“If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together”.
– African Proverb
The Sixteenth Week – Closing The Gap!
President Teddy Roosevelt dubbed Burney Falls as “The eighth wonder of the world” and we got to enjoy them by taking a short detour off the PCT!
Day 106 – Tuesday, 24th July 2018, Camping at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, PCT Mile 1,410, zero miles
We begin Week 16 well-rested and well fed having taken a zero today at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch. Having had to hastily amend our schedule for this week to allow for getting into Castella one day earlier than planned so that we would be able to collect a package from the Post Office during the short window of opening on a Saturday (8:45am – 10:00am), it turns out that the ‘zero day’ was very fortuitous. That was because we had now set ourselves up for our biggest challenge to date – hiking 93 miles over 3 days!
In theory it was perfectly doable, but seeing as we’d only just hiked our first ever 30-miler a few days ago, it was going to be both hard and tiring to repeat it three days in a row. We needed to do it though as we couldn’t waste a whole weekend waiting for the Post Office to re-open again Monday, and the package was priority as it contained new trail shoes that I was desperate for seeing as mine were now full of holes! On a positive, it would also be a good test prior to reaching Oregon as we intended on covering the 454 trail miles in 18 days by doing several stints of thirties. We would now see if our ambitious plan was achievable!
So as today was our ‘day off’ so to speak, we spent most of it relaxing and drinking tea in the dining/ community room area of the Ranch as it was far too hot outside. We had initially chosen to zero at Burney Guest Ranch as it is situated less than half a mile off the trail and offers full hiker facilities such as showers, laundry, a small shop with good food resupply options, and home-cooked meals that can be purchased throughout the day. But the major selling point for us was that the Ranch has its own swimming pool! Unfortunately however, when we went to use it today we were told that it was ‘closed’ as it had failed a chlorine water test by the local authority. (California seems to have stringent rules, rigid test protocols and permit requirements for just about everything!) To say we were disappointed was an understatement. In the blistering heat, it would have been such a welcome relief to take a dip, but today we were out of luck with that one. Even the trail gods couldn’t intervene seeing as we were off-trail!
Taking a well-earned zero day off trail at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch.
Enjoying some early morning shade before heading over to the ranch for breakfast.
The fully stocked, on-site, air-conditioned shop that caters to every hikers’ need. The ranch accepts hiker packages, but prices are very reasonable if you plan on re-supplying here.
The Goat Shed – fully equipped with showers and washing machines. Outside there are several hiker boxes as well as clothes lines and pegs for drying laundry.
Inside the Goat Shed – it’s a basic set up, but that’s all you need. At this point on the trail hikers are used to simple living!
Wayne wearing ‘loaner clothes’ whilst his gear is being washed. (That is a ladies top that he is now skinny enough to fit in. Scary times!)
The pool that we sadly weren’t allowed to take a dip in.
But still the day whizzed by and we had barely taken 100 steps, save for popping to the porta-loo out in the yard. We caught up with blog updates, ate more food, tonight’s dinner being a ‘Baked Potato Bar’ and even enjoyed ‘Movie Night’, which consisted of several freshly washed hikers watching an old 80s comedy named ‘Cool Runnings’, whilst munching on homemade, buttery popcorn. It was all very civilised and had a real family get-together feel, so much so we knew it would be hard to get up and leave and get back on the trail the following morning after such lovely hospitality from Linda and her family.
Wayne weighing in at 158 lbs. Clearly, he needs to consume more calories!
We also said our goodbyes to our French thru-hiker friend, Co-Pilot. With his intention of covering some 40-mile days to get to the end of Northern California as soon as possible, we’re not sure if we’ll see him on trail again as his pace is much quicker than ours, his aim to reach Canada by the 18th September his overall goal. After seeing him regularly since our time in the Sierra, I was a little sad at the thought of not catching up with him on trail again, and even more so that we wouldn’t all be there to celebrate together at the Canadian border.
It was a wonderful surprise when Co-Pilot walked through the door of Burney Mountain Guest Ranch the previous night. But now we had to say another farewell… Which seemed so final!
The Canadian border… As it currently stands we’re approximately 1,200 miles away! Like it or not, time is ticking away at a rapid rate, so it’s time to hit the big miles…
Day 107 – Wednesday, 25th July 2018, Camping at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, PCT Mile 1,410 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,437, 27 miles
After two strong coffees to psyche ourselves up for an unexpected 30-mile day, we bid a fond farewell to everyone at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch and got back on the trail at 7am. (It was an hour later than we’d anticipated, but we always seem to take longer getting ready after a zero and doing a full re-packing of the bags.) Thankfully it seemed a little cooler than the previous couple of days, but we had no doubt that it would heat up significantly by midday and once again we’d be soaked in our own sweat, the salt staining our freshly washed t-shirts, that by then would no longer be smelling fresh.
After final thank yous and goodbyes leaving Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, we hit the trail at 7am.
These feet were made for walking! Back on trail and back to business with some big mile days planned.
Along with a more bearable temperature, we also had a nice, steady trail to ease us back in gently. Just one day off, and we already felt a bit out of sorts, our re-stocked packs weighing heavy despite us off-loading a significant amount of food last night onto other grateful hikers when we sorted through our resupply package. With us doing more miles to cover the same distance but in less days, we essentially had two day’s worth of spare food left over that everyone was eager to take off our hands! (I am always reluctant to let go of food, it’s my big vice in life, but there’s no point in carrying extra grams when we don’t actually need it! It was such a wrench just to pass on even a Snickers bar though!)
We strode along, soft dirt underfoot, without the hassle of cumbersome rocks that are so often trip hazards along the trail and quickly made it the 9 miles to Burney Falls State Park. Established in 1922, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park is the second oldest park in the California State Park System, but is best known for the 129-foot tall Burney Falls. Of course with there being a Camp Store we had to treat ourselves to ice-creams and make use of a picnic bench for second breakfast before heading off the PCT on a short detour down to the falls.
A nice reminder that we now have less miles to walk to reach Canada than what we have already covered from the Mexican border!
Crossing an area of volcanic rock, grateful that the rest of the trail was not rough and troublesome like this today!
Crossing Burney Creek.
The short loop to the falls, which is a sacred site to indigenous people known today as the Pit River Indians, was busy with families armed with their selfie sticks making their way slowly to each viewpoint. But as we hiked down to the river for a better angle of the waterfalls from below, the crowds were less. As the centrepiece of the State Park, Burney Falls isn’t California’s highest waterfall or its largest, yet 100 million gallons of water pour over the 129-foot cliff every day, joined by spring-fed streams pouring out of openings in the cliff face. Dropping into a turquoise blue pool below, it’s fair to say that the falls were impressive to look at, although not on the scale of Iguazú or such like! And it was certainly cooler at the base of the falls, giving us some respite from the increasing temperature, albeit just for a short while.
The Burney Falls in all their glory!
A nice, quick dip in the river would have been refreshing, but we didn’t have time to dilly dally. Aiming for a 30-mile day meant limited breaks if we were to get to camp before dark. So we pushed on, crossing Lake Britton Dam at Mile 1,420.9 before we then began a long ascent climbing around 2 and a half thousand feet over 15 miles.
The wonderful river carved valley that we viewed from Lake Britton Dam.
We crossed Rock Creek via a wooden bridge, and the water looked so inviting that we decided to stop and have lunch under the bridge sat on a large boulder with our legs dangling in the water. With my feet covered in blisters as my trail shoes are so worn out on the inside, and both of our feet swelling in the heat, it felt wonderful to plunge them in the icy cold water and let them cool off for a while. By the time we had eaten lunch, both our feet and legs were revived and ready for the next stint. However, as we’d stayed a while longer than anticipated we were no longer sure that we’d make the thirty miles to camp before dark.
Wayne revives his feet in the icy cold water of Rock Creek.
Hot-footing it further uphill along several switchbacks that had densely overgrown vegetation blocking our way, we found ourselves fighting our way through the trail, which began to slow us down as well as annoy us. We had noticed a smoky haze across the horizon for most of the afternoon and surmised that there must be a forest fire burning somewhere to the south. It wasn’t so close that we could smell the smoke, but it was more than the usual heat haze that we often saw shimmering in the air. Our advantage was that we witnessed a spectacular sunset, if only for a few short moments, which tonight showcased the sun as a perfect fireball of intense red, surrounded in a haze of pink. We didn’t see it for long as we were soon back within the realms of a huge pine forest, the tall trees and dense canopy obscuring our view and blocking out most of the remaining light.
Heading back into a forest of fir trees and Ponderosa pines.
From a break in the forest, we were able to look out onto the horizon and see that the smoky air made for a spectacular sunset.
It was then that we almost stepped on a baby chipmunk laying right in the middle of the trail. It was so camouflaged against the dust and rocks and pine needles that I hadn’t seen it at all. It barely moved and seemed extremely sleepy, which is highly unusual when chipmunks usually race off in the blink of an eye. We wondered if it had been injured or had simply become lost from its mother. In two minds what to do, we carefully moved it to the side of the trail to prevent it from getting stomped on by the next unsuspecting thru-hiker, and hoped that its mother would find it soon. It would have been amazing to have looked after it and kept it as a trail pet, but the heartbreak of having to let it go when we leave the trail would have been terrible. Having already had to say goodbye and leave Stevie Jumpers back in Peru, our stray dog friend, protector and walking companion when we hiked in and out of Colca Canyon, (whom we often still wonder about now), it would have been too much. It would also have been irresponsible of us a thru-hikers to introduce it to humans and interfere with nature’s way.
We felt torn as to what to do to help this little chipmunk. Hopefully its mother took it back to the safety of its burrow.
By the time we reached the junction to Clark Spring it was almost dark and we were relying on the moonlight and our night vision to navigate the trail. A large collection of tents was gathered just before the turn off to the water, which turned out to be Machine and his trail family, minus Moses who had managed to hitch a ride into the town of Shasta for a visit to the hospital. He had been bitten on his toe, from what, he wasn’t sure, although he had suspicions it was a spider bite, and his toe had now become swollen and infected. He had also been feeling nauseous and lethargic and wasn’t sure if he’d picked up the dreaded norovirus along the trail as well. There had been five incidents of hikers contracting it around the town of Burney recently, two needing hospitalisation, one of which was our trail friend Easy Company, but it was good to hear that he was making a speedy recovery.
We walked off-trail down to Clark Spring to filter water and then pitched in a camp spot close by so that we could top up our supplies again in the morning before setting off. We felt exhausted but had only managed to hike 27 miles before it was too dark to continue, 3 miles short of our intended target. If we were going to stay on track and reach Castella on Friday evening, so as to be there in time for the opening of the Post Office on Saturday morning, we’d have to add the 3 miles on to tomorrow’s distance – not a great prospect that we relished. But the incentive we needed was the fact that next to the Post Office was Ammirati’s Market, open everyday until 9pm, and from there we could buy beer! Never have two hikers been more motivated to hike 93 miles in such a short time! So our aim was to power out the miles and get there before the store closed! Then the following day after collecting my new shoes from the Post Office (fingers crossed they’d be there waiting), we could allow ourselves a proper ‘zero’ on Saturday!
After blowing up the sleep pads, we were just settling down to sleep when an unsettling noise startled us… From up where Machine and co were camped came shouts of “Go away bear!” along with furious banging and clanking of pots and pans! We immediately shone the head torches out of the tent, expecting to see bold, yellow eyes staring back at us. But there was only darkness with a splattering of stars up above. Since sending home our bear cans from Lake Tahoe, we were keeping our food stuffs and toiletries in an odour proof bag, inside a dry bag, inside the tent. So now we were worried that we were going to get a visit from a hungry bear in the night! More shouts and the pots clanked again. We resigned ourselves to the fact we’d get a restless sleep.
But then thinking logically, we came to the conclusion that there were far more hikers camped at the top with lots more goodies around to tempt the bear. Seeing as we hadn’t seen one for 1,437 miles, it would more than likely (fingers crossed anyway) leave us alone, as bears are actually fearful of humans and are usually just chancers when it comes to stealing food! With that final thought, and the fact I was so tired, I actually slept soundly, unlike Wayne who kept stirring at any little rustle… But for us, thankfully, there was no confrontation or intrusion from a bear!
Day 108 – Thursday, 26th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,437 to Ash Camp by McCloud River at Mile 1,471, 34 miles
It was ‘Day Two’ of our challenge to hike 93 miles in three days! As we had to hike yesterday’s remaining three miles on top of today’s thirty, it meant we had to be much stricter on timings and take shorter rest and water breaks. That really is the downside of doing longer days, so we just had to concentrate on getting the miles done, and in truth, it was an ‘uneventful’ day for us in that all we had to do was keep on walking, walking, walking…
What did strike us when we set off from camp just after 6am was the amount of smoke still hanging in the air. It meant that sunrise seemed much more like a sunset as a fiery red ball blanketed in a thick white haze tried it’s best to blaze brightly up above, but with little success. Intense in colour but lacking in luminance, today the sun’s rays were both soft and subdued, so much so that we were able to look directly at it, if only for a few seconds. But our view out to the expanse of sky didn’t last long as we were soon back in thick evergreen forest, at least grateful for the pockets of shade the large, leafy canopy afforded us.
A smoky start to the day signalling Northern California’s growing wildfires in the Shasta County area.
Looking out, there’s a huge amount of forest to burn. We hoped that the wildfires could be contained and that our journey on the PCT wouldn’t come to an abrupt end because of trail closures.
We took our second breakfast 10 miles up trail by Moosehead Creek, where Machine, Yucon, Sidney and Shauna soon caught up with us, eager to tell us all about last night’s eventful encounter with a bear, which we had heard for ourselves from our own camp spot. What we hadn’t heard was the bear grunting and scraping at the ground, which they said it was doing aggressively causing them to throw out of their tents anything remotely scented, whilst they sat shaking waiting to see what happened next. Nothing happened thankfully as the bear had been scared off by the shouts and pots clattering. But it did make us think about how lucky we were not to have had the bear come down to the spring and inadvertently discover our own camp spot and food bags filled with lots of goodies that could easily entice a hungry creature to rip open our tent!
Although it was going to be a long day because of the number of miles we had given ourselves, the trail was excellent all day so we could stride out and maintain our 3-mile-an-hour pace. Despite the continuous climbs and descents that we now just class as ‘undulations’ along the trail, it felt mostly flat, the gentle trail winding through trees on long, gradual switchbacks. As we rounded a bend, we happened upon a mule deer grazing on the nearby brush, and for once it didn’t get spooked and immediately run off. Instead it looked at us inquisitively, cocking it’s head towards us, it’s great ears like satellites sticking our from its head. As it went to go, the bleep from the camera caused it to stop in its tracks and look over at us again for a few moments, but then it was quickly away, disinterested with the humans as it was intent on finding more food.
Finally, we managed to capture some wildlife on camera! Deer are common animals seen on the trail, but we have struggled to photograph them because of their skittish nature.
Although we welcomed the shade from the leafy forest, it was a relief when the trail opened out, winding around a ridge. From this vantage point we could see the glaciated tip of Shasta just visible above the smoky haze, which looked very strange as it seemed like it was hovering in mid-air. The sky now being a gentle shade of pink added to the surreal scene. But we didn’t have too long to enjoy it as we were soon back in the midst of trees powering through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest area.
More smoky scenic views of the landscape! (We didn’t realise it at the time, but this was a good day for pictures. The smoke was about to get much worse, resulting in very little views at all.)
Out of the forest and enjoying some time on the open mountainsides.
Between walking, eating, walking, eating and walking some more, to make the miles go by faster we resorted to using the phone today. We listened to another comedy show by Micky Flannigan, played some pop music which really helps us maintain a good rhythm and pace, started listening to an audio book that’s a prequel to the Game of Thrones story set, and then listened to more music to get us powering through the last 8 miles to camp.
Listening to music on the trail is not everyone’s idea of fun in the wilderness. Hearing the sounds of nature is usually much more appealing to us also. But on long days where the scenery doesn’t change much and you find yourself simply on a mission to get the miles done, it really helps keep up momentum and takes your mind off any arduous climbs. We tried it a couple of times in the desert and we were practically dancing our way into camp! So as long as we don’t overuse it and get bored of the material we’ve got downloaded, we think it will be an excellent motivational tool to help us get through the longer days we are expecting in Oregon.
Just a minor detour…
Hiking through more tall trees… If anything, it was preparing us for what was to come in Oregon!
It was dark by the time we hiked down to the McCloud River where we intended on camping. We had forfeited dinner, swapping it out for a chocolate bar snack to try and save some time, but we still didn’t arrive until just after 10pm with our head torches lighting the way. Several other PCTers were dotted around the campground area, which was also being utilised by a group of car campers with it being located next to a forestry road. Most people were fast asleep in their tents by now, so we tried to set up quietly, eager to lay down, stretch out and get some sleep ourselves.
It had been our longest hiking day to date, 34 trail miles, which earned me my latest FitBit badge of 80,000 steps in one day!!! But we had managed it! Though we both agreed that we didn’t really want to repeat it – thirty miles in one day is most definitely enough – but there’s a lot to be said for a little musical encouragement, and the biggest incentive of all, getting a beer on Friday night!
Day 109 – Friday, 27th July 2018, Ash Camp by McCloud River at Mile 1,471 to Castle Crags State Park, Castella, PCT Mile 1,501 + 3 miles to Campground & Store, 33 miles
When we awoke to the sound of the alarm at 5am, the first words that came out of my mouth were “It feels like ‘Groundhog Day’!” With less than six hours of sleep, it was time to get up, get back on the trail and walk more than 30 miles all over again! Technically we only had 30 trail miles to reach the junction leading to the Castle Crags State Park, but then it was an extra 2 miles to the Campground and a further 0.6 miles to the nearby store, which was our main goal. We would then have a final 0.6 miles to get back to the campground where we intended on staying for the next two nights. (I’m sure armed with an alcoholic beverage or two, any resulting aches and pains from the cumulative effects of the last three days of walking crazy miles would easily be forgotten!)
But we hadn’t made it there yet! We already ached and felt tired, and even worse, my feet had developed blisters on blisters because of the worsening state of my worn out trail shoes. So although we were pushing on to make it to the shop that evening, it was the new pair of trail shoes that should be waiting at the Post Office next door that I needed more than anything if I wasn’t going to find myself crippled before reaching the North Cal/ Oregon border! So despite our grumbles and aching limbs, we set off at 6:30am. It was a little later than we wanted after having to filter water from the river, but we were determined to get there, and before 9pm!
Setting off from the McCloud River determined to get to Castella before 9pm!
Setting the pace for the day!
After second breakfast, to keep up the momentum and help us stay on track to cover three miles every hour, the tunes were on and we were boogying along the trail keeping pace to the beat. It helped that the trail was relatively flat and once again soft underfoot as it weaved through the pine forested hills. As we were under the heavy canopy for much of the time, it was one of those days where we didn’t pay much attention to our surroundings, we were just so focussed and intent on covering the miles.
The scenery was much like the previous few days, so our focus was on covering the miles rather than stopping for photos!
A giant slug we happened upon whilst pausing to filter water.
When we passed by the Squaw Valley Creek where several hikers had decided to go for a swim, we were thoroughly envious as we really would have enjoyed the chance to take a dip and cool off ourselves. But we resisted, stopping quickly to filter more water and camel up for the next 9-mile stint. Whereas previously we would try and hike 5 to 6 miles before stopping for a break, on longer days we are now aiming to hike in blocks of three hours, which works out at segments of roughly 9 miles. We might take a quick pack and water break midway, but allow ourselves only a short 5 to 10 minute breather before continuing.
It might seem very regimental, but we easily get distracted taking photos or video or waylaid talking to other hikers, which then eats into significant chunks of our hiking time, resulting in us not being able to complete our preferred number of miles before dark. An hour of walking can go by very slowly when there’s not much in the way of scenery to look at. Yet when taking a break by a creek or chatting to other thru-hikers on trail, an hour easily passes by before you know it! So we always have a plan and try our best to stick to it, some days being more successful than others depending on who we get talking to!
To try and pull back some time today, we stopped for an early dinner around 3pm with the aim of getting it cooked, eaten and the pots washed within half an hour. Tiredness seemed to evade us today as we were completely psyched up to complete the challenge we had set ourselves, the reward of a beer or two overwhelmingly enticing us on.
Powering through the last three miles, we were so eager to make it to the shop before closing time that we missed the 1,500 stone trail marker that would have been right before we entered the Castle Crags State Park.
A quick trail dinner of mixed bean chilli and rice. (One of our favourites!)
Thankfully, the trail today was relatively flat and easy underfoot making it the perfect section to smash out the miles!
The fact that there wasn’t much in the way of captivating scenery today meant our focus was entirely on reaching Castella before nightfall.
It was 7:45pm when we reached the boundary and with just over two and a half miles to go to reach the store, we knew we’d be pushing it, but if we continued at our current pace we should get there within the hour. It was the final push! By now, having already smashed out 31 miles we tried to ignore our throbbing feet and the general fatigue that washed over our bodies. When we finally got to the campground, we had to hastily work out the maze of loops to find the side trail that led off to the store, which then as we strode forth in the fading light seemed an age to cover just six tenths of a mile.
Stepping out of the woodland onto the paved road, the bright neon Chevron light acting as a beacon overhead beside Interstate 5, we rushed towards the store, praying under our breath that the opening times on the GutHook app had still been correct and we hadn’t just powered out what in fact turned out to be 94 miles in three days, in vain. As a large group of guys exited the store armed with crates of beer, huge, beaming smiles crossed our faces. It was 8:45pm and we had made it – just in time! Right at that moment we couldn’t have been happier!
We downed our packs, entered the store and quickly made our drink selections from the fridge. Mine also included a celebratory ice-cream! After the exertions of the last three days, it was most likely that by the time we got back to the campsite, pitched the tent and got cleaned up, we’d be asleep in minutes. But we needed to stay awake long enough to toast our success. We were now strong and fit enough for 30 mile days, which is something at the start we were dubious about. The outcome therefore was that we would no longer worry about Oregon or having enough time to complete the final 900 miles. We had proved to ourselves that when needed, we could manage the big miles. And celebrating with a beer, well that was the perfect end to a whirlwind three days!
After a whopping 3-day power hike, now content at camp with a ‘Torpedo IPA’ in hand! I’d say it was a job well done!
Day 110 – Saturday, 28th July 2018, Castle Crags State Park Campground, Castella, zero miles
Having arrived at the State Park Campground in the dark last night after our excitement on reaching Ammirati’s Market before closing time and making frenzied purchases of alcohol and snacks before 9pm, we couldn’t then find the camping area reserved specifically for PCT hikers. So erring on the side of caution, we took the campsite directly next to the campground host and paid the $5 pp fee in the hope that we could just stay there the following night too.
Indeed, on meeting the Campground Host Cynthia the following morning, we were pleased to find how accommodating she was, even going so far as to give us free shower tokens and say not only could we stay put in the pitch we had set up in, but that we could also camp an extra night for free. (Introducing ourselves to her first thing in the morning and working that English charm again definitely helped!)
All that good trail karma certainly seemed to be paying off once more, but most important of all was the task of collecting my newly purchased trail shoes from the Castella Post Office that morning. We were keeping our fingers crossed that they had arrived in good time seeing as we had just hiked 90+ miles in three days expecting them to have been express delivered there.
Having arrived at the Castle Crags State Park Campground in the dark, we didn’t find the designated camp area for PCT hikers until the following morning. With bear boxes and picnic benches, it was excellent for the minimal fee of $5 per night.
Meeting Cynthia, the lovely campground host who couldn’t do enough to make our stay at the State Park Campground a wonderful experience.
The Chevron Gas Station that is also home to Ammirati’s Market. Being a 10 minute walk from the State Park Campground it is a busy hub for PCT thru-hikers re-supplying or picking up packages from the Castella Post Office.
To cut a long story short, my trail shoes were not at the Castella Post Office that morning and so of course, we were not very happy. After multiple calls to the USPS County Office, UPS, and through a three-way call with Amazon (through which I’d made the purchase), we finally ascertained that the trail shoes were in Yreka, a nearby town and were still in ‘transit’. That did not help me at all, with my sore, blistered feet crying out for a new pair of trail shoes!
Emphasising to Customer Service how much I desperately needed the footwear, it helped ease the pain a little when they suggested that they refund my account for the pair I ordered, then I should re-order them to be delivered to the next town we would pass through. This was all fantastic in theory, except that I really, really needed a new pair of trail shoes for getting back on the PCT the following day as my current pair were in such a dreadful state. But with no other option, I had to accept it, and agreed to the refund, dreading the next hundred miles or so walking to Etna in shoes that were only fit for the dustbin!
After leaving the Post Office in utter dismay, our mood was suddenly lifted on seeing a package looking remarkably like a ‘shoebox’ with the name of ‘Fenton’ written on the side in big letters through the window of Ammirati’s Market. Even though they had been addressed to the Post Office, and even though Amazon had said they were at the depot in Yreka, my ‘new’ trail shoes had somehow been delivered to the Chevron Gas Station and Ammirati’s Market. To anyone else, organising and waiting for the delivery of new shoes would have been a minor frustration, but for us it had been a major headache! Trying to coordinate the delivery of a package with reaching a trail town on a specific date that then also coincided with Post Office opening times for collection was like a military operation, so I was overjoyed at finally taking receipt of them! The thought of hiking any number of miles tomorrow was instantaneously more appealing if it were to be in new trail shoes. And now, at long last, new trail shoes I had!
The tiny Castella Post Office. Opening hours are limited as it is such a small community, but the Post lady seemed very accommodating and did her best to help hikers waiting on packages.
Out with the old and in with the new! After a troublesome morning trying to locate my package, I finally took receipt of my third pair of trail shoes. I’m now hoping these will last over 1,000 miles and see me to Canada!
Putting my very worn out second pair of trail shoes in the ‘trash’! This pair had seen me approximately 950 miles through California from Tehachapi to Castella.
After such an eventful morning, we were pleased to have the afternoon to relax back at the campground. We even had time to go along to the ‘Ranger Talk’ that evening held at the campground amphitheatre, which included some special guest appearances of various injured birds currently being looked after and rehabilitated at the Shasta County Animal Rescue Centre.
One of the great things about staying in a National Park or State Park campground is that there are scheduled ‘Ranger Talks’. At Castle Crags, we got to see several rescued birds and find out interesting facts about them courtesy of the volunteers from the Shasta County Animal Rescue.
During the ‘Ranger Talk’, we were also made aware of the growing fire in the nearby community of Redding, which was the reason behind there being so much smoke in the air. Over 38,000 people had already been evacuated and as of yesterday, only 5% of the fire had been contained, which really was a frightening situation. As Redding was to the south of our current location, we felt fortunate that the PCT remained open, but we had to be prepared for the worst as conditions could change rapidly.
As we went to bed that evening, we discussed the scenario of having to skip forward should the fire spread resulting in the trail being closed for safety reasons. It was not a nice thought, but more importantly, we hoped that the people of Redding and neighbouring communities were safe, along with the 13,000 strong crew of firemen who were working tirelessly to get the fire under control.
Day 111 – Sunday, 29th July 2018, Castle Crags State Park Campground, Castella to Wild Camp at Mile 1,519, 18 miles
With check out not being until 11am and with it being our 12th wedding anniversary today, we took our time to enjoy a hot breakfast and a lazy morning at camp.
With a strong smell of smoke in the air, the growing wild fires were still on our minds, especially having woken up to small pieces of ash on our tent, which was a stark reminder of just how close to the fires we currently were. With only 190 miles of Northern California left to cover however, we hoped that we’d be able to push on quickly and get far enough away from the Shasta County area so as not to be affected too much on trail. With the fire having already spread to over 142,000 acres in just a few days though, we would be checking the situation frequently and adjusting our plans accordingly.
When we got back on the trail around midday, the PCT took us through the Castle Crags Wilderness, which should have afforded us tremendous views of the surrounding crags. But in reality, visibility was low and the air quality was poor due to the smoke and ash that had blown into the valley. We could not even glimpse the top of Mount Shasta now, despite us hiking to the west of the peak. This particular section of trail is renowned for excellent views of Northern California’s crown jewel. Standing at 14,179 feet, Mount Shasta is the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range and the fifth-highest in the state. But for the time being, we just had complete white out. The only benefit of sorts was that the smoke provided a barrier against the sun, so it felt a little cooler, especially on the exposed ridges where it is usually baking hot.
So instead of savouring the grand vistas, today we had to look closer to the trail to see its beauty. From the leaves, pine needles, bark and berries to the flower petals, pitcher plants, bees and bugs – our focus was now on the flora and fauna and the smaller elements of the trail that are so easily overlooked when there is a majestic mountain capturing your attention and dominating the scene.
Lovely afternoon light bathes the forest in a golden glow.
Our first glimpse of wild berries growing beside the trail. We have high hopes for them being ripe for the picking by the time we reach Oregon!
Taking the time to look more closely at the trees… I guess we’ve got to learn to love trees over the coming weeks!
After hearing about the rapidly growing Carr Fire throughout Redding and the neighbouring areas in Shasta County, we knew the smoke would not be disappearing any time soon.
Late afternoon and visibility was getting poorer.
A short glimpse of Castle Crags before our views were completely obscured.
Concentrating on the flora and fauna as sadly we wouldn’t be getting any expansive views for a while.
Spotting some pitcher plants alongside the trail close to a flowing creek.
After watching the smoke get heavier throughout the day, we resigned ourselves to the fact we’d be walking in these conditions for quite some time. In all likelihood, the smoke would affect us for the rest of our time on trail in Northern California. But unless it began affecting our breathing or being detrimental to our health, we resolved to keep going… We hadn’t walked all this way to give up now.
We reached what would have been a fantastic ridge side wild camp spot, but for the smoke obscuring any views.
Sunset through the smoke, something we now have to get used to as we make our way through the remainder of Northern California.
Day 112 – Monday, 30th July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,519 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,544, 25 miles
Back on trail early morning we were greeted by another smoky haze that obscured all the ‘big stuff’. So again we focussed on other ‘smaller’ aspects of the trail and tried to remain positive.
Unfortunately our time in the Castle Crags Wilderness was overshadowed by the growing Carr Fire and our uncertainty as to whether the PCT would be closed.
Mountain in the mist, or rather surrounded by smoke!
We tried to remain optimistic and agreed that this whole area would be a place to return to some time in the future to see its real beauty.
Luckily, we did have some views of the crags throughout the day depending on the changing winds and direction of smoke.
At other times it was almost complete ‘smoke out’!
The fab new trail marker we started to see in Northern California.
Without the big views, we had to change our own view of things on trail, so it began by looking closer at the characteristics of each tree to help us to identify them.
After taking for granted the mountains, the views, and access to the trail – the thought of having it all snatched away by an imminent trail closure made us relish every single footstep and any view at all!
Smoke or not… If the trail remained open, we resolved to carry on!
Feeling lucky that we at least got to see this view today!
Since the smoke descended upon us, we had not seen much wildlife on trail. In the face of adversity however, it’s amazing how the circle of life continues.
Striking moss covered trees.
Without much in the way of expansive views on trail today, the most exciting aspect happened at camp. Or rather, we think it did! We set up our tent on what would have been another fantastic ridge wild camp spot affording us tremendous views of the Castle Crags Wilderness, had it not been for the lingering smoke.
We followed all of our usual camp routines, which meant storing our food and scented items in an odour proof bag, which was then contained within another dry bag and kept at the bottom of the tent. And as soon as darkness fell, we were quickly overcome with tiredness and sleeping soundly by ‘hiker midnight’ (usually around 9:30pm), only then to wake with a sudden start at hearing grunting sounds right by the tent a few hours later.
We both immediately sat bolt upright, listening to the grunting sounds again and exclaiming loudly “What is that?!” (Maybe with a few expletives in there too!) Whatever it was must have been startled by our voices as we then heard heavy padding and rustling like it was running away to the cover of the bushes. Our automatic first thought was that it was an unsuspecting bear foraging around for food, especially with the grunts and the loud noise it made when it bounded away. But in the pure light of day the following morning when we mused over what happened again, we concluded that it was most likely an inquisitive deer as opposed to a bear. But who knows? It was the closest possible bear encounter we’ve had so far on the trail…
Capturing lake reflections through the smoke.
Another ridge wild camp, another obscured view. But we made it to camp before dark so we have to appreciate the small things. Plus we may even have had our first bear encounter during the night – something we’ll never know for sure!
It might not seem like much, but this is our home from home. Happiness is being on trail… Whatever the view!
It seems that as we get closer to the end of Northern California, everyone is picking up the pace in an effort to out walk the wildfires and reach Oregon as soon as possible. We too are concerned about the fires spreading and the possibility of trail closures, so will be keeping a close eye on official updates and pushing on.
We’ve heard the phrase numerous times that ‘The PCT is a journey, not a race’ – but it feels like it’s evolving into just that. Making the miles for deadlines, making the miles for opening times, making the miles to avoid the weather, making the miles to avoid the mosquitoes, making the miles to avoid the fires, the trail is fast becoming a regimental march to Canada and not the enjoyable walk that it used to be!
Hopefully this ‘on the clock’ feeling will subside and we can get back to the heart of the trail and not feel so pressured, but at this stage maybe it really is a race to the Canadian border!
13 Comments
Wayne looked very fetching in those loaner clothes. Watch out, he’ll be stealing your tops when you get home.
Haha! Pink is definitely not his colour 😉
Great to pick up the story again. Glad to see on Twitter that you had completed. I guess it was a bit of a rush to finish. Burney Falls looks wonderful!
Thanks Robin! Yes, Washington flew by in a whirlwind. It was a shame that we couldn’t take our time there as it was really beautiful with the autumn colours, but the rain and snow showers made it really tough during the last week, so we were glad to finish when we did.
Burney Falls was a great surprise along the trail!
Your blog is so well written, and has excellent photos. It’s a pleasure to read. Thanks for helping us live vicariously through you guys. Judging by the difference in photos from beginning of your trip and this segment, you appear to be getting younger as you hike.
Thank you for such great comments Daniel! I don’t know about us looking younger – maybe the sun tan and losing a few pounds helps! 🙂
What is the name of those fetching dust guarding things you have wrapped over the tops of your footwear? Have never seen them and you’ve been wearing something like them most of the trip.
Keep up the great work on this adventure!
Hi Garry,
These are called Gaiters (in this case the “dirty girl gaiters” seeing the psychedelic colors 🙂
Regards,
Marc
Hi Garry, yep as Marc said – they are ‘Dirty Girl’ gaiters – a product from the US. They basically keep grit and grass seeds out of your trail shoes. Wayne got through 2 pairs on the trip and mine were full of holes by the finish just from them rubbing and wearing through, but they are definitely effective and we wouldn’t hike without them now.
A bit of change in this week. Concerns about the wildfires and a nighttime visitor no less! Clocking up 30 miles a day consecutively is impressive, although I’ve often experienced the lure of a welcome beer to add a bit of energy. Great to see the Burney Falls, we visited them on a California holiday around 20 years ago. Look forward to the next update and I’ve started watching the videos to get my Treksnappy PCT fix. 😀
Thanks for all of your fantastic comments and for continuing to follow along Andy! 🙂
We are currently travelling around China, but Wayne is working on the next section of video, which will be posted online sometime in the next week depending on internet service!
30 k’s is a big push for me. I can’t imagine how you manage 30 miles with your packs in one day!
Another fantastic read. I have a feeling the smoke may have stayed with you for far too many days. I’m glad it isn’t affecting your breathing.
Thanks Helen. We were genuinely worried about having to increase the miles to 30+ days, but our bodies just coped with it and a twenty soon became a twenty-five, and then a thirty and so on. Breaking the day into segments of 6 miles followed by a break and a snack really helped. In the end, it wasn’t actually doing the big miles that was the problem, it was the fact that we were getting less hours of daylight so we were always getting to camp in the dark, which we didn’t enjoy.