Destination: Junction with old PCT, mile 1,684.5
Miles: 23
Adrian: Part four of the series will be continued...
Hi. I fell behind on the journal and won't be able to catch up, but I'll continue tomorrow. Please stay tuned.
Kirsten: What a slacker. To be fair I am usually the one who falls behind on the journal. I think about what I want to write while I'm hiking and will generally "catch up" every few days.
The climb today went well, largely due to our 6 a.m. start. We lunched with Beautiful, Gorgeous and Miss P. Later, Johnny Two Stoves, Lil' Wrangler, Cache and Chris showed up.
Beautiful has been carrying cardboard around with the intent of making small awards for some hikers. I think Lil' Wrangler was given smelliest fart. I concur with Beautiful's choice. One of these days I'll have to write about farting and pooping on the trail because I know you all secretly want to read about it. I mean, come on, it's the first thing that would pop into my mind if I had just met a thru-hiker. "So where do you ... um, you know, go to the bathroom?" Or, "How many catholes did you say you've dug?"
I'll spare our readers for now. Just know that at some point I'll write about the topic.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
August 3, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail
Destination: Etna Motel, Etna
Miles: 14
Adrian: Part two of a series...
Out of the tent you go and as you do you grab your sleeping pad thus emptying the tent of all its contents.
Placing the sleep pad next to the tent and all the items you've placed outside the door, you sit down and prepare breakfast. Go ahead and take the stove and windscreen out of the cook pot and pour about 2 cups of cereal (usually granola or Cap'n Crunch Berries) into it along with about a half a cup powdered milk and finally a little under two cups milk. Stir and enjoy. When finished pour some water into the cookpot and wash it out the best you can with as much water as you can spare (sometimes you are dry camping in a long waterless section, sometimes you are next to a river). Yes, the next meal may taste a bit like cereal if you can't spare water, but the cereal tasted a bit like pad Thai from the night before so who cares.
Take an energy bar and some dried fruit out of the food bag for your mid-morning snack. Put that stuff into the mesh pocket on the outside of your pack so you don't need to unpack all your stuff to get at it in a couple hours.
Now, if things are regular, take the tissue paper and go for a walk off trail into the woods. Dig a "cat hole" 6 inches deep, make your deposit, and bury the treasure. Clean your hands with the gel alcohol...this is very important.
In camp, fold and roll the tent (hopefully Kirsten has pulled the stakes and poles as agreed upon). Pack your backpack by putting the sleeping bag in first followed by the clothing, food, stove/pot, windscreen, personal items, maps and wind breaker jacket. Fold and insert the sleeping pad into the back of the pack and close the top. Oh yeah, and don't forget to brush your teeth too!
Before hiking away from camp be sure to check the map for water sources and make sure you've got enough to make it. If you are on time, it should be around 6:30 a.m. when you begin the day’s hike. If you're not on time, you will have to make it up with fewer rests and more time at the end of the day. Enjoy the morning hours, as they are the best of the day.
To be continued...
Rooster left very early to hike into town and we left a bit later because we were going to hitch it. Rooster is going to hike around the closure tomorrow too while we take a bus. We've had enough of the smoke around the area and done with dangerous road walks.
We entered the Russian Wilderness and for a time re-entered a granitic realm that looks, and actually is out of place here. The tread was pretty rocky and there were many hidden climbs in the last few miles of the hike. The road was pretty quiet but we got a ride in about 20 minutes from a guy and his son who was running supplies to the fire lines in the area.
We stopped in the historic town of Etna and had some beer and burgers at the local brew pub. After lunch we went to the motel, did laundry (for the first time in a few weeks!), and hung out till dinner at Bob's Ranch House down the road (mediocre food).
Later we watched The Wedding Crashers with Squatch, Cache, Chris, and Landshark. Went to bed pretty late, but tomorrow is a zero day.
Walk good...
Kirsten: Moonpie came up with a wienie roast idea. Yes, three cheers for nitrates! I left a note for our friends (Lil' wrangler, Beautiful, Gorgeous, Mr. Clean, Chris, etc.)
The idea is meant to celebrate our "almost" crossing into Oregon. I'm calling it the "Damn-We're-So-Close-Oregon-We-Can- Nearly-Taste-It Wienie Roast."
Etna, by the way, is such a neat little Norman Rockwell town. The streets were emptied when we arrived because it’s a Sunday. The only restaurant open is the brewery, which offered burgers, salads and several locally brewed beers.
Guess what today's highlight was? Laundry. This may gross some folks out. I haven’t done laundry in a washing machine since Truckee. I've washed my clothes in rivers, sinks and showers. It's not like I'm a vagrant. Don't judge!
Miles: 14
Adrian: Part two of a series...Out of the tent you go and as you do you grab your sleeping pad thus emptying the tent of all its contents.
Placing the sleep pad next to the tent and all the items you've placed outside the door, you sit down and prepare breakfast. Go ahead and take the stove and windscreen out of the cook pot and pour about 2 cups of cereal (usually granola or Cap'n Crunch Berries) into it along with about a half a cup powdered milk and finally a little under two cups milk. Stir and enjoy. When finished pour some water into the cookpot and wash it out the best you can with as much water as you can spare (sometimes you are dry camping in a long waterless section, sometimes you are next to a river). Yes, the next meal may taste a bit like cereal if you can't spare water, but the cereal tasted a bit like pad Thai from the night before so who cares.
Take an energy bar and some dried fruit out of the food bag for your mid-morning snack. Put that stuff into the mesh pocket on the outside of your pack so you don't need to unpack all your stuff to get at it in a couple hours.Now, if things are regular, take the tissue paper and go for a walk off trail into the woods. Dig a "cat hole" 6 inches deep, make your deposit, and bury the treasure. Clean your hands with the gel alcohol...this is very important.
In camp, fold and roll the tent (hopefully Kirsten has pulled the stakes and poles as agreed upon). Pack your backpack by putting the sleeping bag in first followed by the clothing, food, stove/pot, windscreen, personal items, maps and wind breaker jacket. Fold and insert the sleeping pad into the back of the pack and close the top. Oh yeah, and don't forget to brush your teeth too!Before hiking away from camp be sure to check the map for water sources and make sure you've got enough to make it. If you are on time, it should be around 6:30 a.m. when you begin the day’s hike. If you're not on time, you will have to make it up with fewer rests and more time at the end of the day. Enjoy the morning hours, as they are the best of the day.
To be continued...
Rooster left very early to hike into town and we left a bit later because we were going to hitch it. Rooster is going to hike around the closure tomorrow too while we take a bus. We've had enough of the smoke around the area and done with dangerous road walks.
We entered the Russian Wilderness and for a time re-entered a granitic realm that looks, and actually is out of place here. The tread was pretty rocky and there were many hidden climbs in the last few miles of the hike. The road was pretty quiet but we got a ride in about 20 minutes from a guy and his son who was running supplies to the fire lines in the area.We stopped in the historic town of Etna and had some beer and burgers at the local brew pub. After lunch we went to the motel, did laundry (for the first time in a few weeks!), and hung out till dinner at Bob's Ranch House down the road (mediocre food).
Later we watched The Wedding Crashers with Squatch, Cache, Chris, and Landshark. Went to bed pretty late, but tomorrow is a zero day.
Walk good...
Kirsten: Moonpie came up with a wienie roast idea. Yes, three cheers for nitrates! I left a note for our friends (Lil' wrangler, Beautiful, Gorgeous, Mr. Clean, Chris, etc.)
The idea is meant to celebrate our "almost" crossing into Oregon. I'm calling it the "Damn-We're-So-Close-Oregon-We-Can- Nearly-Taste-It Wienie Roast."
Etna, by the way, is such a neat little Norman Rockwell town. The streets were emptied when we arrived because it’s a Sunday. The only restaurant open is the brewery, which offered burgers, salads and several locally brewed beers.
Guess what today's highlight was? Laundry. This may gross some folks out. I haven’t done laundry in a washing machine since Truckee. I've washed my clothes in rivers, sinks and showers. It's not like I'm a vagrant. Don't judge!
August 2, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail
Destination: Saddle on border of the Russian Wilderness
Miles: 26
Adrian: This is how a day goes on the PCT. Part one of a series:
Alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m., but you've been up 10 minutes prior. The sun is just rising, and if you have a clear view east you can watch it do so. This morning you're camped in Scott campground on a wooded saddle with no view.
You reach down to the foot of the tarp tent and grab the backpack that has all your loose items and the food bag and put it outside the tent.
Reaching into the clothing stuff sack, you grab the running shorts and nylon long pants you've been wearing for the last 101 days. The pants go on over the shorts while in camp because it's quite cold up in these mountains during the early morning hours. The long sleeve, lightweight capilene top comes off and the sweaty, long sleeved desert shirt goes back on. Whipping around in the tent you put the socks on that you rinsed in the stream the afternoon before and finally your shoes go on.
Everything else in the tent that is yours gets put outside the door of the tent. Then, out you go.
To be continued...
A section hiker came into camp late last night asking about the facilities. He turned out to be a nice guy doing the PCT in something like three or four sections. He was asleep when we left but caught up to us later in the day.
We leave the Trinity Alps Wilderness tomorrow and enter the Russian Wilderness. The nearby Quartz Wilderness is closed due to fire.
The day today was hard with lots of ups and downs. I felt like we earned all these miles and that there were no "gimmes" today. We did well and there are only 14 miles till Etna Summit road where we hitch into town!
Stay tuned...
Kirsten: Adrian forgot to mention how part of his morning routine involves gassing out the tent before quickly ducking out. I'm convinced he does this in an effort to get me moving in the morning.
I'm pretty bummed about the fire closure. We haven't skipped a single section yet. Although I suppose one could argue that the biking portion wasn't a "hike." I'm letting Adrian decide what we should about the closure. I'm pretty sure we'll end up taking a bus from Etna to Seiad Valley.
I don't want to skip. I also am sick of walking through smoke and haze. I'd rather hike on the actual trail. So I hope to return to this area on hike this section without the fire.
Miles: 26
Adrian: This is how a day goes on the PCT. Part one of a series:
Alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m., but you've been up 10 minutes prior. The sun is just rising, and if you have a clear view east you can watch it do so. This morning you're camped in Scott campground on a wooded saddle with no view.You reach down to the foot of the tarp tent and grab the backpack that has all your loose items and the food bag and put it outside the tent.
Reaching into the clothing stuff sack, you grab the running shorts and nylon long pants you've been wearing for the last 101 days. The pants go on over the shorts while in camp because it's quite cold up in these mountains during the early morning hours. The long sleeve, lightweight capilene top comes off and the sweaty, long sleeved desert shirt goes back on. Whipping around in the tent you put the socks on that you rinsed in the stream the afternoon before and finally your shoes go on.
Everything else in the tent that is yours gets put outside the door of the tent. Then, out you go.
To be continued...
A section hiker came into camp late last night asking about the facilities. He turned out to be a nice guy doing the PCT in something like three or four sections. He was asleep when we left but caught up to us later in the day.
We leave the Trinity Alps Wilderness tomorrow and enter the Russian Wilderness. The nearby Quartz Wilderness is closed due to fire.The day today was hard with lots of ups and downs. I felt like we earned all these miles and that there were no "gimmes" today. We did well and there are only 14 miles till Etna Summit road where we hitch into town!
Stay tuned...
Kirsten: Adrian forgot to mention how part of his morning routine involves gassing out the tent before quickly ducking out. I'm convinced he does this in an effort to get me moving in the morning.
I'm pretty bummed about the fire closure. We haven't skipped a single section yet. Although I suppose one could argue that the biking portion wasn't a "hike." I'm letting Adrian decide what we should about the closure. I'm pretty sure we'll end up taking a bus from Etna to Seiad Valley.I don't want to skip. I also am sick of walking through smoke and haze. I'd rather hike on the actual trail. So I hope to return to this area on hike this section without the fire.
August 1, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail
Destination: Scott Mountain Summit, Highway 3
Miles: 31
Adrian: A record day for on trail miles! After what might be the best sunrise of the trip, Moonpie, Kirsten and I started hiking at 6:40 a.m. (Moonpie a bit earlier) and finished at 8:30 p.m. (me a bit earlier). We all felt solid right to the end and could have put more miles in if we felt we needed to. We are trying to minimize the miles required on Sunday into Etna so we have more time to do town stuff.
The smoke was worse today than it ever has been on our trip. Visibility was about 1 mile and our throats; nose and eyes were feeling the effects. It feels claustrophobic with no views due to smoke. I hope the wind changes tonight.
38 miles to Etna Summit, where the closure starts and we hitch into town. I can only hope the smoke clears...even just a little bit.
Kirsten: I was convinced I was getting a head cold. And then I realized I've been hiking through smoke for days. My throat has been scratchy for the past day and my eyes feel red. I say, "feel" because I don't have a mirror.
I can't believe how good my feet are holding up after 31 miles. I only hope this is a sign of what's to come.
Miles: 31
Adrian: A record day for on trail miles! After what might be the best sunrise of the trip, Moonpie, Kirsten and I started hiking at 6:40 a.m. (Moonpie a bit earlier) and finished at 8:30 p.m. (me a bit earlier). We all felt solid right to the end and could have put more miles in if we felt we needed to. We are trying to minimize the miles required on Sunday into Etna so we have more time to do town stuff.
The smoke was worse today than it ever has been on our trip. Visibility was about 1 mile and our throats; nose and eyes were feeling the effects. It feels claustrophobic with no views due to smoke. I hope the wind changes tonight.
38 miles to Etna Summit, where the closure starts and we hitch into town. I can only hope the smoke clears...even just a little bit.
Kirsten: I was convinced I was getting a head cold. And then I realized I've been hiking through smoke for days. My throat has been scratchy for the past day and my eyes feel red. I say, "feel" because I don't have a mirror.
I can't believe how good my feet are holding up after 31 miles. I only hope this is a sign of what's to come.July 31, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail
Destination: View of Lake Siskiyou
Miles: 22
Adrian: We started a 4,200-foot climb first thing in the morning. Just when you think your 4,000-foot plus climbs are over…boom! It took from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. to do 7 miles. It was uphill all day, and we hiked for 13 hours with only about 4 short rests to make 22 miles by dusk. Not the most productive day mile-wise, that's for sure.
Moonpie, Chris and Clean hiked with us. We found a nice large spot without too many cow patties. It faces east so sunrise should be wonderful with Shasta in the background.
Kirsten: It was a rough day for me. For one, I decided to take gum with me, courtesy of Lil' Wrangler. I chewed so much of it as I tackled the climb that my jaw was almost too sore to eat dinner.
Our progress was slow today. It was as if we were back at Campo. Tomorrow is supposed to be easier and I hope to put in some big miles.
Miles: 22
Adrian: We started a 4,200-foot climb first thing in the morning. Just when you think your 4,000-foot plus climbs are over…boom! It took from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. to do 7 miles. It was uphill all day, and we hiked for 13 hours with only about 4 short rests to make 22 miles by dusk. Not the most productive day mile-wise, that's for sure.
Moonpie, Chris and Clean hiked with us. We found a nice large spot without too many cow patties. It faces east so sunrise should be wonderful with Shasta in the background.
Kirsten: It was a rough day for me. For one, I decided to take gum with me, courtesy of Lil' Wrangler. I chewed so much of it as I tackled the climb that my jaw was almost too sore to eat dinner.Our progress was slow today. It was as if we were back at Campo. Tomorrow is supposed to be easier and I hope to put in some big miles.
July 30, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail
Destination: Sulphur Creek, Castle Crag Wilderness
Miles: 12
Adrian: This morning I woke up to a diesel engine firing and workers talking. Camped just inside Castle Crags State Park, we were a bit too close to a logging zone. Earplugs helped for a small time but fear of a 300-foot redwood crashing down on our tent prodded us along.
We completed the quick 5-mile jaunt down to the I-5 and to the small town of Castella. Todd, an eccentric citizen of Orange County, gave us a quick ride to the Chevron where we resupplied for the 100-mile hike into Etna. The fire closure is still in effect from Etna Summit northbound, and people are recommending a bus trip to Seiad Valley, thus skipping 55.8 miles of the trail.
Today we entered Castle Crags Wilderness and left Castle Crags State Park. Towering white granite spires are the gem of this park.
We took showers and clean some clothes at the park campground while other hikers caught a ride into town. We wanted to get going so we could be in Etna by Sunday night. That way, if we needed to, we could catch a bus to Yreka and onward to Seiad Valley.
We hiked up the Bob's Hat trail to the PCT and met up with Moonpie again and met Rooster for the first time. We camped at Sulphur creek, which was very nice and quite spacious for all four of us.
Kirsten: I've discovered a new trick for getting through tough parts of the trail. It's called daydreaming. I did this yesterday and got so involved in my daydream that we had completed 15 miles before I even realized it. My daydream got pretty random. It went something like this: I was hiking out to the Canadian border with Beautiful and Gorgeous and I was maybe 400 yards ahead. Then out of nowhere I see a dark blur moving toward me. A bear! It knocks me over and I barely and able to yell, "Bear!" And then the bear swipes at me, scratching my arm. Out of nowhere the girls run up and fight off the bear. Chaos ensues. Fast-forward two weeks. I hold a gala dinner for them at some fancy hotel with dinner and dancing. I meet Tony Bennett in the elevator and convince him to entertain for the event.
So this is what happens when you have a lot of time on your hands.
We reunited with Moonpie today! It's funny how everything works out. I was sort mad at Adrian for making me hike out of Castella instead of going to the new Batman movie with Lil' Wrangler, Beautiful, Gorgeous and Johnny Two Stoves. And just as I was starting to get over it we run into Moonpie. If all goes well we will be hiking with B & G and the rest of those guys soon.
Miles: 12
Adrian: This morning I woke up to a diesel engine firing and workers talking. Camped just inside Castle Crags State Park, we were a bit too close to a logging zone. Earplugs helped for a small time but fear of a 300-foot redwood crashing down on our tent prodded us along.We completed the quick 5-mile jaunt down to the I-5 and to the small town of Castella. Todd, an eccentric citizen of Orange County, gave us a quick ride to the Chevron where we resupplied for the 100-mile hike into Etna. The fire closure is still in effect from Etna Summit northbound, and people are recommending a bus trip to Seiad Valley, thus skipping 55.8 miles of the trail.
Today we entered Castle Crags Wilderness and left Castle Crags State Park. Towering white granite spires are the gem of this park.
We took showers and clean some clothes at the park campground while other hikers caught a ride into town. We wanted to get going so we could be in Etna by Sunday night. That way, if we needed to, we could catch a bus to Yreka and onward to Seiad Valley.
We hiked up the Bob's Hat trail to the PCT and met up with Moonpie again and met Rooster for the first time. We camped at Sulphur creek, which was very nice and quite spacious for all four of us.
Kirsten: I've discovered a new trick for getting through tough parts of the trail. It's called daydreaming. I did this yesterday and got so involved in my daydream that we had completed 15 miles before I even realized it. My daydream got pretty random. It went something like this: I was hiking out to the Canadian border with Beautiful and Gorgeous and I was maybe 400 yards ahead. Then out of nowhere I see a dark blur moving toward me. A bear! It knocks me over and I barely and able to yell, "Bear!" And then the bear swipes at me, scratching my arm. Out of nowhere the girls run up and fight off the bear. Chaos ensues. Fast-forward two weeks. I hold a gala dinner for them at some fancy hotel with dinner and dancing. I meet Tony Bennett in the elevator and convince him to entertain for the event.
So this is what happens when you have a lot of time on your hands.
We reunited with Moonpie today! It's funny how everything works out. I was sort mad at Adrian for making me hike out of Castella instead of going to the new Batman movie with Lil' Wrangler, Beautiful, Gorgeous and Johnny Two Stoves. And just as I was starting to get over it we run into Moonpie. If all goes well we will be hiking with B & G and the rest of those guys soon.
July 29, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail
Destination: Just inside Castle Crags State ParkMiles: 25.5
Adrian: A special thanks to Steven, Suzy, Sven, Cuddles and Holly for signing the guest book. We miss you guys!
So, I should start by saying that today we hit the 3-month mark of our trip. It's been a great few months with many ups and downs. I can honestly say that I truly feel trail hardened and accustomed to life on the PCT, which makes life a lot easier. We need to pick up the pace and reduce days off if we want to finish by Oct. 1, but we couldn't be more pleased with how things are going. I no longer wonder if I can finish the trail, I know I can, I just need to stay healthy.
What a difference a day can make with smoke. Today it was totally hazy and visibility was cut down to about 3 miles. Shasta, which was in full view yesterday, is completely hidden from view even though it is only 15 or so miles to the north. Ouch.
We ran into Miss Potato Head today, hiking with her the first time. We had a great time-sharing new trail gossip and news about old friends on the trail. We also found out Beautiful and Gorgeous are not far behind while Lil' Wrangler, Squatch and a few others are heading southbound for a bit and will be catching up with us in or around Castella.We arrive Castella tomorrow after a 6 miles morning walk. We were thinking of hitching up to Mt. Shasta City for a motel and meals, but we've decided to try and resupply out of the store in the small town of Castella. We'll save time and money employing this strategy, but will not be able to do laundry and have a good selection of trail food. A world of trade-offs.
Today's hike started with a 1,500-foot climb followed by a 1,300-foot descent followed by a 2,100-foot ascent followed by a 2,000-foot descent. The trail was well graded so the climbing was not too hard and the descents not too punishing. There are still plenty of springs in the area, so water is plentiful and safe to drink untreated.
Tomorrow we'll try and still do 15 miles even though we need to hitch, take showers, do laundry by hand, eat, resupply and relax. We also need to get info on the fire near Etna that has the trail closed. Let's hope for the best!
Kirsten: So I want my $20 now from any of you who sided with Adrian and thought we would head into Mount Shasta City as originally planned.
We met - as Adrian mentioned - Miss Potato Head and hiked with her for most of the day. We passed through quite a few clear-cut areas and our campsite is surrounded by logging operations. Toward the end of the day we found ourselves crawling over recently downed trees and branches. I realize that logging operations are bound to happen. Walking through them is a bummer especially when the trees are lying haphazardly along the trail.
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