Monday, August 31, 2009

My Friend on the Trail

Here is a photo of my nephew Jakob on the trail this morning shortly before my radio interview with KGAL. Not pictured are Mark and Andrea. They all joined me on the trail this morning.

Day 118

I woke up on the shore of Charlton Lake this morning feeling pretty good. I was a little tired from the fireworks and other noises the neighbors made last night, but not too bad. The terrain for the day was very mild--lots of little ups and downs but nothing sustained. In fact I pretty much stayed between 5000' - 6000' the entire day. So I was very disappointed that my feet felt as if they had lead weights attached to them. My hips were sore too from the weight of my pack. I had wanted to do 30 miles today, but ended up at 28, but for good reason.

While having lunch I had just turned my phone on to see if I had a signal. Turns out I did because it rang just after I turned it on. My sister, Andrea, and her husband Mark wanted to meet me at Elk Lake and take me back to Bend for the evening. The Elk Lake junction was still 13 miles away, plus another mile to the resort, so I really had to book it to get there by 7. Ends up I didn't make it there until 7:30 or so, but we were still able to get into Bend in time to pick up my cousin Amanda and go to Red Robin. (Haven't been there in ages!) We ended up staying at Amanda's and visiting with her for a while. I'm just now getting to bed and it is after midnight! But the good news is that I'll be able to travel very light tomorrow and the next day. Mark and Andrea (and Jakob) are joining me in the morning for a bit before heading back to the car. I'll continue on to McKenzie Pass where Mark will meet me in the evening with most of my gear. The next morning Mark and I and my other sister Kristin will all hike the last 15 miles to Highway 20 together. This will be so good for my feet to get a bit of a break from a heavy pack before the final, long push to Canada, still about 750 miles away.

Three Sisters Wilderness

I was hiking in the Three Sisters Wilderness for most of today, August 30. It's weird to be so close to home. On a clear day you can see the Three Sisters (a group of three mountains in a North-to-South row) from the house I grew up in.

Day 117

After the late and disorganized night last night, I decided to sleep in a bit. So I did until about 7 and it felt great. I finally did get up and headed to the resort store, which was pretty thin on options for breakfast. So I settled for a muffin and microwaveable breakfast burrito. They did have an espresso machine, however, so that helped!

As I ate I went over the maps for the next section and came to the conclusion that trying to do 94 miles in three days was just not in my best interest. So I had to pick up a couple extra items from the store.

After making a few phone calls and arranging a pick-up time with my parents for noon on September 1, I headed off to the trail at about 1:30. (I'm still not sure where the morning went.) I had a tall order in front of me because I really wanted to get about 20 miles in today so that I could do 30 each tomorrow and the next day and then follow that up with 15 the day I'm getting off the trail for a bit. So I headed off at a quick pace and found the trail to be a very popular place! I ran into more people going the opposite way today in about one hour than I did in one day on the John Muir Trail section of the PCT in the Sierras! Nevertheless, I was able to get to Charlton Lake, about 18 miles in. It's a great little lake and is pretty popular from what I can tell! The moon is about at half strength tonight and the reflection is nearly perfect due to the lack of wind.
So now it is nearly 10 pm and I'm going to try to get some rest in spite of the near-party going on a hundred yards away. Tomorrow I'd like to be on the trail by 7 so that I'm not hiking after sunset like tonight.

Thanks to Loren, Patty, and Mabel for the contributions today!

Odell Lake Overlook

As I left Odell Lake this afternoon, August 29, I passed an overlook of the lake that was quite impressive. This photo only shows about half the lake.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Day 116

I woke up determined to make up for yesterday's debacle. My original plan out of Medford had me arriving at Crescent Lake (actually Odell Lake) today. And even though it would take some serious hiking to get there, I still had a chance. I ended up putting in my longest day yet--35 miles--and even got to the resort to pick up my package before they closed at 8! I wish the rest of the night would have gone as well. Because the terrain was so dusty, I was the dirtiest I think I've ever been tonight. Very fine dust clung to me everywhere. Since I had a shower and laundry available to me, I thought I should probably take advantage of it. As far as laundry goes, all I really care about anymore are my socks. Gotta take care of the feet! Well the ladies in the resort office failed to mention that six quarters would only get me three minutes of shower time (thanks for that, ladies) and of course the shower that I use doesn't tell me that either. So my legs are only moderately clean and I still have soap in my hair when the water shuts off. I don't have any more quarters. So basically I just dried off with a shirt that wasn't in the wash and I still feel kinda gross. To add insult to injury when I grabbed my raincoat (not wearing it because it is raining...only because it is chilly this evening), there was a bunch of what I think is white soap scum from just outside the shower on it...totally gross. I can handle nature's dirt, but it's other people's nastiness that grosses me out. It's nights like this that I can't wait to be done with this hike!

It's already pretty late so I'm not sure how quickly I'll be able to get going tomorrow, especially since I still need to go through my resupply box and make sure I'm good to go. But I'm also trying to figure out if I can make it to Highway 20 (94 miles away) in three days. I'd really like to, but I think it'll largely depend on how I'm feeling tomorrow after today's big day.

One cool...actually two cool things for today to end on. The first was that I startled a herd of elk this afternoon. If you've never seen an elk, just picture something the size of a horse that looks sort of like a deer. They don't go around things like deer, however. They go through them, so they make a lot of noise. Second, I crossed the 1900-Mile mark today and am now at 1912.2 (or something close to that).

Anyway, that's all I've got to report. Hopefully my laundry is dry by now so that I can go to bed!

Day 115

Today was pathetic in terms of miles. I don't think I even did 20. I can't afford any more days like this if I want to make it to Canada without a dogsled!

I got up early enough but things just didn't seem to click for me. I went to Diamond Lake Lodge for breakfast and to charge my phone and that's when I think I just lost track of time. Being in civilization has a funny way of doing that. The good news was that the little store there had the batteries I needed. I thought I had spares but they turned out to be dead.
I finally got on my way around noon and was so annoyed with myself for taking so long to leave that I really didn't enjoy the first section of hiking. Today was honestly the first day on the trail that I felt pressure to get moving because of upcoming winter weather up north and I didn't like it one bit. But the upshot is that the lower miles probably helped my ankle and knee that have been acting up a bit lately. Both felt better today, so that was very good!

Tomorrow I was hoping to get to Shelter Cove Resort, but that would now require a 35-mile day, roughly. I'm not sure if I'm in a position to be able to pull it off, but if I can get myself out of bed at an early hour, then just maybe.

As of about 7 miles ago, I now have fewer than 800 miles to go to get to Canada!

High Point

This sign on a mundane hill marks the location of the highest point (7,560') on the PCT in Oregon and Washington. Quite a contrast to Forester Pass in California at 13,200'! You can see that the sign has sort of fallen into a state of disrepair. I passed this point at about 6 pm this evening, August 27.

Diamond Lake

I took this photo this morning, August 27, from the east shore of Diamond Lake. Jagged Mt. Thielsen is behind me.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Day 114

TGIF, as in "Thank God It's Flat." That was my mantra today. It didn't start out that way as I made the last little climb up to Rim Village. It sits at the top of the crater but still about 1,000' above the water level. (Interesting factoid about Crater Lake: It receives 44 feet of snow annually!) I was just planning to hit the rim trail immediately but decided to get a cup of coffee at the cafe and just enjoy the view. But I couldn't find the cafe so I ended up walking a bit farther to Crater Lake Lodge. A friendly gentleman there who is a big fan of all things PCT bought me breakfast and we chatted for a while. So instead of getting on the trail at 7 am, it was actually closer to 11 am. But I got breakfast, so it worked out. (Thanks Ron!)

Anyway, the hike around the rim was nothing less than spectacular. I've seen Crater Lake before, but the colors were just so...well...colorful. I don't think I've taken as many pictures as I did since I was in the High Sierra. When lunch time came, I sat on the west rim with a view of Wizard Island and the rest of the lake. I probably could have just sat there for the rest of the week! Eventually, however, I had to keep moving, especially since I had gotten such a late start.

After I left the rim, the trail took a moderate descent before flattening out and staying flat for the duration of the day. It was great hiking terrain for someone like me who needs to make miles but has a tired body. Yesterday, I took a minor tumble that I failed to mention and quasi-twisted my left ankle in the process. Today my ankle was definitely tender and I could feel something amiss whenever I had my pack on. When my pack was off, it was fine, so I wasn't too concerned about it at first. But it just seemed to get a bit more tender as the day went on. Thankfully, it doesn't appear swollen tonight, but I still need to keep an eye on it. I also need to keep an eye on my right knee which seems to be tightening up with greater frequency. I'm not sure why these things are happening now on the easiest terrain. I haven't upped my mileage too much and my pack has been lighter than its been at other times. So I guess I'll just need to be careful not to overdo it. But as you can tell, flat was very good for me today!

After I crossed Highway 138 at about 6 pm tonight, I called an audible (football metaphor) and changed my plan for the evening. As you may recall from my update yesterday, Diamond Lake is one of my favorite childhood camping and fishing locations. I can't remember the last time I was there so instead of heading straight toward Mt. Thielsen, I decided to take a walk down memory lane and go to Diamond Lake, where I am now camped at Broken Arrow Campground on the south shore. (It has plumbing!) The alternate route isn't adding much distance to my hike, and it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Whenever we'd go camping with my grandparents on my dad's side, this is usually where we'd go. I always loved it even though it seemed my sisters were always catching more and bigger fish, but whatever. I can still remember the monumental sunburn I got on my chest when I fell asleep while fishing one day. That was the most painful sunburn ever! Riding Grandpa's bike that folded in half was also a good memory.

Anyway, I'm glad I took the detour because this place is beautiful and I've got good memories of it. Tomorrow I'm planning to visit the Diamond Lake Resort on the north end of the lake and see about getting some breakfast that isn't just a Pop-Tart!

PS - Thanks to a different Ron for the contribution yesterday.

Mt. Thielsen

Here is the view south from Crater Lake to Mt. Thielsen. I'm just past the highest point on the PCT in Oregon and Washington.

Wizard Island

This is my current view from the rim of Crater Lake. Amazing that I (sort of) have data coverage up here!

Day 113

I awoke this morning to cold weather. I did NOT want to get up. But I had a goal in mind: Get to the Crater Lake Post Office before it closed at 3 pm. Since I was 20 miles away from Highway 62 and the post office was another 4-5 miles beyond that, I needed an early start.

I was up and hiking by 6:15, which by now is just light enough to hike without a headlamp. I can't believe how much noticeably shorter the days have gotten recently. It gets harder and harder to get the necessary mileage in just because you don't have the same hours available. The good news is that the weather is cooler which means everything is just a little easier on the body. Not as much perspiration, therefore you don't need to carry as much water. Plus, hiking when it is cooler makes me about twice as efficient. Anyway, I got moving quickly just to keep warm if nothing else. I had heard that the trail approaching Crater Lake was really flat, but it wasn't quite as flat as it had been made out to be. There were two very flat sections which were an absolute joy to hike! The first was probably the best section of the entire PCT so far. It was nearly perfectly level, relatively wide, and free of loose rocks and roots that you could trip on.

I made it to Highway 62 at about 12:30 and then made a stupid mistake. I kept going on the trail instead of taking the alternate route to the post office! I was looking for a side trail instead of remembering that I needed to walk on the road. I went probably a half a mile before realizing what I had done. I promptly turned around and high-tailed it back to the highway. I then proceeded on the correct route and still made it to the post office by 2.

Without getting too deeply into the weeds, Crater Lake is not very hiker-friendly when it comes to layout. Mazama Village is about four miles down the mountain from the post office. So I had to go up and then back if I wanted additional supplies. I decided I wasn't walking that section again and continued on up toward Rim Village which doesn't have much in the way of hiker supplies. But I was pretty well-stocked with food after the stop at the post office so I figured I'd make do with what I had. Not 200 yards up the road after I left the post office, my friend Stacie drove by. She is part of a documentary film crew that has been following the hikers all summer and I was actually supposed to be interviewed by her and the rest of the crew here at Crater Lake! So she gave me a ride back down to Mazama Village where a bunch of other hikers were stationed (apparently I was the only one who hadn't gotten the memo) and I refueled on frozen burritos, Coke (of course), and other junk food. I also was able to do a quick load of laundry and take a shower. Then Stacie and the crew gave me a ride back up to where she picked me up, but not before interviewing me for their documentary: Six Million Steps. They have a website and I'll be linking to that when I get the chance--probably when I'm in Albany in about a week. Now I'm camped close to the rim of Crater Lake but keeping a low profile because I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be here. Tomorrow I'm planning to get to the rim, maybe by sunrise, snap some photos, and keep rollin'. My next stop is Crescent Lake about 80 miles away and I'm hoping to get there by Friday. I can't believe I've already hiked more than 130 miles in Oregon!

Day 113

I awoke this morning to cold weather. I did NOT want to get up. But I had a goal in mind: Get to the Crater Lake Post Office before it closed at 3 pm. Since I was 20 miles away from Highway 62 and the post office was another 4-5 miles beyond that, I needed an early start.

I was up and hiking by 6:15, which by now is just light enough to hike without a headlamp. I can't believe how much noticeably shorter the days have gotten recently. It gets harder and harder to get the necessary mileage in just because you don't have the same hours available. The good news is that the weather is cooler which means everything is just a little easier on the body. Not as much perspiration, therefore you don't need to carry as much water. Plus, hiking when it is cooler makes me about twice as efficient. Anyway, I got moving quickly just to keep warm if nothing else. I had heard that the trail approaching Crater Lake was really flat, but it wasn't quite as flat as it had been made out to be. There were two very flat sections which were an absolute joy to hike! The first was probably the best section of the entire PCT so far. It was nearly perfectly level, relatively wide, and free of loose rocks and roots that you could trip on.

I made it to Highway 62 at about 12:30 and then made a stupid mistake. I kept going on the trail instead of taking the alternate route to the post office! I was looking for a side trail instead of remembering that I needed to walk on the road. I went probably a half a mile before realizing what I had done. I promptly turned around and high-tailed it back to the highway. I then proceeded on the correct route and still made it to the post office by 2.

Without getting too deeply into the weeds, Crater Lake is not very hiker-friendly when it comes to layout. Mazama Village is about four miles down the mountain from the post office. So I had to go up and then back if I wanted additional supplies. I decided I wasn't walking that section again and continued on up toward Rim Village which doesn't have much in the way of hiker supplies. But I was pretty well-stocked with food after the stop at the post office so I figured I'd make do with what I had. Not 200 yards up the road after I left the post office, my friend Stacie drove by. She is part of a documentary film crew that has been following the hikers all summer and I was actually supposed to be interviewed by her and the rest of the crew here at Crater Lake! So she gave me a ride back down to Mazama Village where a bunch of other hikers were stationed (apparently I was the only one who hadn't gotten the memo) and I refueled on frozen burritos, Coke (of course), and other junk food. I also was able to do a quick load of laundry and take a shower. Then Stacie and the crew gave me a ride back up to where she picked me up, but not before interviewing me for their documentary: Six Million Steps. They have a website and I'll be linking to that when I get the chance--probably when I'm in Albany in about a week. Now I'm camped close to the rim of Crater Lake but keeping a low profile because I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be here. Tomorrow I'm planning to get to the rim, maybe by sunrise, snap some photos, and keep rollin'. My next stop is Crescent Lake about 80 miles away and I'm hoping to get there by Friday. I can't believe I've already hiked more than 130 miles in Oregon!

Day 112

After yesterday's lack of motivation as I left Lake of the Woods, I had some mileage to make up. I was camped next to Highway 140 and used the noise of the traffic to help get me out of bed. I continued on the alternate route for the entire morning. So instead of doing a pretty much waterless stretch, I ended up with a bunch of lakes and ponds at my disposal. It really is a mystery why they didn't just combine the two trails instead of having a really good one next to a really mediocre one. Oh well, I guess that's why I don't get paid the big bucks!

After about a 30-mile day, I'm camped about 20 miles from Crater Lake at Honeymoon Creek. I'm hoping I'll be able to do the 20 miles in relatively short order so that I can pick up my resupply box at the post office before it closes at 3. I don't know why, but it always seems to work out that I'm racing the post office hours and I hate it. Anyway, it's already past 10 and I've got to get up in a few short hours and do it all over again. Only tomorrow, I have Crater Lake to look forward to!

In other sad news, one of the equestrians on the trail had a very bad accident this past weekend up in Washington. There were only two people attempting the trail on horseback that I am aware of and the thru-hiking family is small anyway so most of us knew this particular woman. The good news is that physically she is fine aside from bumps and bruises, however, her two horses did not survive the fall. The emotional toll of her loss has been substantial as you can probably imagine. However, please keep her and her husband, who was supporting her along the way, in your thoughts and prayers.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Crater Lake

Had Crater Lake not erupted years ago, you'd see a huge peak dominating this photo from today. Instead, it just looks like an average mountain range, but I can assure you it is not! In the distance you can see pointy Mt. Thielsen as it watches over Diamond Lake, a childhood camping and fishing favorite of mine.

Lake of the Woods

Here is the view on Monday, August 24, back toward Lake of the Woods with a still lingering yet faint Mt. Shasta looming in the background.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Day 111

Here I am camped beside Highway 140 listening to the hum of the traffic whizzing by. Today was an atypical day. Tried to get up early but just couldn't. By the time I packed up, washed my socks from the day before in Howard Prairie Lake (the water was warm!), and loaded up with water, it was already 8:30. I hate starting that late. Nevertheless, I chugged along. The terrain was a little tougher than what I was expecting so that was disappointing. Then I started to get a hot spot on the ball of my right foot again, just like the last time I started wearing a new pair of shoes around Lake Tahoe. It made me wince during every step, but I kept going, hoping that somehow it wouldn't get worse. When I got to Dead Indian Road around 1, I had decided--along with some other hikers--to take an alternate route that would take me by additional water sources and is generally more pleasant and picturesque than the PCT in this section. Lakes and ponds vs. lava fields...hmmm...tough decision! (While I was having lunch, a stupid yellow jacket got inside my shirt and stung me. First time all trip.) The downside of the alternate route is that it required walking on a road for about 8-9 miles. It's nice to not have to worry about obstacles, but the continuous pounding gets to be a bit much after a while. When I was about 0.25 mile away from the road that went to the Lake of the Woods resort, I was offered a ride the rest of the way, but I declined because I haven't skipped (besides for the fire) any miles yet and I don't intend to start now. After a relatively short stop at the resort to buy a soda and recharge my phone, I struck out on the trail once again, still on the alternate route. But I only got about 1.5 miles before deciding that I just really didn't have my best effort in me and with only 1 hour of daylight left, I made camp. I'm hoping that maybe a full, good night's rest will help me get up in the morning early enough to get some decent mileage in. Fingers crossed.

In other news, I'm now less than 900 miles away from finishing!

In still other news, my fundraising went over $8000 today! Thanks Cherri and Mom and Dad!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Day 110

After the extended version update of yesterday, I don't really have much to report today. The hike from Pilot Rock to where I'm camping tonight--Klum Landing Campground on Howard Prairie Lake--seemed to lack personality. In fact, most of the trail was historically an afterthought. The original Oregon Skyline Trail, which much of the current PCT follows, didn't stretch all the way to the border because the terrain wasn't considered all that great for hiking. So it seems like it was added more for the sake of getting the hiker from California to Crater Lake. Thankfully, most of it is fairly level with a handful of notable exceptions. Tomorrow's hike will likely be much like today's hike so I may take an alternate route...not sure yet.

Had another spike in donations today! My total is up $500 to just shy of $8000 now thanks to some of the Lodge Boys (college buddies) and Angela. Thanks for the support!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Days 107, 108

My first morning in Oregon I woke up to very warm weather, despite the fact that it was about 5:45 am. I was happy--very happy--to be getting off the trail for the rest of the day after only 9 miles of hiking, since I was planning to resupply in Medford. I had a ride from the trail near where it recrossed I-5 at 9:30 Wednesday morning so I needed to get moving and fast! I ended up getting there with about five minutes to spare. During the drive, the driver, Stacie, who is part of a film crew doing a documentary, and I chatted about my hike. She had expressed interest in interviewing me for the documentary and so we were just chatting a bit about the details. Hopefully I'll be able to get up to Crater Lake before they move along to their next spot so that I can be interviewed there--it is one of the most beautiful spots along the trail. And who knows...maybe the exposure will help bump up my fundraising!

She dropped me off at the local Starbucks where I got a venti mocha with whole milk and whip cream...I love calories. Shortly after that a work friend from a few years ago, Sheila, picked me up. I'd be staying with her family--husband and five kids! We chatted for a while over coffee before heading back to the house where I was able to clean up, do laundry, and eat. Sheila made it her personal mission to fatten me up as much as possible while I was there. She made hamburgers for me for lunch on Wednesday--three of them to be exact! They are seriously some of the most generous people I have ever met and the stay was so great that it was way too hard to leave. (Thanks Sheila, Eric, and family!)

The next day (yesterday) I didn't do much except pick up some food for the next section and put a resupply box together for Crescent Lake, still about a week away. I wanted also to get some fundraising emails taken care of that had continued to get pushed aside time after time, but time just seemed to be way too short once again so they didn't get done. However, since I'm getting close enough to the end of the trail where time is beginning to feel like it is running out, I decided to stick around at least part of another day to get everything done. So that's what I did this morning. (By the way, another $200 were raised today...thanks Janel and Dan!) After all the shopping, shipping, and packing was done, it was time to hit the road once again. So my pack went in the van and Sheila and I were off. We made a quick stop in Medford so I get a new tube of Chapstick. (Fun Fact: One tube of Chapstick will last you about 1700 miles of hiking.) Then we made another stop in Ashland at the outdoor gear store so I could get a new bite valve for my hydration system. The mice in California had gotten ahold of the original on my last night there and pretty much destroyed it. Not just inconvenient...totally gross.

By the time everything was done, I was hitting the trail around 6 pm this evening. I wasn't going to try to get very far. The real benefit to being out on the trail is an early start tomorrow, which now isn't as necessary as it would have been yesterday due to the lower temperatures (thank goodness!). So tonight I'm camped just north of Pilot Rock and about 20 miles away from Hyatt Lake where I was originally planning to camp tonight. Obviously I'll need to figure out my timeline to make things work, but it shouldn't be a big deal.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Day 106 - OREGON!

Euphoric. That's the feeling I got as I saw the "Welcome to Oregon" sign today just before noon when I finally finished California. Euphoric, but also relief and accomplishment as well. 106 days on the trail and this is the first night I'll be spending somewhere besides California. I'm not going to lie, it feels weird.

The day started out somewhat normal if not as early as I usually get going. But after yesterday's obscenely difficult climbs, I needed the little bit of extra rest I gave myself. I had 8.8 miles to go before I reached Oregon, and I wanted to get there in the morning. I ended up being successful, but had several stops along the way to hydrate, wash clothes, etc. Every once in a while you just need to stop and do the chores.

As it turned out, I got to the border barely before noon. I snapped some photos, signed the register, enjoyed the moment and feeling of accomplishment, and then kept hiking. I ended up going about 19 miles into Oregon and tonight I'm camped in the shadow of Mt. Ashland. The psychological boost from getting to Oregon paid real dividends because I hiked 3.5 mph for the rest of the day! Tomorrow I have another 8.5 miles to go (all downhill) before I get to Interstate 5. That is where I'll catch my ride up to Medford to clean up, resupply, get my new shoes, and fix some equipment. I'm planning to be back out on the trail to tackle the remaining 900+ miles on Friday.

More Trail Magic

Just before I crossed the border today, August 18, there was an ice chest and my hopes were raised. But then I looked inside and there was nothing left. Later in the day however, I came upon these two ice chests and both of them were packed full of sodas! It was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Welcome to Oregon

When I arrived at the border on Tuesday, August 18 at about 11:50 am, this sign was about the most beautiful sight I've seen on the trail. I'm SO glad to be done with California.

Day 105

"Uphill," the man said, "It (the PCT) always goes uphill."

Another hiker said that to me earlier today as I was standing at a split in the trail and trying to figure out the right way to go. One trail went up and one went down. He was right...the PCT continued to climb as it usually does. Appropriately, the word that could be used to describe today would be "uphill". And I'm not talking a little uphill, I'm talking a LOT of uphill. I started out at 1370' in Seiad Valley at 5 am. It was pitch black too so I was hiking by headlamp. I didn't care though because I knew what was ahead of me and I didn't want to mess with it during any other time than the coolest part of the day.

The climb out of Seiad Valley is not for the faint of heart. In 8 miles, you gain about 4500'. If you try to hike it during the heat of the day, you could find yourself in trouble. So I decided to tackle it at the earliest possible time so that I wouldn't bake. I made it to the top at around 8:30 this morning. I had to stop a couple of times on the trail on the way up--once to catch my breath and once to eat something because I was shaky from hunger. (I had eaten plenty already, but the climb took it out of me.)

When I got to the top I enjoyed a nice, cold RC Cola (the store didn't carry Coke) to celebrate my successful climb.

Despite my early start, I didn't have my best of mornings in terms of distance. However, I was able to do 15 miles by lunch, which was good.

I was so tired from the morning's climb and the heat that I was pretty sluggish this afternoon. Even after all my ascending, there were two more big (relative term) climbs that I had to do to get to the campsite where I wanted to stay for the night. My estimate is that I logged somewhere between 7000 and 8000 vertical feet today. I big day is usually 4000 vertical feet. So you probably won't be shocked to read that I'm having trouble staying awake enough to type this.

The great news is that I'm only 8.8 miles away from Oregon!

(Sort of) Distant Oregon Mountains

This is the view from my campsite on Monday, August 18. This should be (knock on wood) my last night camping in California. Appropriately, my view looks north into Oregon. I'm only 8.8 trail miles away at this point.

View from Above

This is the view that I had of Seiad Valley on the morning of Monday, August 18, during my monumental climb. At this particular point, I'm about 3500' above the town.

Day 104

(Originally written on Sunday, August 16)

I began the day at Buckhorn Spring just a few minutes walk away from the goatherders. The whole situation the night before had a creepy feeling to it so I was very happy to get up!

If today's hike were a book or movie, it would be entitled, "The Eternal Descent." I immediately began losing elevation, which I knew would happen, from literally the first step I took. All told, I lost more than 5000' of net elevation since Seiad Valley is under 1400'. My knees are happy this is behind me!

But I can't get too excited because tomorrow I get to reap what I sowed today. In the first 8 miles of the day, I gain about 4500' of elevation back. I'm happy about getting back to elevation because it is quite hot down here, but the climb is a bit ridiculous. After tomorrow's climb, my next serious climb will be as I'm leaving the Columbia River in Washington. To handle the crazy climb tomorrow morning, I'm planning to leave super early. Hopefully I'll be hiking by 5. Considering it is already after 10 pm, we'll see how that goes.

Oregon the day after tomorrow!

Seiad Valley

This was the view that greeted me upon my arrival to Seiad Valley--a small, but friendly town--on Sunday, August 16. Seiad Valley will be my last town stop in California.

Day 103

(Originally written on Saturday, August 15)

You can file this blog entry under the "Weirdest Encounters on the PCT" folder.

Today was an unremarkable day, until the very end. I was on the trail by 7:15 which was a little later than I had hoped. My plan was to get a big chunk of the miles between me and Seiad Valley taken care of today so that I could get to town and resupply yet tomorrow evening. So once I got going, I was making some good progress, even after making small talk with a few hunters along the way. Bowhunting season for deer opened today. Good thing I'm wearing a bright orange shirt!

The terrain wasn't bad either. There were a couple of steep sections, but nothing like the past few days, which I am thankful for. So as I get to the end of my 28-mile day, I'm planning to camp at Buckhorn Spring. It is the highest point before the trail starts to descend in earnest to Seiad Valley, and it has water. I'm expecting it any second when I come around a corner and startle a herd of goats. Domesticated goats. I thought it so strange that I took a picture before proceeding. A few seconds later, I hear a baby crying. Keep in mind that I am out in the middle of nowhere. The only way out of here is 20 miles on foot. When I come around the next corner, there is a man, a woman holding the crying baby, a dog, and more goats. They were literally goatherders! I didn't know they even existed anymore! The whole situation was bizarre and far from normal that I had a hard time keeping a straight face. They were really nice and offered me some fresh milk. I politely declined, filled my water bottles, and continued down the trail to the next available campsite. Total weirdness.

So Close...

...yet so far. This shot taken on Saturday, August 15, is northward toward Oregon. Supposedly I'll be able to see Oregon mountains as early as tomorrow morning from Buckhorn Mountain. I've still got about 60 miles to go to get there, however.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Adios, 7000'!

In California, anyway. This is the view on Saturday, August 15, from the last point on the PCT in California that had me hiking over 7000'. Mt Shasta is the large, snow-capped mountain off in the distance.

Day 102

(Originally written Friday, August 14)

This has got to be some kind of record. I am in bed and writing my trail update for the day--the last thing I do before going to sleep--and it is not even 9 pm or dark yet. The terrain continues to be steep with the trail scaling the side of each successive mountain. This means that good campsites are few and far between. In circumstances like this, if you push on when for another half hour for the next good site, you could end up getting a whole lot more trail than you bargained for and hiking by headlamp. Not fun. So the sun was getting low and I came across a couple of great flat spots on a ridge and I decided to claim one even though I would have liked to get another mile or so in. As it stands, I did about 8 after leaving Etna this afternoon.

Speaking of Etna, it was extremely difficult to leave town today. Not because Etna is such a wonderful place, which it is, but because Mom and Dad were here and they totally went out of their way to hook me up with all the comforts of home. It was incredible and meant a lot to me.

The day began with homemade biscuits and gravy (my favorite) that Mom had packed just for me, then I had a cinnamon roll made by my sister, and a calorie-packed mocha from the corner coffee shop, among other things. Obviously my parents had heard about my legendary appetite and were prepared! There was no way I could eat all the food they brought. After breakfast, I got laundry done and continued the process of picking my pack apart in search of extra weight I could get rid of. My last segment from Dunsmuir to Etna had me carrying far too much food and I didn't want a repeat of that. I had so much food out of Dunsmuir, in fact, that I only had to buy a couple items in Etna! It was ridiculous and my body was feeling it. Anyway, after shaving a couple pounds off my pack, I took another hot shower and ate some more food. It was pretty fantastic. Eventually we headed back to the trail after I caught up on some emails, updated my website as much as I could, made my necessary phone calls, and stopped at the post office.

When we got to the trailhead, I think it was pretty obvious that I didn't want to get back on the PCT. My feet still hurt and the time with Mom and Dad was just so good. Needless to say, it was a tough goodbye, even though I'll see them in about 3 weeks when I'm passing through Oregon. Thanks for everything, Mom and Dad!

Now comes the last few days in California, which I've been looking forward to for literally months! I've got about 48 miles to Seiad Valley, the majority of which I'm hoping to do tomorrow (maybe 30). My goal is to get to Seiad Valley early enough the day after tomorrow (Sunday), that I can get my resupply done that evening and head out first thing on Monday. This is important because one of the most difficult climbs (in both gradient and length) awaits me and it is essential to tackle it early in the morning to avoid the heat. Assuming I am able to do that, then it is a pretty safe bet I'll be in Oregon on Tuesday. If not, then a day later. But at this point in the hike, when other hikers are openly beginning to be concerned about making it to Canada before the snow, every single day matters.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Day 101

I woke up this morning to a stiff, cold breeze blowing and it was everything I could do to get myself out of my sleeping bag and going on the trail. It's a good thing I was meeting my parents tonight at Etna Summit, otherwise I may have taken hours to get up.

The terrain today began like yesterday ended--tough. On elevation profile maps, it looked relatively level, but the trail had hundreds of little drops and climbs that added up over the day. Worse still was that they were usually VERY steep. The steeper the terrain, the sorer the feet!

Eventually I did make it to Etna Summit around 5:50 pm after 23.3 miles. Two mileage points worth mentioning are Mile 1600, which I passed in the afternoon. Also, since I ended the day at 1606, I now have fewer than 100 miles left in California. This I am extremely excited about! Even though it is only a name, I'm hoping to get a psychological boost from getting into Oregon. It's crazy to think that nearly 2/3 of the trail is in one state.

So here I am in a motel in Etna with Mom and Dad. We actually all got to the trailhead at about the same time, but through a comedy of errors, we didn't see each other for nearly 30 minutes. Thanks to a big mound of rocks, I suppose. But all's well that ends well and I am a happy hiker tonight after eating mounds of homemade food!

Tomorrow should be an easy day. Not sure whether I'll get back on the trail or not. It just kind of depends on how the day unfolds.

Day 100

(Originally written on Wednesday, August 12)

Occasionally on sports broadcasts you'll hear the term "tale of two halves". (Yes I'm aware that it does not have its origin in sports lexicon.)

Well, today was a day of two halves, or hikes. The morning was perfect--flat or with a gentle descent, smooth trail, and cool weather, of course. The afternoon and evening was...well...the opposite.

In order to get to the rendezvous point by 6 pm tomorrow to meet my parents, I needed a big, 30-mile day. So I was planning to do 15 miles in the morning, and 15 more after lunch. I was on the trail by 6 am and had reached the 15-mile mark by 11:10 am. Very fast by my standards! I hadn't stocked up with water because the campground where I was going to have lunch had some...or so I thought. It didn't, but some people camping there did and gave me some. And I definitely needed it because the next water was five miles away! Thanks Ray and Carolyn. I ended up actually eating my lunch there with them and visiting. It was quite nice and before I knew it, it was already 1:30. The afternoon hike was hot, dry, dusty, and was mostly uphill with rocky terrain. It was the complete opposite of earlier. But I managed to perservere, and when I got to the place where I was hoping to camp, I discovered the terrain was too steep, so I pressed on another mile. So for Day 100 on the trail, I celebrated by hiking 31 miles. I'm a wild and crazy guy!

Day 99

(Originally written Tuesday, August 11)

Nothing too exciting to report for today. I was locked in on getting my 27 miles done so that I'd be back on pace for getting to Etna Summit at 6 pm on Thursday to meet my parents. So I was up relatively early considering how tough the day before had been and was on the trail by 7 am. I'm glad it wasn't any later! The weather was warm from the beginning, even at 6300'. Additionally, the first 15 miles of the day was a continued gradual climb up to 7600'+. I stopped for lunch just after the high point and nearly fell asleep on the trail. For the rest of the day, the trail was mostly a gentle descent, which is rare, so I was grateful. I'm still over 6000', in fact.

Tomorrow is a big day, however. I'm hoping to crank out 30 miles so that I'll only have 25 the following day when I meet my parents. So I'm really going to try to be on the trail before the sun rises so I've got a few quality miles in before it gets hot.

Sorry this isn't very informative, but I'm already tired and I've got a long day ahead of me.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Days 96-98

The last few days have been a whirlwind. I was close to Dunsmuir on Friday, but not close enough to make it to the post office before they close. And they aren't open on Saturdays. So I was more or less stuck for a couple days until I could get my resupply box. In all honesty, however, as much as I want to get to Oregon, the zero day yesterday was probably good for me. I think it was the first one for me since Tahoe!

So, my buddy Matt who works in Sacramento picked me up in Dunsmuir and we proceeded to his family's cattle ranch in Tulelake. It was so close to Oregon the road to get there WAS the stateline--Oregon on one side, California on the other. Must mean I'm getting close to Oregon...woohoo!

After showering and doing laundry, we had a bbq and I've never eaten so much red meat in such a short span in my life! It was delicious. The fresh peach pie topped things off--I had two slices...mmm. Yesterday we drove around the property and then went to a bbq fundraiser for the local fire department. The whole experience reminded me of home in Oregon but on a slightly smaller scale. Regardless, the food was second to none, and the hospitality was even better!

This morning Matt and I left Tulelake at 5 am so that Matt would be able to get back to Sacramento in time for work. He dropped me off in Dunsmuir where I was able to grab breakfast before picking up my box at the post office. While eating breakfast, one of the locals asked me about my trip and I got a free ride back to the trail out of it! (Thanks Wendy!) So after catching on a few phone calls, I was hitting the trail by 10:30 this morning. Since I've got 100 miles to do in four days, I wanted to knock out 20 today. I ended up hiking 18 and I was very content with that considering the conditions: steep uphill, full pack, and HOT temperatures. The locals were saying it was supposed to get up to 100 in Dunsmuir today. Thankfully it didn't get that hot, but it was still rather toasty. I gained about 4000' of elevation and now am camped west of Castle Crags with an unobstructed view of both the crags and Mt Shasta. It is beautiful and much appreciated after the substantial climb!

Tomorrow I need to do about 27 miles to get back on track with what I wanted to do this week. I'm trying to do the 100 miles in four days because I'm meeting my parents in Etna for dinner and probably breakfast. Also I just want to be out of California and big mileage days are definitely helpful in achieving that!

Castle Crags

Here are the rock formations known as Castle Crags just south of Mt Shasta and very close to Interstate 5. This is the view from the west, which is behind the crags as you are on the freeway. Most people don't get to see them from this side, because it is a LOT of work to get up here. This particular view is not much different than the view that I have from where I'm camped tonight, August 10.

Castle Crags Wilderness

I'm just passing into the Castle Crags Wilderness now. I'm approaching one of the four largest climbs left for me on the trail. I'm around 2500' now and hopefully will be over 6500' by the end of the day.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Day 95

(Originally written Friday, August 7)

My bed felt so good this morning that it was harder than usual to get up. It seems to be more difficult each passing day. By the time I actually got on the trail it was 9 am. I couldn't believe it.

The trail wasn't that exciting or unique today. The terrain reminded me a lot of Southern California, actually. Lots of gullies and small canyons with the trail snaking through each one of them--slowly gaining or losing elevation in the process. There were two significant climbs today--the first about 1000' over a few miles and the second was 2000' over 7.5 miles. Both of them were actually kind of nice, believe it or not. The day was going very well right up until the very end. I knew the trail was going to have a long, drawn-out switchback, but this one was the Mother of all Switchbacks. If it were a movie, it would be a horror flick called Switchback: The Trail that didn't Switch. It felt like I was back on Fuller Ridge (my least favorite section of the trail) in SoCal. That part of the trail had neverending switchbacks that were both worthless and a pain. This one came close to matching it. Still, it was a good hike today despite my impatience.

Tomorrow I only have five miles to Interstate 5. It's weird to think I could head north and be at my parents' house 5-6 hours. But no, I'll be taking a longer, slower, and more indirect route.

Mt Shasta

This was taken from Girard Ridge Road this afternoon, Friday, August 7. I came around a corner and it was right in front of me. I didn't know it was that close because it had been obscured the entire day before due to fog.

Day 94

(Originally written Thursday, August 6)

This entry will be brief because I am low on battery power and I need to stretch it one more day yet.

By now you all know how tired I can get by the end of a day of hiking. I'm wiped out by exhausted hiker standards! Tonight I can barely keep my eyelids open. I felt great this morning after the best night of sleep I've had on the trail. I only woke up once and it was because the wind had started blowing smoke onto me again. I was on the trail by 7:30 and had flashbacks of the San Gabriels all morning. You know, the place where I got stuck in fog for days. It wasn't as bad this time, but I was still worried. It broke by mid-afternoon and the cool air must have really helped the firefighting effort because I didn't see any smoke today, unless it was blending with the marine air that was overhead.

I cruised on the trail and knocked out 26 miles or so. I felt good but it was more than I was expecting to do. The reason I did so much was because the air was so cool and refreshing--perfect for hiking! Tomorrow I'll do at least 20 and then the balance on Saturday.

Grizzly Peak View

This photo was taken toward the east in the early afternoon of Thursday, August 6, beneath Grizzly Peak. It was really the first time I had seen the sun that day.

Day 93

(Originally written Wednesday, August 5)

I wanted to get an early jump on the day this morning because of the lingering fires around here. The more distance I could get in during the cool of the morning, the better. So I was up and walking out of camp a few minutes after 6. I didn't get started on the trail, however, until closer to 7 because our campsite was nearly on the opposite end of the park.

The air was still thick with smoke but not as bad as last night. Nevertheless, it still irritated my eyes and throat. It didn't take long for me to get out of the state park area and then over a ridge which did wonders to alleviate the smoke issue! I was cruising along with my eyes focused on a short day consisting of 20 miles. (The post office in Dunsmuir isn't open on Saturdays and there is no way I'm covering 82 miles before the PO closes on Friday. So I may as well take it easy, right?) I was about 3.5 miles away from where I was planning to camp when the wind shifted and started blowing the smoke from the fire directly overhead. It wasn't a threat in any way except that it just convinced me that perhaps some extra miles between me and the fire was a good idea. So I kept chugging along for another 5 miles beyond my goal. So the good news is that I've taken care of a few extra miles. The bad news is that my feet are already sore again. Other good news is that now I've only got about 57 miles to do over 3 days.

The weather now is calm, but it was windy not long ago and another hiker said he saw lightening a ways off. Hopefully all the bad weather steers clear!

Mt Shasta Redux

And here is the same Mt Shasta on the same day (August 5). This is the view from where I'm camping tonight. We've got the potential for some bad weather tonight so we'll see how that goes.

Mt Shasta

This is the view of Mt Shasta that I had while hiking on Wednesday, August 5. You can barely see it because it is so shrouded in smoke.

Burney Mileage Sign

This sign greeted me upon my departure from the Burney Falls State Park this morning, Wednesday, August 5. Since I had to skip about 45 miles of the trail due to a forest fire in the Old Station area, I feel like there should be an asterisk beside all my mileage markers.

Day 92

(Originally written on Tuesday, August 4)

I'm 40 miles farther up the trail today even though I didn't hike one step.

We (about 12 hikers) woke up in Old Station at the Heitman's to a forest fire that was ongoing. It hadn't gotten noticeably larger, but it hadn't gotten smaller either. Most everyone decided that it was time to get out of town and head up the trail. So after a failed attempt at hitchhiking, nine of us--with our gear--piled into the Heitman's minivan and traveled to Redding where we were dropped off at the bus depot.

I had been posting updates earlier on Facebook trying to figure out a way to get up to Burney and around the fire. Some great friends of mine started making calls on my behalf and I ended up getting a ride from a lady who was driving exactly by where I needed to go! So before I even really finished lunch, my ride arrived and I was on my way!

When I got to Burney Falls State Park, the air was cloudy with smoke and the sunlight was partially obscured. The resupply and bounce boxes I had here I forwarded along to my parents in Oregon and I'll just worry about them later. In the meantime, I used the camp store to resupply and it was so expensive I was wondering if I had done the right thing by bouncing my food box back home even though it was way too much food.

Tonight I'm camped with about 15 hikers and most of us are leaving tomorrow. I was able to get all my resupplying done this evening before stuff closed so I'm planning to hit the trail early in the morning. I'd like to get as much distance between me and the fire so that I don't have to worry about smoke issues. I'd also just like to get as much distance in during the cooler hours of the day.

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do about this 40-mile section. I want to get it finished before I leave California, but that may not be possible.

On Standby

When I left the Heitman's for Redding this morning, Tuesday, August 4, the local fire trucks were on standby in case the fire threatened the local neighborhoods.

Another Fire View

This shot was taken on Monday, August 3, at the home of the Heitman's. As you can see, the fire was not very far away. I wish I had a photo of how this looked at night, because you could see the flames. It was very eery. It's also worth mentioning that there was a field between us and the fire that had been flooded as protection for the property.

Day 91 - Old Station

(Originally written on Monday, August 3)

Of all the days on the trail so far, this one has shaped up to be the most bizarre. Nothing about it was normal.

For starters, I got up and took a dip in the hot spring-fed pool, which was amazing considering it was unseasonably cold this morning. After lounging in the pool for about 15 minutes, I got out, dressed, and then had a hot breakfast--also not normal on the trail. Then I hiked 23 miles or so on mostly flat terrain. That was definitely NOT normal (the flat terrain part)!

As I was hiking, there seemed to be a few forest fires popping up around me. First it was one across a lake from me, then it was the smell of smoke followed by seeing smoke waft behind me near the trail. Finally, I could see smoke billowing up directly in front of me but several miles away. As I got closer to Old Station, it became apparent that it was very likely going to affect my path. Between the trees, I could see a huge number of air tankers flying around the fire so knew it was a pretty serious deal. I was near the end of a spread-out group of six hikers, and by the time I got there, most of the town had been shut down due to a recommended evacuation. Fortunately, we weren't in any kind of imminent danger. The local trail angels were kind enough to give us a ride to their home where we are staying tonight but our next move is unclear. In all likelihood, we'll be forced to skip the next 40 miles or so and start again in Burney. But there is another fire in the Castella area which is only four days beyond Burney, so that may not be the best plan either. I guess we'll just figure it out as more information becomes available.

In other news, today, August 3, is the four-year anniversary of my first day of radiation and chemotherapy. Hardly seems possible.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Day 90 - Drakesbad

Some days on the trail are just so good that you can barely believe that it all happened. I'm happy to report that today was one of those days. For starters, I started out with a big cinnamon roll for breakfast. Then we (Todd, Travis, D-Wreck, BooBoo and I) headed back to the trail courtesy of Magic Man before he headed back up to Washington. At the trailhead we were trying to get motivated to get going when Bert showed up. He's a hiker from Belgium who left Campo on June 11! That means he got on the trail over a month after I did! Soon after he arrived, we hit the trail...finally. Thankfully, the terrain was flat, so it was easy on my feet and allowed us to get back into rhythm...or at least it allowed me to!

I had heard that the owners of the Drakesbad Ranch were super hiker-friendly so was planning to get there for the night, as was everyone else in the group. After 18 or so miles, which has become an easy day, we arrived and were not disappointed!

First, we were directed down to the pool house where we could shower before taking a dip in the pool which was warmed to 97 degrees by a natural hot spring. Then we headed up to the lodge for dinner at 6:30. Pork loin, saffron rice, caramelized apples, endless salad, endless bread, and candied carrots were heaped in front of us! The chef even cooked up an extra rack of lamb for us that he had on hand! Then that was followed by strawberry shortcake and coffee. Then we went back to the pool and soaked for another hour or so. Oh, I forgot to mention that all of this (except food, which is 50% off) was free.

Tomorrow the plan is to get up, pack, hit the pool for another soak, and be ready for breakfast by 7:30. After breakfast we've got a steep climb and then it is more-or-less level or downhill the rest of the day into Old Station, 23.5 miles away. There, the Heitmans are the local trail angels and are already expecting us.

This section of the trail has positively been a pleasant surprise thus far!

Day 90 - Drakesbad

Some days on the trail are just so good that you can barely believe that it all happened. I'm happy to report that today was one of those days. For starters, I started out with a big cinnamon roll for breakfast. Then we (Todd, Travis, D-Wreck, BooBoo and I) headed back to the trail courtesy of Magic Man before he headed back up to Washington. At the trailhead we were trying to get motivated to get going when Bert showed up. He's a hiker from Belgium who left Campo on June 11! That means he got on the trail over a month after I did! Soon after he arrived, we hit the trail...finally. Thankfully, the terrain was flat, so it was easy on my feet and allowed us to get back into rhythm...or at least it allowed me to!

I had heard that the owners of the Drakesbad Ranch were super hiker-friendly so was planning to get there for the night, as was everyone else in the group. After 18 or so miles, which has become an easy day, we arrived and were not disappointed!

First, we were directed down to the pool house where we could shower before taking a dip in the pool which was warmed to 97 degrees by a natural hot spring. Then we headed up to the lodge for dinner at 6:30. Pork loin, saffron rice, caramelized apples, endless salad, endless bread, and candied carrots were heaped in front of us! The chef even cooked up an extra rack of lamb for us that he had on hand! Then that was followed by strawberry shortcake and coffee. Then we went back to the pool and soaked for another hour or so. Oh, I forgot to mention that all of this (except food, which is 50% off) was free.

Tomorrow the plan is to get up, pack, hit the pool for another soak, and be ready for breakfast by 7:30. After breakfast we've got a steep climb and then it is more-or-less level or downhill the rest of the day into Old Station, 23.5 miles away. There, the Heitmans are the local trail angels and are already expecting us.

This section of the trail has positively been a pleasant surprise thus far!

Boiling Springs Lake

In Northern California, the terrain is more volcanic in nature. You can see signs of geothermal activity in some places. At Boiling Springs Lake, seen here near the end of a 19-mile day on Sunday, August 2, the water was literally boiling in some places. Oh, and it smelled terrible.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Old Station Fire

This photo is not in chronological order. This is the view from where I am now in Old Station. There is a forest fire burning not far from here and that is the smoke you see in the photo. We are not in any danger at this time, but we may yet be told to evacuate. We are with a local trail angel at the moment so we're in good hands!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Another Look at Mt. Lassen

Just took this on Sunday morning, August 2. I'm about 8 miles away from Lassen National Park.

Caloric Intake!

This was easily the best cinnamon roll I've had on the trail. It was at Kopper Kettle in Chester. The food there was great but the service was not.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Day 89 - Chester

I did very little hiking today which is just fine with my feet! They are loving the easy day they had! I slept in until about 7 this morning because I was so exhausted from the big push to halfway that I didn't even set my alarm. I still was up and on the trail before 8, however, and was even able to call my parents and chat with them while I hiked to Highway 36!

Since it was only 3.7 miles, I got there pretty quickly--around 9:15 I think...maybe later. Chester is about 8 miles east of the trail so I went to work trying to hitch a ride. About 30 minutes went by before a guy by the name of Drake picked me up. Great guy and was super stoked for me, my adventure, and my fundraising effort. He even gave me money for breakfast! Thanks Drake, and God bless!

At the diner I bumped into two other hikers--Travis and Big John. Big John was leaving today but Travis was staying which meant he was looking for someone to split the motel room with him. It worked out well. So after eating, doing some laundry, and resupplying, I ate some more. This time with Travis, Double Barrel, Frank, D-Wreck, BooBoo, and BooBoo's dad Magic Man. We ate at the Kopper Kettle and celebrated our achievement of reaching the halfway mark. It was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow I'm headed back to the trail rather early (7ish) with Travis, courtesy of Magic Man. It will probably not be a very big day for me. In fact, I'll likely only do two 20-mile days between here and Old Station.

Also, in case you are just looking at this latest post, I've also updated the last 10 days of my trip on my blog so be sure to read on!

Day 88 - HALFWAY!!!

As of 8:43 pm this evening, Friday, July 31, I am officially closer to Canada than I am to Mexico! I can't express how excited I am to be on the downhill side, so to speak. It has definitely been a long time coming. There's a lot of work left to do, but the most physically demanding sections have been completed. From what I hear, three months for the first half and two months for the second half is not uncommon, but still a challenge. At this point, I don't really care! I'm just glad I made it to the halfway mark before the end of July! (I can't believe tomorrow is August.)

It is especially gratifying for me to be here because a while back I had thought that I could get here before the end of the month...and voila! But it wasn't easy and I have the sore feet and fatigue to prove it. For starters, I left Belden yesterday at about 6:30 pm and hiked until midnight (12 miles). Then this morning I was up at 6 and hiking by 6:45. I knew I wouldn't be able to waste time if I wanted to get to Soldier Creek (the halfway mark) by the end of the day. So aside from just a couple of snack breaks, I didn't really take any time off. When I got to the creek, I had logged another 30-mile day. Now that I'm halfway, I think I'm going to need to cut down the big mile days a bit. What I'm doing now is just unsustainable for me. In fact, the bottoms of my feet are so sore that I'll likely just hike the remaining 3.7 miles tomorrow to Highway 36 and hitchhike 8 miles into Chester to resupply and take the rest of the day off.

My sore feet issue is getting increasingly frustrating for me. I don't think I should still be battling blisters at this point. And I'm hoping that perhaps it is nothing more than too many miles. Only way to find out though! The blisters on the sides of my heels flared up again and that caused me to avoid putting as much weight on the backs of my feet, which then overburdens the balls of my feet, which is how they get sore. They didn't get bad until the second half of today and I probably should have stopped earlier, but like I said, I wanted to get here in July. Mission accomplished!

So after making camp, I celebrated by drinking the can of Coca-Cola that I had packed all the way from Belden. I had let it cool in the cold creek and so it was perfect for the occasion!

On a side note, the trail went nearly to the top of Butt Mountain today. So I guess you could say that I kicked some Butt Mountain today...ha!

Clean as a Whistle

That's what my feet looked like after 30 miles of dusty terrain on Friday, July 31. Luckily, there was a creek close to where I camped so I was able to clean up moderately. I hope it didn't kill any fish!

Monument Closeup

Taken the evening of Friday, July 31.

Halfway?

This marker seen on Friday, July 31, indicates the halfway point on the PCT...in the 1980s. Etched on the side it reads, "PCT Midpoint"

The only problem is that the trail isn't 1,650 miles. It's 1,664 miles, which means that the marker is about six or seven miles south of where it should be. The real midway point is near Soldier Creek.

Unexpected Visitor

This was at the Carter Meadow Trail junction about 10 miles before the PCT Halfway point on Friday, July 31. I had left my pack at the top of the hill while I went down to get more water for my last push of the day. I got back and found this doe about five feet from my pack (thankfully not IN my pack!). She didn't seem to be too concerned by my presence until I approached my pack.

Mt. Lassen

Here is a photo of Mt. Lassen off in the distance. I took this while I was grabbing a quick break during my long haul on Friday, July 31.

Day 87

(Originally written on Wednesday, July 30)

Technically, it is July 31 at 12:41 am. I just crawled into my sleeping bag after some night hiking by headlamp. While it has its own beauty with the moonlight, I prefer to hike during the day. My reason is simple: Better light means fewer stubbed toes! But today I really had few options. The temperature in Belden was 96 today, which wouldn't be so bad on its own, but the first six miles out of Belden were virtually shadeless, and the first 13 are all uphill. I'm close to the end of the initial climb, and the remaining portion will be tackled in the morning.

So since it is past midnight and I need to hike about 30 miles tomorrow to reach my goal of halfway by the end of July, this entry will be short.

First, I really miss regular access to supermarkets. Sometimes I have good small store experiences, but today was not one of those days. I struggled to find enough food for a two-day resupply. It was pathetic. On the bright side, I'm only carrying two days worth of food! Also, I got a great breakfast this morning at Caribou Crossing just down the road from where I stayed at the Braatens.

So tomorrow it will be another long day, which is a bummer. But at the end of it, I should be able to say that I'm closer to Canada than Mexico, which would be pretty awesome. I will definitely need to take a zero day soon though because my body needs it! That'll happen either the day after tomorrow in Chester or after three more days of hiking in Old Station.

Day 86 - Belden

The two longest sections of the Pacific Crest Trail--Southern and Central California--are now in the books for me. I rolled into Belden, the end of Central California for northbounders (nobos), at about 6:30 this evening. I'm happy to be here, but the feeling of accomplishment that I had on finishing SoCal isn't quite the same for Central Cal. It's not because I don't appreciate the huge challenges overcome. Instead, I feel like I SHOULD be done with it. Kind of like, "I've done this before and I knew I could do it again"-type thought, if that makes sense. I think another reason why I'm not as excited as before is because the halfway point for the entire trail is only 42 miles away. Now THAT is something that I'm excited for!

I'm just hoping that my body, and feet especially, can handle the pace. Tonight I noticed that I developed and rubbed off without even knowing it, two new blisters. One sizeable one on each heel. I just can't seem to figure out how to make these suckers go away for good! Of course, the fact that I've been putting in heavy mileage may have something to do with it. I'm hoping to still make it to the halfway point on July 31 (42 more miles), but honestly I'm not sure I'll be able to do it without my feet cooperating. Regardless, I'm going to try anyway. I've come too far not to. If I can put in at least 12 miles tomorrow, I should be able to do it.

I had a new experience today: measureable precipitation. I got about six miles away from Belden and walked right into a thunderstorm I had been skirting for the previous five miles. I put the rain cover on my pack but I didn't care if I got wet because A) it was really hot, and B) I was going to be sleeping under a roof at the Braatens' (local trail angels). The raindrops were literally the largest I've ever seen. When they hit a surface, they splattered into a size of a silver dollar. They were also large enough that they looked like hailstones. But I wasn't complaining because it was really hot and it helped cool things down.

Tomorrow it is off to resupply for two more days on the trail to Chester. I may take a day there to celebrate my halfway point but I haven't decided yet for sure. Then in the late afternoon when the oppressive heat has died down, I'll be back on the trail, trying to get my 12 miles in before the final push to halfway. I just wish my fundraising was this far along too!

Welcome to Belden

In addition to a number of signs saying "NO TRESPASSING!" and "KEEP OUT!" there was this one, which I found rather funny, upon my arrival in Belden the evening of Wednesday, July 29.

Day 85

(Originally written on Tuesday, July 28)

Today was yet another day that was heavy on the miles in an effort to get to Belden by tomorrow (Wednesday, July 29) night. So when the dust had settled--and it was a lot of dust on the trail today--I had hiked another 30-mile day. That makes three 30-mile days in the last four days. This is sort of what I had envisioned as being part of the post-High Sierra plan for me. I say sort of because I had imagined that I may not be as sore as I am. But I think my body is still adjusting. We shall see.

The first 16 miles today were fantastic. There was some uphill, but mostly just to get to the next downhill section. The trail was dropping way down to 2900' to cross the Middle Fork of the Feather River. This is the lowest (and hottest) I've been since very early on the trail. Since I had gotten on the trail by around 6, I knew I was well-positioned to put in some good miles early. So when I arrived at the river, it was exactly noon.

The weather was warm enough that I decided to go for a swim--both to clean myself up and to cool off. I ended up taking a 2.5 hour break because I was procrastinating on the afternoon portion of the hike. Whereas the morning was mostly downhill, the afternoon was ALL uphill. It went from under 3000' to over 5000' in about five miles or so.

I didn't feel like carrying much water so at every water source I was drinking 1-2 liters. I think I drank nearly 8-10 liters throughout the day because it was so hot. By the time I stopped for my last liter, my pants were absolutely soaked. I hadn't been that sweaty since the desert!

But when I got to the top of the climb, there was an unexpected surprise. Along the trail was a sign advertising a free place to stay with a local trail angel. Even better, it was precisely at the point on the trail where I was planning to camp! So a shower, cold drinks, hot lasagna, s'mores, and a soft bed later and I'm a happy man! Thanks Nancy and Terry!

Tomorrow it is 24 miles to Belden and hopefully another shower. All of a sudden, I'm getting WAY too clean to be a thru-hiker!

Swimming Hole Lunch Spot

This is the view from the bridge of where I ate lunch and went swimming on Tuesday, July 28, to cool off during the hottest weather I've had since the desert.

Middle Fork Feather River Bridge

Supposedly, this is the largest equestrian bridge on the trail. It spans the Middle Fork of the Feather River about 40 trail miles away from Belden, the end of the Central California section of the PCT. I had lunch underneath the bridge on Tuesday, July 28.

Day 84

Today was another very long, yet productive, day. When I finally stopped tonight, the sun had just gone down and I had logged about 31 miles. At this point, I'm 55 miles shy of Belden, the official end of Central California (for the PCT, anyway), and around 95 miles short of the trail's midway point. After today and the way my body feels, I'm wondering how I'm going to hike another 55 miles in two days! But I keep thinking about a hot shower and a real bed in Belden courtesy of the local trail angels, and it is a motivating factor for sure!

Speaking of trail angels...Magic Man is my hero! He is BooBoo's dad and is here for a couple of weeks supporting her thru-hike effort. He's the guy who gave me a ride back to the trail after my time off in Lake Tahoe. I saw a PCT sticker on a truck's bumper and left a note and that's how I met Magic Man. Anyway, after slugging out my 31 miles today, I came to a road where I was planning to camp because water was nearby. When I came around the corner, there it was...Magic Man's blue ice chest! It was the best moment of the day for me. The ice cold Coca-Cola was the perfect thing for me! It was a real boost of the spirit after a very negative encounter earlier. I won't get into it except to say that all the reasons for why current thru-hikers around where I am now (and presumably myself included) won't make it to Canada was explained to me. I definitely could have done without that.

But the good news is still that Magic Man cam through for me!

Sierra Buttes Sunrise

...And here is the view I had of the sunrise on Monday, July 27, from atop my perch on Sierra Buttes.

Day 83

(Originally written on Sunday, July 26)

After yesterday's 30 miles, I was only 5 miles away from Sierra City, my next resupply until Belden, 92 miles away. I'm hoping to get to Belden in 3.5 days, which means high 20's for the next three days. If my feet keep going the way they have been, I should be able to do it. (Thank God for Superfeet insoles!)

Belden is significant because it is the end of Central California, the second longest section on the trail. Soon after reaching Belden--about 42 miles--I'll be halfway to Canada. That is a mile marker that I've really been looking forward to!

Anyway, after a slow five miles into Sierra City (the miles always drag on when you are going into a town), I enjoyed a nice breakfast of French toast with fresh strawberries. While at the cafe, I met up with three other hikers: Double Barrel, Frank, and Skywalker...haven't seen him since Big Bear. After breakfast I went down to the general store and resupplied my pack for the next four days. Mostly food, but some other stuff as well. I was hoping to get in a good 20+ mile day today to make my next few days a little easier. But as is the case all too often in town, it's tough to leave. So I stayed for lunch--thanks to BooBoo's dad for buying!

I finally got on the trail at about 3:30 with a massive climb in front of me. Sierra City lies at about 4500' and the trail was going to take me up over 7000' in seven miles. The rocky terrain made matters slower so that by 6:30, I was just reaching the high point for the day. Or I should say it would have been the high point if I hadn't elected to take a side trip. An old jeep road up to the Sierra Buttes Lookout was at the top of the climb. I had heard about the unobstructed 360 degree views from up there, so I decided to head on up despite my tight schedule. The climb was steep--very steep--but was worth it! The views have been breathtaking because you can see for very long distances in all directions. I liked it so much, in fact, that I decided to make camp up here tonight. So I'm sleeping on a catwalk (fully protected by chain link fence) and enjoying the star-filled sky.

Tomorrow morning I'm planning to be up and ready to go before sunrise, watch the sun come up, then get on the trail and hopefully log a bunch of miles. It'd be great to get a good jump on getting to Belden!