July 28, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Ash Camp, McCloud River
Miles: 29

Adrian:
The smoke has cleared...for today at least. We woke at 5:50 a.m. to a grand view of Mount Shasta bathed in the purple glow of sunrise. The visibility has improved dramatically and is the best since several hundred miles ago. Thanks for sending out those prayers for us. It worked!

The trail was more or less the same as yesterday with stands of beautiful pine trees towering hundreds of feet overhead mixed with clear-cut tracts overgrown with 10-foot high manzanita/creosote hell plants. The terrain was rolling except for a 1,000-foot plus climb in the morning. The tread was mostly kind though dusty, as per usual.

We are now in lower elevations ranging from 5,000 feet to 2,000 feet above sea level. The temperatures are in the 90s and feel much hotter when hiking through overgrown scrub brush. On the other hand, when in the majestic pine stands, the canopy totally blocks all sunlight and makes the midday temps much more tolerable.

Water, while still scarce, has become more available thanks to more springs. We still have 15-mile dry sections but only one or so a day.

Two more days till Mount Shasta City and badly needed showers and laundry. We won't zero, but we will stay in a motel for the night. Hopefully we'll get some new pictures uploaded at an Internet cafe. Ciao!

Kirsten:
OK, $20 we don't stay in Mount Shasta City.

You'll never understand how clear skies can change your spirits until you've hiked a month in haziness. Waking up to Mount Shasta - to be able to see it - was amazing. The morning flew by, in part because of the clarity.

I'm looking forward to catching up with (or having others catch us) some of our friends. The trail is so much more fun with our peeps.