Day 85...Another Fire Closure !?!?!

Day 85

August 13th

10.5 miles

PCT mile 1672.5

The four of us (Guy On A Buffalo, Adam, Hornsby and myself) that were cowboy camping in Ed's fluffy green grass, had a rude awakening at 4:30am. Rain! As we were half asleep scrambling to keep our down bags dry and rummage through our packs for our shelters. Ed, the saint that he is, came out to make sure we were awake and aware that it was raining and helped us get out of the rain. He opened up his large work shed for us that had ample floor space to accommodate us.

With the morning rain we had a nice lazy morning, we really didn't get up till close to 9am. We joined Ed in his trailer for coffee and headed off to breakfast around 10:30am. Rumors were flying around the VERY small town that the Beaver Fire burning southwest of the trail had expanded and a section of the PCT was now closed. Buffalo had bought a road atlas back in Redding during our first fire closure drama, for exactly this reason. We sat down at breakfast and made an alternative route plan via backcountry dirt roads that would bring us north of the fire closure and drop us back down onto the PCT before it crossed the Oregon border. The four of us felt very strongly about crossing the California/Oregon border by foot via the PCT. 

As we were getting ready to head out, Gypsy, another thru-hiker came by to let us know that she just had gotten off the phone with Yreka fire officials and as of right now the trail is not closed. We were all happy and a bit relieved to hear this news, but knew this could change at any point.

Planning a reroute.

We had a brutal 10 mile 5000ft climb out of town, and of course we left during the heat of the afternoon in what seemed to be 100% humidity. We were all just dripping sweat down our faces and our clothes were soaked. But by the time we got to camp the temperature dropped what seemed like 30 degrees and the wind picked up making all of us a bit chilly...the sky was dark and we were anticipating another possible night of rain ahead of us. Unlike last night, we all set up our tents and rainflys hoping to stay dry and warm. We're hoping for a smooth day tomorrow, 26.5 miles to the border. If the PCT remains open we will be having quite the celebration this time tonight at the border.

Hornsby, Buffalo, and Ed, outside Seiad Valley Store

Day 84 "See Ya'll In Seiad Valley"

Day 84

August 12th

29 miles

Seiad Valley (PCT mile 1662)

All seven of us were up by 7:30, some of us drinking our morning coffee, others packing up camp. Hornsby was the first to leave camp, all stealth like, suddenly he was gone not a peep. Buffalo took off shortly after "See ya'll in Seiad Valley" he said as he took off. Seiad Valley it is then.

I was the third to leave camp, shortly after 8am. We had another 2+ miles of climbing to get to the PCT. Happily, I reached my home where the Kelsey Trail intersected the PCT at mile 1635. Always feels good to be back on the trail.

I had a fantastic day, my legs were fresh and felt great, and the terrain was soft and forgiving. Our day took us through the Marble Wilderness all the while dropping us from an elevation 6100ft to 1300ft. The last 6.4 miles were a road walk into Seiad Valley. The road was lined with blackberry bushes fresh for the picking.

Caught purple handed, PCT hiker found in blackberry bushes!

I made it to Seiad by 6:30pm. Man I killed it today!!! 29 miles in 10.5 hrs, complete with breaks. Buffalo was the only one that had made it in before me and I found him near the store at the picnic tables. I grabbed some snacks while we waited for the others.

As we were waiting a local named Ed came by in his pickup and invited us all to his place for the evening, he was happy to host us hikers and already had 3 hikers that came in earlier today. He just bought some fresh hamburger from a local farm and was grilling up burgers for all of us tonight.

In the end in was a grand BBQ PCT style. Ed's friend came in with his guitar and played live music and we all sat around, eating, listening to music and just being content with Ed's welcoming accommodations. Some very fine PCT magic to say the least. Good times never to be forgotten.

Day 83 Fire Reroute #2

Day 83

August 11th

6 miles

Somewhere on the Kelsey Trail, somewhere near the PCT

Coming into Etna we knew we had another active fire and detour ahead of us, due to the July, White and Coffee fires. Initially miles 1586-1606 of the PCT were closed, but that was then changed to miles 1566-1606 as the fires continued to burn.

PCT trail at mile 1566 (highway 3)

Then when Think Fast, Goosebumps, SpaceAge, Giggles and Zero tried to get out this morning to Etna Summit, the road was closed and local authorities would not let them through to get to the trailhead, yet we were told the PCT was still open.

After several hours of research and many phone calls later, we found out the the trail would be extending it's closure beyond mile 1606, but not with exact milage or numbers given. There were several side trails further north that we could access via backcountry roads that would intersect with the PCT past the fires and closures. Trail angel and PCT 2013 alum, Lionheart agreed to take us out to one of these trailheads to get back to the PCT. We all agreed to be ready to go at 3pm. By the time we rolled it was 4pm and we all piled into Lionhearts truck.

7 packs and the boys in the back

Hornsby, Adam, and Guy On A Buffalo

Once we were all packed in Hornsby made a desperate request for a burger stop at Dottys on our way out of town. 

Refueling one last time 

My ginormous 32oz chocolate peanut butter malt...a guarantee of 1200+ calories 

I was able to get these pictures outside Dottys of the fires and smoke:

Piled back into the truck we headed out and eventually found the Kelsey Trailhead that would follow the Kelsey Creek until it intersected the PCT near Paradise Lake.

The crew from left to right: Tin-tin, Smokey, Hornsby, Guy on a Buffalo, Adam, myself, and Will.

By the time we were hiking it was 6:45pm. We were hauling uphill to make fast miles hoping to get to the PCT tonight. Around 9pm and 6 miles in a nice flat spot was found and we called it a night, still over a mile by crow's fly to the PCT.

Day 81 LOVE

Day 81

August 9th

25 miles

PCT mile 1562

Early on in my hike, back when I was climbing Mt Balden-Powell I had gotten a message from a very near and dear friend asking to write her a letter with the question at hand: what do you think about when you're hiking? Since then I've reflected a lot on that question and the answer is "love" I think a lot about love. To that friend I still owe you that letter and you will get it, I am good on my word for that one.

Today is the perfect day to write about love, two of my friends are getting married today. She is one of my best friends and he is everything she deserves. I love both of them and know they will have eternal happiness together. I was able to talk to them a few weeks ago while I was in Mammoth wishing them all the best for this beautiful and momentous day in their lives. They knew I would be there in spirit and understood that I was following a dream and with good reason was unable to attend today.

Love...what is it about love I think about and why is it I think about love? I feel surrounded by love on the trail, my heart is full and happy and this love is threefold. It comes in the way of the love I receive from my family and friends, the love I have for myself and the love I have for the trail and my thru-hike.

From day one on the trail I've had so much support and love from family and friends back home. Although I've had many days and nights alone on the trail, I never feel lonely. I carry all the love with me in my heart and soul, it keeps me happy, makes my heart full and motivates me everyday to continue on in my journey. 

To love yourself and embrace your uniqueness is an essential key to live a joyous life. It's what makes all of us special and memorable. I am happy to be different then my friends and family. Even more so it's what makes me feel so comfortable being alone hours, days, and nights on end in the wilderness. It takes a lot of work to get to this point and at times facing some ugly character defects that we all have, but I strive everyday to be the best person I can be for myself and those involved in my life.

Everyday I wake up loving what I am doing. I love that I get to be outside. I love that I get to sleep in a different place every night. I love the people I meet and the places I get to see. I love the experiences Mother Nature hands me. I love that I get to do much physical exercise my body can handle in one day. I love pushing myself to the limit. I love the challenges I face. Not once have I woken up and not wanted to hike, I am excited for each new day.

Someone (this person was not a thru-hiker) once said to me not long ago, "I don't need to thru-hike the PCT to find myself." Well neither do I, I did that long before I started my hike. I'm thru-hiking for my love and passion of living my own life and how it feels right to me.

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

Day 80

Day 80

August 8th

22.5 miles

PCT mile 1537

Not much to report today...just a long, hot day, with a decent amount of climbing. I did have one rattlesnake encounter, my first since before the High Sierras, pretty big fella crossing the trail, who then eventually retreated under a rock. Camped off trail at Porcupine Lake.

Mt Shasta way in the background 

Castle Crags

Porcupine Lake

Day 79 The Buffalo Appears

Day 79

August 7th

9 miles

PCT mile 1515

I am happy to report that Guy On A Buffalo successfully made it through Burney and back onto the trail at Burney Falls shortly behind me.

I spent the morning organizing my resupply and repacking. Once again I had some delicious surprises stuffed into my resupply box.

From my brother Eric and his trip to London...some divine chocolates

My new hat from Darcy at HERevolution...love it! Thank you HERevolution

It was as I was finishing up that I got a text from Buffalo that he made it to the I-5 and had gotten a ride to Dunsmuir. Yippee!!! He needed to go to Shasta City to pick up his resupply, so I talked Ron into a trip to Shasta City to help out a fellow hiker. Which worked out for me as well, because I needed fuel canisters and neither Castella or Dunsmuir was carrying them and there was an outfitters, The Fifth Season, in Shasta City.

But first things first, lunch. We stopped at the Big Bear Diner...Buffulo's and my second visit to Big Bear Diner together, the first was in Redding. This time we both had shakes on the mind. I got a peanut butter chocolate malt...so yummy. Ron, Buffalo, and I took our time savored our shakes and lunches and each other's company sharing stories with one another.

Buffalo did try catching me between Castella and Burney Falls...but his comment was "damn your fast, you got here quick."

I tried convincing Buffalo to get back on the trail with me tonight and he tried convincing me to take a zero as he had some things he needed to get taken care of and resupply first. In the end neither of us were successful in bribery skills, and we dropped Buffalo off at the hotel and Ron and I headed to the trailhead. My parting words to Buffalo "hurry up and catch me" and he said, "if you slow down, maybe I will."

I'm always happy to get back on the trail as it feels like home to me.  And this time I wasn't distraught like I was at Burney Falls with the whole fire upheaval. I know Buffalo will be a short half day behind me and Vee probably a day behind as well, once he gets back up to Castella. 

This is what I love about coming out of resupply towns...my dinner, nothing of which needs to rerehydrated.  :)))