in some relaxing and celebrating as well. We’d been dreaming of the pizza buffet and ‘unlimited’ salad bar at the Chester Pizza Factory for days so we headed there first as it was only on during weekdays from 11am until 3pm. Unfortunately, the buffet wasn’t available today as their heat light for the buffet trolley had broken. To say we were very disappointed is an understatement after looking forward to it all week. Unlike some other thru-hikers who headed off to Subway instead, we however stayed and ordered items separately off main menu, which included salad bar plates and a meat laden large ‘Volcano’ pizza to share.
Our next stop was the Leisure RV Park across the road. Our hopes were almost dashed again when we were nearly turned away. The RV Park doesn’t accept PCT hikers anymore as those that have stayed there (according to Liz the manager) “…Have been causing too much mess and trouble for $15 per night”. With the limited number of motels in town all fully booked, the only other option for camping was behind the local church. After our experience in Sierra City, we didn’t much fancy that again, so we turned on the English charm and as we were ‘clean’ looking, Liz relented on her new policy and kindly let us stay on a patch of grass opposite the amenities block. Result!
It was a real novelty to camp on grass and have all the facilities that an RV Park brings!
Then ensued a hasty trip to the Post Office, only to find that our replacement zips had not yet arrived. They were in transit and expected there tomorrow, but if not, we would then have to wait for their arrival and stay in Chester for a further night causing us to have an unplanned zero day. The thought was both frustrating but appealing in equal measures! Without a doubt we’d love to have an extra day in town, but the downside would be having to do additional miles each day to make up for it. It would only serve to put more pressure on us to make our miles, so fingers crossed the zips would be there tomorrow.
A visit to the local supermarket just for a general browse and to pick up some extra food rations came next, followed by some purchases at the Liquor Store. Then for the most important tasks of all – washing our clothes and taking a shower, which we did back at the RV Park. It was brilliant that we could do our laundry on site and that everywhere we needed in town was within walking distance. For American towns it was a kind of revelation as all the amenities are usually so spread out and not encouraging to pedestrians at all. It made getting all of our town jobs completed much less stressful and a lot less time-consuming, so we really liked Chester for that.
We were quite happy staying at the RV Park. The facilities were clean and we were able to use the electricity points to charge our devices, a key factor for us to maintain our ability to use our phones on the trail for tracking and blogging. We also had a chair and table to sit on close to the tent, another feature lacking in the wilderness but very much appreciated. The two downsides of not being able to get a motel however, was that the internet service was not good enough to upload any blog photos, or for Wayne to even consider uploading a video to YouTube. We also had to escape to the tent to avoid the huge, hungry mosquitoes that came out at dusk. But that’s nothing new! (The mosquitoes do seem extraordinarily large here in Chester though! Here’s hoping that the end of their life cycle is very near!)
Day 102 – Friday, 20th July 2018, Hitch from Chester back to PCT Mile 1,331 to Wild Camp by North Fork Feather River at Mile 1,340, 9 miles
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of fruit, pan au chocolate and coffee, courtesy of the Deli in the local supermarket the following morning before returning to the Post Office with our fingers crossed for good news. Indeed the replacement zippers had arrived. So as fate would have it, we would be returning to the trail today! We happened to see Machine and Moses roaming around the supermarket that morning too. Somehow they had made it to Chester – so Chester had better watch out with the party animals in town!
Wayne then spent the rest of the morning trying to attach the new zippers and fix our persisting tent problem – that the zips wouldn’t stay zipped. He failed miserably at first however when the replacement zippers just didn’t work. The YouTube video made attaching them look so easy that we thought they’d be the best method going forward with us still being on trail and not having the time to send our tent back to Big Agnes for repair. To our complete dismay and frustration, we were wrong however and the zippers turned out to be a waste of $40! Grateful to Liz for letting us use her tools, Wayne then did a make-shift repair with pliers. He squeezed the body of the zip making it tighter, which then worked perfectly on squeezing the teeth of the zip together so that the door remained shut. We don’t know how long they’ll work for but even as a temporary measure, we can now zip up the tent properly and with ease without having to endure several attempts and waste half an hour each time we get in or out, which is particularly stressful at night when you desperately need the toilet and the mosquitoes are out in force!
Wayne attempts to fix the tent zips whilst I organise our food resupply for the next section.
As a nice gesture before we left, Liz gave us some home-grown tomatoes and a cucumber, which we ate straight away because they were fresh, but mostly because we didn’t want to carry them seeing as we already had a hefty load to leave town with. But we couldn’t head out of town before making a visit to the Pine Shack, a well-regarded burger and milkshake diner that several thru-hikers had old us to try. Wayne opted for the double burger loaded with everything whereas my choice was battered shrimp and fries. It was good to see some other options on the menu again as burgers are really getting boring now! (If I wasn’t hiking, and wasn’t in America, I’d hardly ever eat one!)
Trying to maintain some weight by indulging in more town calories!
We then made a quick visit to the Dollar General store, just in case there was anything else that might be good to use in our trail dinners. As it happened they were selling ‘beef crumbles’ in a packet, which we had eaten on the John Muir Trail, but up until now had not been able to find on this trip to America. (In case you’re wondering, it is pre-cooked minced beef in a packet that we add to chilli or make trail spaghetti bolognese with! A ‘trail kitchen’ segment will be included in the next video update!) We also stocked up on plasters in light of my deteriorating trail shoes! (I have ordered a new pair from Amazon, but they are being delivered to Castella which is 170 miles away, so I have at least another week or two of walking to contend with before I get a shiny, new pair and can hike in comfort again!
When we left the store I was all set to get out my hitch poster once again and stand by the main road when a car pulled over and the trail angel inside, named Tina, offered us a ride back to the trailhead. It was the easiest hitch ever! It was also extremely fortunate for us as by now it was already nearing 5pm, a rather late start in the day to get back on the trail!
We were grateful to Tina, another fabulous trail angel, who gave us a ride from Chester back to the trailhead.
We set off at exactly 5pm, aiming to hike 9 miles to take us to the North Fork Feather River. There were some undulations but generally the trail was good so we were able to power out 9 miles in 3 hours getting there at 8pm. We have noticed lately that our pace has improved significantly, with us now achieving 1 mile every 20 minutes with ease. Knowing this helps us to plan out our days better and also recognise where we should get to by certain times. (Not that we have anal retentive personalities or anything!)
There were 3 other PCTers already pitched by the river, but fortunately there was enough room for us too. It was nice to walk down to the water’s edge and wash our feet and legs as they had gotten so dusty, even with hiking just 9 miles. Our treat before bed was a ‘Twix’ bar, something we are yet to tire of! I guess no one ever really gets fed up of chocolate – it’s one of life’s little luxuries, along with a chair, running water and clean pants! (Well on the trail anyway!)
Now we’ve seen some big pine cones along the way, but this is quite possibly the king of pine cones!
We have developed a good pace and improving stamina that will serve us well on our continued journey to Canada!
Day 103 – Saturday, 21st July 2018, Wild Camp by North Fork Feather River at Mile 1,340 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,367, 27 miles
We left camp at 7am with five miles or so to go to reach the boundary of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Initially we found that the trail was like a carpet. With soft soil and pine needles underfoot, and a flat gradient that felt smooth as can be, we were cruising along early morning at 3.2 miles per hour! It wasn’t to last however as the trail gradually became steeper, winding uphill to take us out of the river valley, which got us out of breath!
Leaving the North Fork Feather River.
From Lassen National Forest we continued to the National Park boundary.
Soft and smooth underfoot, the trail was kind to us as we headed through a scattered forest of firs, incense cedars, ponderosa pines, and lodgepole pines.
A rare treat in the forest… Coming across Scottish-American naturalist John Muir who was one of the earliest advocates of the national park idea.
A gentle reminder that to camp overnight in Lassen National Park a bear canister is required. As we have already posted ours home, our plan was to hike straight through in one day.
Home to steaming fumaroles and numerous volcanoes, we were excited to be entering Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The PCT goes right through the northern section of the park so when we arrived we followed the Warner Valley trail to our first viewpoint, Terminal Geyser, which is a large fumarole or steam vent. We could smell it before we saw the billowing cloud of steam above the geyser as there was a strong sulphurous aroma in the air from at least half a mile away! It couldn’t compare with the geothermal activity we’ve seen previously at Yellowstone National Park, nor the Craters of the Moon in New Zealand, but it was worth a small detour from the PCT nonetheless.
We would not be deviating from the board walk!
Wayne stands in front of a steaming Terminal Geyser.
The second point of interest we walked around was Boiling Spring Lake. We took a parallel trail off the PCT to visit the lake which was a milky turquoise colour and had bubbling mud pools and gurgling steam vents surrounding it.
A number of steam vents are located under Boiling Springs Lake, which keep the temperature of the lake at around 125 degrees.
A panorama of Boiling Spring Lake. The best mud pots we saw were located on the southeast shore.
Trees around the lake include Incense-Cedar, Ponderosa Pine, Douglas-fir, White Fir, Sugar Pine, and others.
After walking around the lake we made our way to the Warner Valley Campground area to utilise a picnic table to have a late second breakfast/ early lunch! It was our ‘standard’ bowl of granola topped with fruit and nut trail mix, with the addition of chocolate powder mixed into the milk. It gives us around 800 calories in one meal, which is excellent for on trail, especially as it is slow release energy and keeps us fuller for longer.
With 16 miles still to go, we agreed that we would push on a further 7 miles to Twin Lakes, our next water source and then have an early dinner beside the lake as we could use the water for cleaning our pots. We would then split the final 9 miles into 5 and 4 mile segments, with a quick pack, snack and water break inbetween.
We found ourselves facing an unexpected creek crossing. There wasn’t a rock hop available, so it was the first time we had gotten wet shoes and feet in a while!
When we reached Lower Twin Lake, ‘Trail Chef’ Wayne showed off his culinary skills once again cooking up an old favourite – Spaghetti Bolognese using a packet of the beef crumbles we had found in the Dollar General store yesterday in Chester. With angel hair spaghetti, and a dried pesto powder mixed with tomato and garlic puree cooked with the ground beef, it was one of our best trail kitchen’s yet! And the frying pan got some use again! (Since the desert it has been redundant as we’ve not had quesadillas. In the Sierra, instead of the availability of water being the issue, it was having to conserve gas when we were in the mountains for several days at a time. Even though they’re one of my favourite trail dinners, frying 6 quesadillas for our evening meal uses a large amount of gas!)
Topped with some parmesan cheese, courtesy of Pizza Hut, we had already started eating our ‘Spag Bol’ before we remembered to take a photo!
We filtered water from the lake, where we discovered a lovely beach area to relax and camp – except that we couldn’t camp in Lassen Volcanic National Park as bear cans are required by law to store food and scented items, and we had already sent ours home to England back in South Lake Tahoe, some two weeks ago. So our only option was to hike straight through the park in one day. (Most thru-hikers were in the same position as us as we all eagerly disposed of our bear cans as soon as was legally possible after Sonora Pass.)
Just one of the lovely lake areas surrounded by meadows freckled with wildflowers within the National Park.
Leaving the park we hiked through a burn area that showed signs of regeneration with some pioneer plants and grasses quickly taking hold.
We found it amusing when as soon as we reached the park boundary, denoted by a sign, there were 3 tents already pitched where hikers had literally stepped out of the park and were no longer bound the legalities of food storage, so had camped right there. It’s not like a bear would leave the park in pursuit of food as it clearly knows where the boundary is and understands not to cross it of course!
We had no intention of following suit, so onwards we continued with a wonderfully soft trail of pine needles to traverse at the end of the day, which was much kinder on the feet. We were also treated to a gorgeous, rosy sunset through the pine trees, the sun casting a golden pink glow over the forest floor, which led to our wild camp spot at Mile 1,367.
The beautiful glow of the golden hour livens up our last hour of walking.
There were already two young girls pitched at the camp area who were ‘Section’ hiking the PCT but the space was large enough for at least 4 tents so we had no problems pitching there. And even better, the sores on my heels seem to be healing well after using large plasters to help cushion the backs of my feet!
We quickly got sorted and ready for bed as we would have an extra early start tomorrow in preparation for our first 30 mile day. We were staying positive about it and seeing it as a challenge as technically it would only be another hour or so of walking, which we can do, having completed a 27-mile day today! We have been continually concerned about mileages and timings and whether we’re making good enough progress, but having seen a photo on Instagram of Gandalph the Blonde chilling out on his sleep pad like he doesn’t have a care in the world and using it like a lilo to float down the river in Truckee (which is a few hundred miles back), we are now much more confident!
Day 104 – Sunday, 22nd July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,367 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,397, 30 miles
It was a mammoth day on the trail today! Not only did we get three lucky lots of ‘trail magic’, but we also smashed out our first 30-miler! Plus, the trail gods had definitely been watching over us again. Our exposed route around Hat Creek Rim should have been a tough walk in the intense heat, however we had some surprise cloud cover that made the 19 mile stretch much more bearable.
Packing our stuff away early morning as the sun came up.
We had s lovely walk in the woods to start the day.
Walking through a scattered forest of Lodgepole and Ponderosa Pine.
Looking back we were able to glimpse Mount Lassen above the tree line.
By 8:30am we had already covered 6 miles and reached the Old Station Post Office. We hadn’t sent a resupply package there, but we wanted to buy some extra bottles of water from the store next door as Hat Creek Rim is an almost 30 mile waterless stretch of trail, so we wanted to be prepared and fully hydrated. The store didn’t open until 9am however, so we had a half hour wait. We used the time to brew a cup of tea and have our second breakfast in the designated ‘hiker area’ around the back of the store where they have provided picnic tables and chairs and a sun shade – a very much appreciated gesture. As we walked around the back, we were surprised to see Machine and co camped out in the area. We had thought they were still behind us since we had left Chester before them. But that’s just one of the surprises of the trail. You never know who or when someone is going to pop up again!
Reaching the community of Old Station where we wanted to purchase additional water bottles to increase our carry capacity in readiness for the long, dry section of Hat Creek Rim.
Our next stop of the day was ‘Subway Cave’. A quick geology lesson from the information boards explained that less than 20,000 yeas ago the lava of the Hat Creek flow was discharged in large volumes from a series of north-south fissures (cracks in the earth). This river of lava located near the town of Old Station, crawled northward 16 miles, covering the floor of Hat Creek Valley. While the top crust cooled and hardened, rivers of red-hot lava insulated by newly formed rock above, continued to flow. Eventually, the lava drained away, leaving tube-like caves. The entrance to the cave was formed by a partial collapse of the cave’s roof many years ago. Subway Cave is the largest accessible tube in the flow which tourists and thru-hikers alike go to see en route to Hat Creek Rim.
Ready with head torches to take a tour of Subway Cave.
Inside the lava tube. It wasn’t as long as we expected but it was worth going to see.
Beyond Subway Cave, we then had a steady uphill climb to the top of Hat Creek Rim. The Hat Creek Rim is one of the most famous, or perhaps infamous, stretches of the PCT. People do not always associate Northern California with extremely dry, almost desert-like conditions. However, the stretch of the PCT along Hat Creek Rim is one of the longest waterless stretches of trail. There are virtually no natural water sources readily available on the PCT between Subway Cave (mile 1,377) and Baum Lake (mile 1,406). However there is a maintained water cache known as “Cache 22″ just a few hundred feet south of where the trail crosses Forest Service Road 22. We had read that Cache 22 often, but not always, has multiple coolers filled with bottled water and other drinks, but that it shouldn’t be relied upon, which is why we opted to carry extra bottles of water. Fortunately for us, as luck or nature or the trail gods would have it, we found ourselves under a thick layer of cloud cover today that would make the hike around the rim a lot more pleasant, shading us from the brunt of the sun.
Looking back to 10,457 ft Lassen Peak in the distance as we made our way to the Hat Creek Rim.
Enjoying the view of volcanic peaks that surround the Hat Creek Rim.
After some research, we discovered that the name “Hat Creek” was born out of a comical story about a group of surveyors who were establishing the Nobles Emigrant Trail back in 1852. Lore has it that when one of them foolishly lost his expensive hat in the swift waters, he “…Turned the air blue with his sulphurous comments”. In a mock ceremony, his laughing partners thereafter named the stream Hat Creek. The Hat Creek Rim is actually a fault where the earth’s crust has been shifted vertically along fissures, crevices, and fractures caused by powerful subterranean forces. Still alive and cracking today, the floor of Hat Creek Valley is over 900 feet below the top of the rim. However, one million years ago the rim and the valley were at the same elevation.
Just as we reached the start of the Rim Trail there was a pull-in area for vehicles with a ‘Look-out’ spot to enjoy the view of the surrounding volcanic peaks as well as the dramatic geology of Hat Creek Valley. It was here that we received our first act of unexpected ‘Trail Magic’ when a family travelling in an RV brought out a cooler filled with cans and beer and sodas and gave them to all the hikers who were having a pack break at the viewpoint. Hot or not, it was a welcome boost of sugary goodness to see us on our way!
Cheers! Cold cans of fizzy pop were a nice surprise on reaching the first viewpoint!
Before we set off again, we were in two minds about how the day would pan out. The dry, desert-like conditions we had been expecting were superseded by dark, ominous clouds looming over the valley from where we had walked. Coming from England where we are used to the weather turning, especially when we’re hiking, there was a definitive feeling that it would rain today. We could just tell with the air. Others clearly had the same expectation as we saw a fire truck with full crew on standby parked at the look-out area in case lightning struck a tree and caused the beginnings of a new forest fire. We sincerely hoped not and that their day would be nothing more than just keeping watch.
Starting our traverse of Hat Creek Rim.
We were hoping for a view of Mount Shasta from the rim as at 14,162 ft on a clear day it is visible for miles around.
On paper the trail looked flat and therefore we expected to make good time, however what we couldn’t account for was the condition of the trail we were walking on, which was rough to say the least. As we were walking on a rough trail of stones and volcanic rock we were having to concentrate on our footing most of the time and it really slowed us down. As the soles of our shoes are now wearing thin, we could also feel every rock edge and corner as our feet jarred and stumbled across the uneven trail. On a more positive note, despite the dark clouds still looming overhead and the odd, large spot of rain, we somehow managed to stay clear of it, which despite the harsh conditions of the trail underfoot, kept us smiling. The next thing to make us smile was a second round of ‘Trail Magic’ when we found bags of oranges and coolers of water along the trail. We didn’t need the water but we took the time to sit down and indulge in a sweet, juicy orange – something we hadn’t eaten in a long time!
Enjoying our second round of much appreciated ‘Trail Magic’ today!
Still scanning the skyline for Mount Shasta!
The Hat Creek Rim walk was not at all what I was expecting. Just like the desert, it was thriving with vegetation and alive with colour.
Too true! A perfectly placed stone along the trail.
An even bigger surprise came when we had completed Hat Creek Rim and reached the water cache at Road 22. It was none other than the thru-hiking, trail angel legend himself – Copper Tone – offering another bubble of weary hikers that were passing through, some much-needed ‘Trail Magic’ after completing a notorious section of the PCT! A ‘Cream Soda Float’ was very much appreciated right at that moment as was sitting down on a chair for ten minutes! (It actual fact it was much longer. We literally had to drag ourselves away from his wonderful hospitality to do some more miles!) We noticed that his campervan set-up is second to none, complete with a mini motorbike and luggage box to nip into town to make resupplying with more goodies a lot easier. He also has a unique way of serving ice-cream and washing up from the front of his van, the thru-hiker in him shining through as he makes use of every available space!
Our third round of ‘Trail Magic’ on the same day was kindly given by Copper Tone, trail angel extraordinaire! He just seems to turn up in all the right places.
Even though we had already completed a very respectable 27 miles or so, we pushed on to complete our first thirty. It was only another hour of walking and we agreed that we were both up for it. I in particular, knew that I had the chance of reaching 70,000 steps on my FitBit, which is a badge I had been getting so close to for ages, but never quite achieving. So the challenge was on!
We had avoided the rain all day but a big storm was developing on the horizon.
Was this our first glimpse of Mount Shasta at sunset?
We made it to camp at last light, a little sore but very proud and excited to have completed our first 30 mile day! However as we climbed into our sleeping bags, thoroughly exhausted after the day’s efforts, we couldn’t yet sleep because of a huge lightning storm raging on the horizon that captured our attention. California desperately needed some rain, but we felt so lucky to have actually avoided it! We just hoped that we wouldn’t get caught out with it tomorrow.
We watched a spectacular lightning storm take place behind the clouds from the comfort of our tent after the sun finally went down!
Day 105 – Monday, 23rd July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,397 to Burney Mountain Guest Ranch at Mile 1,410, 13 miles
What a difference a day makes! We awoke to not a single cloud in sight, the sun was shining and all was calm again. To reward ourselves for yesterday’s efforts we only had 13 miles to hike today to reach Burney Mountain Guest Ranch where we would camp overnight and take a zero day tomorrow. It had been planned in our itinerary since South Lake Tahoe and we had been looking forward to a real day of doing ‘nothing’ for ages!
Leaving our camp spot early morning and revelling in the peace and calm. it was such a contrast to yesterday!
The trail was surrounded by lava rock reminding us that we were travelling through an expansive volcanic area.
We were so overwhelmed with the fact we had covered 30 miles in one day and would be taking a ‘proper’ zero day tomorrow that we completely forgot that we’d be passing the 1,400 mile marker today having pushed on so much within the week. It was all good though – for once, we couldn’t miss the huge milestone right on the trail as we passed by!
Blink and you’d miss it! We had completely forgotten that we’d be passing the 1,400 mile marker today. We’re crunching the miles thick and fast now!
We love how the signage is unique to different wilderness areas!
The very dry sections of trail today made us think of the African Savannah and what it would be like to hike there.
Without the cloud cover that had significantly reduced the amount of direct sun and heat we thought we would be exposed to yesterday, we got a notion of what we should have experienced hiking around Hat Creek Rim. Today in comparison was extremely hot and we currently carried no way near enough water, falsely assuming 13 miles was a walk in the park and we wouldn’t need large supplies. The heat really took it out of us though, and by mid afternoon when we finally reached the Burney Mountain Guest Ranch I had to sit down immediately as I felt shaky and nauseous from what I can only assume was heat exhaustion. Drinking a can of Mountain Dew and downing a litre bottle of water really helped, as did taking a cool shower in the ‘Goat Shed’, a fantastic amenities block with both showers and laundry provision for thru-hikers.
After traversing a long, dry section of trail that could be likened to the desert, we finally reached Baum Lake which proved to be a beautiful scenic walk prior to reaching the ranch.
Burney Guest Ranch proved a wonderful, relaxing stop along the PCT with its homely feel and family style ethos. It was just the pick-me-up we needed.
We tried to find a shady spot to pitch the tent in around the side of the ranch, but our options were fairly limited. We couldn’t complain though as the ranch has its own swimming pool that guests can use. We just needed to shower first!
We were welcomed to the ranch by owner Linda with a watermelon sorbet and we instantly felt at home with the family style ethos and community centre feel of the dining/ seating area indoors, which was now full of hikers enjoying the cool fans and free coffee. The Ranch provides hot meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner for £10/ $12, so we signed up for the evening’s dinner, not wanting to miss the opportunity of a good, home-cooked meal. Tonight it was an all-you-can-eat ‘Burrito Bar’, which right now sounded irresistible! It wasn’t the food that was the best thing about our night off-trail though. It was when our good trail friend Co-Pilot burst through the door just after 9pm having hiked a 40 mile day eager to know if they were still serving food! We hadn’t seen him since South Lake Tahoe, so it was a real surprise and we enjoyed a lovely catch up finding out about his off-trail time in San Francisco. And of course we had to congratulate him about France winning the World Cup Football!
Talking with Co-Pilot and realising he was feeling exactly like us helped us to realise how far we’ve already come, and put into perspective the remainder of the challenge. It feels like our brief moment of wavering about whether we we’ll be able to complete the miles in time and finish by mid-September, along with a bout of the dreaded ‘Northern California blues’ have passed us by. Thankfully, having crossed the PCT midpoint we have reignited our passion to finish and complete what we’ve started. After all, there’s less than 300 miles of California left, so after managing to walk 1,410 miles and get this far, we can’t give up now!…
20 Comments
“Gotten” wet trail shoes!!!!!! You’ve been in America too long. You’re speaking the lingo now. 😂😂😂😂
Well done on progeess. You reallly are doing superbly.
Oops, those ‘Americanisms’ keep slipping through the net! We have been here too long!🙈
In my defence, I was editing late at night under the influence of alcohol!🍷
Currently hiking through a very wet Washington, but less than 250 miles to Canada! Can’t wait to finish now…
Wow, another amazing blog. You are both doing fantastically well and I hope your trail shoes hold out.
Thank you! Almost at the finish now. Less than 250 miles to go to reach the Canadian border!
Worth the wait. You guys are getting so skinny! I particularly enjoyed the evening hiking photos with the trees bathed in the pink and orange hues of the glowing evening skies – I hope that is what going to heaven looks like, and you do such a beautiful job of describing it. I know that you guys are crossing into Washington now, (thanks for the update!), and the easy part (Oregon) is behind you and the best part of the PCT is ahead of you – Washington state. Hopefully the weather and the fires don’t diminish the experience for you. It really is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Enjoy, good luck, be safe and stay healthy. I’m including a better email if you want to reach out.
Wow, wow, wow! We had an amazing day hiking in the Goats Rock Wilderness before we had to detour because of the Miriam Fire. Washington really is beautiful and the ridge walk we did definitely rivals any day in the Sierra.
We reached Snoqualmie Pass yesterday & stayed at the Summit Inn last night, an impromptu stopover as we’ve had two days of heavy rain. Hoping the weather improves.
We’re so close to the finish now, 250 miles to go!
Great post again, love to read every word. Today is 2 september and you started for the last state. Hope the weather will stay fine and the snow will come late this year. Danielle, you are doing fantastic stay on trac ! I saw you laying down by the 2000 mile point, but you keep on hiking.
I thought that you would go to Japan, on the 14 september, you told before, you chanced the plans?
walter
Hi Walter, we’re flying to Hong Kong on September 27th. We put our flight back so we can finish on the 23rd. We can then have a few days in Vancouver before we fly out. We’re on track and have approximately 23 miles a day to go to the finish! Very excited for the end now! 😁
Another brilliant read. I don’t know how you do it, given the long miles and excessive heat. I’m wondering if it is hotter than usual, like everywhere else this year. I’ve followed several others hiking the PCT over the past 5 years and don’t recall heat being a big issue at this end.
We’ve had rain for 2 days solid in Washington so wishing for the sunshine right now! I think we’ve been lucky to have had it dry this far though.
Everyone (locals we’ve spoken to) have said it’s been unusually hot this year, particularly in Oregon.
We’re hoping for the weather to improve by the end of the week. It’s no fun in the wet!
Today is the 21rd, I can see on the Live PCT MAP that you are almost by the Canadien border, congratulations! On track for sure to finnisch the 23rd. Amazing how well you 2 did it on the trail! Half a year almost, this must be a live chancing experience. How is it with the other hikers, are there still some left?
I watch the progress on the live PCT map almost daily, the last state was that fast! Hope you have a fantastic finish, and a nice stay in Azia.
Walter
Thanks for following along with our journey Walter and for all of your kind words of support! It has been much appreciated and helped us to keep going on the harder days. There are still some late PCT finishers – I have seen on the PCT Facebook page that there has been snow at Hart’s Pass and in Northern Washington, but that the hikers made it through to Manning Park OK.
It has been hectic since arriving in Hong Kong – it is much too busy for us after being so long in the wilderness – we really didn’t think that one through properly! We are arranging a visa for China, so will hopefully go to some quieter places and do a bit of trekking there.
We will be catching up with blog and video posts over the next few weeks. We hope you will enjoy the final installments of our journey.
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
I like to hike but you guys doing the PCT is so hard core. Way over my level. Enjoying just reading your descriptions and looking at the pictures. All the best from my couch where I rest in between much shorter hiking adventures than the PCT.
Thank you! I’ll catch up with posts when we finish now. Less than two weeks and we’ll have walked all the way from Mexico to Canada. Can’t quite believe it! With the wet weather in Washington, we’re ready for the end now though. 😁
I see from the live map that you have finished. Congratulations! That’s a terrific achievement. I know that just a 3 week trip can get mentally tough so I’m in awe of anyone who can cope with the mental challenges for that length of time. Normal life will takes some adjusting to.
The blog has been great, it has always been entertaining and I’ve never felt any urge to skip ahead while reading it. The write up combined with the photos and videos provide a great resource for someone like myself planning PCT section hikes and will help assess the quality of scenery of the different sections.
Looking forward to the rest of the updates.
Neil Robertson
Hi Neil, Thank you so much for all of your kind comments whilst following along with our journey. They definitely helped us on the harder days, as well as knowing that you were checking our live map so we couldn’t slack! There were times when it was a real mental challenge and the last week in Washington was miserable when it was wet and cold, but we are so glad we pushed through and made it to the finish! We’re kind of in limbo now we’ve done – we don’t feel like doing much but likewise, it’s hard to relax and do nothing! So we’re coming up with ideas and plans for future adventures to keep our minds occupied for now.
We will be catching up with blog and video posts over the next few weeks and hope you’ll enjoy the final installments of our journey.
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
First chance I’ve had to comment! Been following your journey over the past week or two, superb story. Gives a real feel for the trail and experience of kicking it better than the books I’ve read. Congratulations on finishing. I need to read on catch up with the rest of the adventure.
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Andy! We’ll be posting about the rest of our journey over the coming weeks so hope you enjoy that too.
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
Congrats! When can we expect to see the last half? Reading these PCT blog posts is one of my favorite things to do, I’ve read dozens and dozens, and it’s funny – we get these magnificent descriptions of the desert and the Sierras and northern California,, and then a little less with Oregon, and then they get to Washington and we get a photo of the author standing next to the monument….and I get it – by the time you get to Washington, your tired and the blog post is a chore easily disregarded. Especially when it’s so much different than what came before it – shorter days, unpredictable weather, (some of it really awful), and the trail is punishing, especially between Snoqualmie and Lake Chelan – that section around Glacier Peak is as painful as any I’ve ever done. But it’s rich narrative stuff. You can go from sunshine and rainbows to cannibalism pretty quick (sorry, just kidding), so I’m hoping that the last 11 missing weeks are even better than first 15. No pressure, Danielle, but with your usual excellence, you have a chance at producing one of the best PCT blog posts ever, and I’m anxious and needy and can’t wait to see what you give us.
Thanks!
“Bob”
Thank you so much for sticking with us Bob! I have written the posts in rough edits on my phone so you should get the same level of detail with Oregon and Washington as that of California – just a few less pictures as the cameras were away when it was raining. It feels quite surreal that we’ve been finished over a week already, and also quite mental to be in Hong Kong after so long in the wilderness. We didn’t think that one through at all – it is crazy busy with people, their heads stuck in their phones, so we’ve not ventured out much the last few days – although we are going on a short ‘trek’ today to the ‘Dragon’s Backbone’ on Hong Kong Island as we want some ‘fresh’ air! The next post is up, I’ll hopefully get the rest posted over the next month or so.
Thanks again for all your wonderful, kind comments – they really helped to keep me motivated with the writing on days when I was exhausted and didn’t feel like typing anything! Best regards, Danielle & Wayne