Day 82 Etna

Day 82

August 10th

4.5 miles

Etna via PCT mile 1566.5

A Nero for me today...I had an easy 4.5 miles downhill to Highway 3, where we'd catch a ride into the town of Etna. I left Buffalo a note yesterday on the trail saying I'd wait for him at the trailhead so I had a leisurely morning packing up and heading down to the highway. I got there around 10am and figuring I'd be there for a few hours until he got there. So I laid out my sleeping pad and got comfy doing some reading and writing.

A day hiker came by offered me a 7up and some snacks and offered us a ride to town if we still needed a ride when she was done hiking.

Then a girl trail running came by and said she was camping down the road and  she needed to go to town sometime today and offered a ride when we were ready.

2 ride offers in less than 30 minutes without even asking, must be a good day. 

About 1pm I was about to give up on Buffalo and head to town, I wrote him another note and was getting myself together when a red pickup truck with mountain bikes pulled up, two guys around my age hopped out and yelled out, "you Happy Feet?" Ends up they were camping at a lake I passed yesterday and were doing some trail magic. One of them Unload, was a PCT alum from 2011. Anyways Buffalo and some other thru-hikers had camped with them last night. They said Buffalo was up early and should be here any minute and offered us a ride to town. Sure enough not 20 minutes later Buffalo had arrived. Not only did Unload and his friend offer Buffalo and I a ride to Etna, he also insisted on taking us to the brewery in town and buying us lunch.

My dessert for lunch...homemade lemon cooler cookie ice cream sundae.

We then found The Hikers' Hut an awesome place to regroup. By the end of the evening we had at least 10 hikers that had come in off the trail between yesterday and today. We are now the Caboose Crew the ones that did not skip up to Ashland sweeping the PCT northbound through the fires.

Hikers' Hut

Some of the Caboose Crew at Etna Brewery (in order left to right Will, Lionheart, Happy Feet, Guy on the Buffalo, Goosebumps, and Giggles)

Dessert #2 of the day