Yosemite! Half Dome!

Transcribed:  October 12, 2013

September 24, 2013

The packing and the putting on of the pack were daunting this morning.  I have a vendetta against my bear canister and we are at higher elevations than we have been (so far).  Just south of Sonora Pass the trail climbs to nearly 11,000 feet!  There is some snow on the trail, which makes for careful walking since we are on steep terrain.  Once we climbed up, the trail stays high on the ridgeline for miles, which made for spectacular walking.  We are just surrounded by snow-covered peaks as far as the eyes can see.  It is how I imagine the Alps to look.  The winds raged and the clouds grew thick and hovered over us, but, miraculously, all we got was a few snowflakes.  The clouds stuck around and made for some awesome photographs.  Sadly, we did eventually have to descend off the ridge and continue our walking in relatively lower country.  This evening we walked past the 1,000 mile marker, we have less than a thousand miles to Mexico!  This feels pretty darn exciting!  As the day went on, I am getting used to the heavier pack and the altitude.  We have walked over 21 miles today – which is good given the new conditions our bodies are adjusting to.  It is cloudy and windy again tonight, so we shall see what the trail delivers tomorrow.

John Muir Country

 

September 25, 2013

The morning started off sunny, cold and crisp, the kind of day that makes September my favorite month.  The trail followed a creek for a good many miles, which was very peaceful.  Ben has been fighting a cold and started feeling progressively worse as the day went on.  It got colder and started snowing lightly and it got to the point where he was just trudging along.  We stopped after 14 miles and got some soup and tea in him.  Hopefully he will feel better after a good night of rest.  It feels like summer is taking her curtain call, I’d rather we were past the high country.  It’s stressful, but we are doing all that we can.  We don’t have much, if any, control over weather, exhaustion or illness.

September 26, 2013

Today went very slowly as Ben is still quite sick and working hard to stay moving.  It was a quiet day, walking in a comfortable silence, enjoying the vast landscapes that surround me.  At lunch, we met Special Ops, another south-bound thru-hiker.  We haven’t seen another Sobo (South Bounder) since Central Oregon, so it was very exciting to swap trail stories.  We forged on in the afternoon as snow began to fall.  It was so quiet, watching snow cover the granite peaks. As darkness fell, we caught up with our new friend who had a fire blazing.  Ben and I were very low on fuel and had planned on a cold dinner, but soon we were having cocoa and tea and dehydrated chicken enchiladas.  Special Ops is one hell of a trail angel!

 

September 27, 2013

This morning, I woke up to an ice-crusted tent from our condensation freezing.  It was 22 degrees (inside the tent).  Motivated to get to Tuolumne Meadows, we were up and walking before sunrise.  It was freezing.  We started walking in our down jackets.  Eventually it did warm up and we had some very beautiful walking today.  Expansive granite domes tower above the trail and we walk alongside water rushing over granite slabs.  We made it down to Tuolumne Meadows by 6 pm (about 26 miles, proving we can still do decent miles at altitude with bear canisters).  All services at Tuolumne are closed, so we had planned to walk down Yosemite Valley in the morning until I realized that tomorrow is Saturday and the Post Office would only be open for a few hours and so we began the task of hitch hiking.  The sun was setting and we were about to give up hope when a seriously awesome couple squished all three of us in the back of their car, fed us fresh fruit, cranked up the heat and delivered us to the heart of the valley.  We got to watch the sunset as we made our way down.  Once there we went to the super market, had soda and sandwiches and then realized we had nowhere to sleep.  We were tired, it was dark, and all the campgrounds were full.  And so we stealth camped in the bushes.  Usually I feel like a back packer, but tonight I feel like a vagrant.

 The Evil Bear Canisters!

Picking up packages and mail at Yosemite Village

September 28, 2013

Since we did not get arrested last night we went and got breakfast this morning, complete with a coconut soy latte.  I perused the Ansel Adams gallery while we waited for the Post Office to open.  I wasn’t sure if our packages would be there, but they were, with so many treats from Mom, Karen and our Zydeco family, and a letter from my Grandpa.  I got really emotional thinking of all of our loved ones and the support we have.  I feel very lucky.  After going to the store and grabbing lunch, we headed back to the trail.  We parted ways with Special Ops who is hitching back to the PCT.  Ben and I are walking back up to the PCT on the John Muir Trail (JMT), with hopes of going up Half Dome on the way.  There are hordes of people, but the crowds thinned as we got farther from the trailhead.  The guy that we hitched with last night referred to Yosemite as “Nature Disneyland” which is an exceptionally accurate description.  I admired the majestic granite domes, our first view of Half Dome and beautiful Nevada Falls.  We are now two miles from the top of Half Dome, which we will try to watch the sunrise from.  We weren’t able to get a permit, so we are hoping for either a kind ranger or hikers with extra space on their permits.  Either way, it is mind blowing to be in this spectacular place.

September 29, 2013

It has been an exhilarating and exhausting day.  We were up and walking toward Half Dome under a crescent moon and brilliant stars.  We reached the base of the cables that run up the last 500 feet of rock just as light was entering the sky.  As soon as I started up the steep cables with my heavy pack, I knew it was a mistake to bring my pack up with me.  It was pulling me backwards and I felt like I was just heaving my way up these cables while making sure my feet didn’t slip on the granite, which was slick with my trail runners.  We did make it up without incident, just in time for sunrise.  It was amazing to watch light fill the valley and stare down the climber’s side of Half Dome, a 2000 foot vertical cliff.  Next time I’m up there, I hope it will be by this route.  Overlooking this awe-inspiring valley I let BJ’s ashes sail into the abyss.  And then we headed down…..coming up was scary but starting down the cables was truly terrifying.  And I love rock climbing!  It’s not the exposure but the fact that if you fell, you would have very little control or ability to stop yourself.  I normally can control my climbing mind space, but I got really scared and it seemed like a bad idea to go down with my pack on.  Ben encouraged me to leave my pack at the top, and I had minimal problems descending without it.  At least I was able to maintain my composure.  Ben was awesome and went up and down to retrieve my pack.  He was the only person on the cables, and I was able to get some great footage of him.  We headed safely back to the trail to share a celebratory Dr. Pepper and cookies from Mom.  And then we began our ascent of Yosemite Valley.  It was a beautiful day and we were walking through Heaven’s country.  I’m not sure I have seen such vast and striking mountains.  Granite domes and spires fill the valley, calling out to be climbed.  I wish it was summer so I could stay and play.  The clouds were awesome today; stacks of lenticular clouds filled the skyline.  We took our time, taking lots of pictures and time to soak in the views.  Of the day, I think Cathedral Peak was my favorite.  From afar, it looks like a steep needle, but as you draw closer, it is actually comprised of giant Lego blocks of rock stacked atop each other.  We got back to the road leading back to Tuolumne Meadows in time for a vibrant sunset in which all of the lenticular clouds turned orange and pink like giant pastel flying saucers.  We will hopefully get good rest tonight and jump back on our trail in the morning.  Yosemite made for an unforgettable side trip, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

 

Half Dome

 The final, cable ascent of Half Dome

 

 Looking down from the top of Half Dome

 

Paintings in the sky

South Lake Tahoe to Sonora Pass

Transcribed: October 11, 2013
From the Journal:  September 19, 2013

Yesterday we took a full day off, and it was amazing.  I slept in without guilt, had so many cups of coffee, and ran a few errands.  South Lake Tahoe is more challenging to negotiate than most of the towns on the PCT, but they have a decent bus system so it worked out.  Mom sent brand new shoes to me, which felt like Christmas and my birthday combined.  My old pair had about as many holes as I have toes and were starting to feel too small.  I got 500 miles out of them, which I was happy with.  Ben and I walked down to the lake to watch the sunset.  I got to do some sun salutations and watch the water ripple with golden rays.  Then we had a lovely Italian dinner and headed back to the hotel.  This morning was leisurely as well, and I feel like we almost didn't leave town.  After a very late bus, me nearly leaving my sleeping pad under the bed in the hotel and eating way too much at a Chinese buffet, going back to bed seemed like the very best idea.  Instead, we were good thru-hikers and headed out to the highway to hitch-hike.  We shortly got a ride with a kind local woman and her yellow lab.  Per usual, I was grumpy walking out of town with a too-full belly and too-heavy pack.  A couple hours into the woods now, I am content and feel right back at home.

Rachel finding peace at Lake Tahoe at sunset



September 20, 2013

It has been an exceptionally hard day, and I’m not exactly sure why.  We woke up at 6 completely exhausted and ended up sleeping in for several more hours.  We didn’t start hiking until 10.  I know we need to make forward progress but my body feels like it is pushing against a wall.  I have done other hard things – marathons, climbs, long distance bike rides, but this is different.  Month after month of daily physical challenge is different.  We walked 17 miles today and are camped above 9,000 feet.  It is very windy and snow is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  You can feel the changing seasons in the air.  This afternoon we did have a wonderful surprise at the Carson Pass Visitor Center.  The volunteers there were big fans of the PCT; they gave us fresh water and snacks as we sat by the warm fire.  On days like this, it is kind people that lift your spirits immeasurably. 

September 21, 2013

Well, today is the last day of summer and we are huddled in the tent at 5 pm, watching snow fall. The wind kept us up much of last night, and although our tent pole got bent, the tent stood through the night.  Needless to say, finding the energy to start walking this morning was a challenge.  At first we just had wind to contend with, but the clouds looked ominous and soon we had rain, then grapple and then snow.  The winds were gusting at 30+ mph, throwing consolidated snow in your face and threatening to push you off the ridges we have been walking along.  At first this was pretty discouraging, but as the day went on I felt more purposeful and determined.  The problem is, we get most of our cold weather gear in two days, at North Kennedy Meadows.  We have pretty limited clothes to walk in and still have dry clothes to sleep in.  So we were walking in wind pants and a rain shell over shorts and t-shirt with light gloves and light socks.  About 4 pm fingers and toes started getting cold so we called it a day at just over 19 miles.  From what we last heard, this weather system is supposed to be short-lived, so with some luck, hopefully the weather will improve.  I am certainly intimidated, with hundreds of miles of high country ahead and September rapidly drawing to a close.  There is a different kind of beauty to days like these.  The pure white of a fresh dusting of snow on the mountains or a red-tailed hawk effortlessly riding the gusts of wind.  The clouds swirling around rocky spires up above conjures up images of a dark and mysterious castle.  Hopefully we can stay warm and get some rest, and be able to safely carry on in the morning. 

September 22, 2013                                                                                                                                              

I woke up to a perfect morning for first snows.  The sky was a bright blue and the whole world sparkled.  With the clouds gone, I have an unobstructed view of the rocky cliffs all around us, and they are covered with just a thin layer of snow.  Brand new snow on the ground allows us to see who we are sharing the trail with.  I spotted deer, rabbit, coyote, cougar, and bear tracks.  It looks like there was a mama bear with two cubs frolicking around and having a great time this morning.  It is amazing how a fresh dusting of snow gives the mountains a whole different appearance.  They are absolutely breathtaking today.  We were traveling up high with gorgeous views for most of the day.  When the sun set the sky was ablaze with orange clouds, giving it the appearance of being on fire.  Shortly after sunset, we heard a pack of coyotes singing together.  It was hauntingly beautiful.  We are camping under the stars, watching the moonrise and eating split pea soup.  It is cold tonight, but I love cowboy camping whenever we can, there is no better way to fall asleep than star gazing. 

First Snow of Fall

September 23, 2013
 
Perhaps it is not the best idea to cowboy camp when there is snow on the ground; it was 26 degrees when we woke up this morning.  Also, my shoes were frozen solid, and I had to force them onto my feet since I had neglected to loosen them the night before.  We got walking in a hurry with almost all of our clothes on.  The trail climbed above 10,000 feet for the first time.  This served to warm us up as well as being beautiful.  I am so glad for the snow we got; the contrast of the white on the rocky peaks is quite striking.  Just as we were walking to the trailhead, a car was leaving.  I frantically waved them down and a very nice couple gave us a ride to the Northern Kennedy Meadows resort.  This was so lucky, as this hitch is supposed to be one of the more difficult on the trail.  We spent several blissful hours eating hot food and ice cream, calling home and organizing our gear for the next leg.  Ben and I were so excited to get our cold weather gear – warmer long underwear and socks, down booties to sleep in, and rain pants.  We were not so excited to receive our bear canisters.  They are required for about the next 300 miles of the trail, weigh in at over 2.5 pounds and are made of a rigid and space-consuming plastic that proved quite difficult to pack around.  We walked back to the highway with aggravatingly heavy packs.  It was nearing dusk and the road had almost no traffic, but we lucked out again and got a ride back to Sonora Pass just before dark.

 

Carson Pass

Transcribed:  September 28, 2013

I never cease to be amazed at how the internet has opened up communication!  Shortly after Rachel and Ben left South Lake Tahoe I received an email from Denny Price!  September 20 Rachel and Ben arrived at Carson Pass (elevation 8573 feet) and spent some time resting and visiting.  It was wonderful that Denny took the time to take a couple of pictures and send them my way - although I do try to "wonder" (not worry) it was a pleasant surprise and an update of their progress on the trail!

"Hello from The Carson Pass Information Station on Highway 88 a day's hike south of Lake Tahoe. This afternoon Rachel and Ben rested at our station before continuing south a few more miles. They were a fun, engaging and interesting couple."

What a comfortable place to take a rest - Ben really liked Moke!

 

Thank you to the friendly staff at Carson Pass Information Center for providing fresh food, a warm environment and hospitality to Rachel and Ben!



Sierra City to South Lake Tahoe

Transcribed:  September 20, 2013
From the Journal:  September 13, 2013
This morning was awesome because we got to sleep in.  We had to; the store doesn’t open until 9:30 and the Post Office at 10:00.  We did our resupply, got our packages and had amazing breakfast burritos and real coffee.  We rolled out of town about 12:30.  Life seemed very hard and walking all day seemed very daunting.  I think we were both pretty low on energy today.  Maybe it was the Jager shots.  We almost set up camp after five miles, because it seemed like it might rain.  We did carry on, met some awesome section hikers from southern California and it did not rain a substantial amount.  We set up camp at about 7, hoping to get a good night’s sleep and reset ourselves to be up and hiking early.  The sky continues to be a little ominous, forcing us to set up our tent and ending a couple week long streak of cowboy camping.

September 14, 2013

We were mostly successful at getting an early start this morning (walking by 6:20).  It was sunny this morning and hot very early in the day.  We climbed above 8,000 feet for the first time on the official trail.  We had incredible 360 degree views, the clouds were gorgeous and you can tell we are nearing the Sierra by the rocky features that surround us.  We ran into a three or four generation family section hiking.  As the day wore on the clouds that were making for such lovely pictures continued to build and then rained and hailed all over us.  This was a little miserable but mercifully short-lived.  I suspect there will be more inclement weather in our future.  There is a chill in the air at night, and you can feel summer dwindling.  All day long we rolled up and down between 7,000 and 8,500 feet, which was pretty spectacular.  We made 24.5 miles by shortly after 6 pm, ending at the Peter Grubb Hut.  The hut is maintained by the Sierra Club and used in the winter for ski and snowshoeing groups.  We checked it out but opted to camp outside where the light is bright and the stars are above us.  Since the sky cleared, we are back to cowboy camping!

 September 15, 2013

Today marks three months on trail and a year that Ben and I first hiked on the PCT together, a 24 mile stretch north of Snoqualmie Pass.  It was a special day and also a very hard day.  We hiked to Donner Pass and then somehow missed a PCT trail junction and ended up on another trail near Donner Peak.  After a few lost hour and a few extra miles, we found our way back to the PCT.  A very helpful pair of women gave us directions and yummy freeze-dried vegetables.  Lunch also included a celebratory Dr. Pepper.  Once we started walking again, the trail got really beautiful, which slowly ebbed away the frustration of being lost and wasting a bunch of time.  The trail follows a narrow ridgeline and it was pretty windy, but more in an invigorating than in a blow you off the ridge kind of way.  I was listening to Mumford and Sons, which is excellent ridge top music, although the lyrics are truly heart wrenching.  We walked right through Squaw Valley Ski Resort right at sunset, which brought back fond memories of skiing there with Dad and BJ as a kid.  And we saw a coyote only 20 feet away.  We met our goal of walking 25 PCT miles (and maybe 28 for the day) although it took until 9:45 pm and was pretty painful as the evening wore on.  I certainly have some new blisters.  One reason we are both frustrated is that we have less than an abundance of food.  With more climbing, colder nights and higher altitudes, Ben and I are both hungrier.

September 16, 2103

Due to our exhaustion, we slept in this morning and watched light fill the sky from the comfort of the quilt.  We were walking by 8, bound and determined to do a 30 mile day.  In the morning we walked along a narrow ridgeline with stunning views of Oceanic Lake Tahoe.  This section of the PCT overlaps with the Tahoe Rim Trail.  In the afternoon we walked into the Desolation Wilderness, a section I have been super excited about!  Darkness fell as we moved out of forest into open country.  It was a little disappointing to walk past all of these lakes along the trail and not see them, but the reality is that we are getting short on hours of daylight to do the miles we need to do.  The nearly full moon illuminated Fontanellis Lake as we walked by, the moonlight catching the waves on the water.  The stars were brilliant and you could make out the outline of the granite cliffs rising above the lake.  We climbed out of the lake basin up to Dicks Pass, as it got windier and windier.  We topped out at about 9,400 feet.  It was 10:30, we’d walked over 30 miles, and I was exhausted.  We set up camp in the most sheltered area we could find and will try to sleep as best we can in this windstorm.

 



September 17, 2013

With the wind still howling this morning, we woke up early as town is beckoning.  All in all, the trail has been good to us lately, and I am feeling like I am going to need to get some thicker skin.  I can only imagine that the weather will get harsher as we walk on.

Once I begrudgingly left the tent, I was blown away by the beauty of the day.  Clouds were flying over the pass, turning from lemon-yellow to pale orange to a dusty pink.  Seeing the sun’s first rays illuminate the granite peaks surrounding us, I can understand why John Muir calls the Sierra the Range of Light.  I hobbled my way down the rocky trail with sore feet.  We walked past all of these granite peaks and beautiful alpine lakes.  It is breathtaking country.  They don’t make mountains like this at home.  One of the lakes we walked past was called Lake Aloha, and it was a brilliant blue interspersed with rocky islands.  I had to go swimming even though it was still very windy and not necessarily what would be considered warm.  I didn’t stay in long, and it was certainly invigorating.  I feel like I need to soak up the dwindling summer.  We made our way down to Echo Lake and got a ride to South Lake Tahoe from a couple who was backpacking.  Once in town a whole bunch of wonderful things happened, like flip flops, baby back ribs, ice cream, eggplant parmesan, red wind and sleeping in a bed.  We will take another much needed rest day tomorrow.

New Shoes......Old Shoes

New Shoes or flip flops?! (I can't help but notice how LONG Rachel's hair is - love it!!)

South Lake Tahoe

Getting Sun and Rest in South Lake Tahoe

 

Chester to Sierra City

Transcribed:  September 21, 2013

From the Journal:  September 7, 2013

We got all of our things together and had an awesome breakfast in Chester this morning.  The people sitting next to us anonymously took care of our meal.  I am continuously blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people I have met along this journey.  A very nice man named Shaun took us back to the trail after a brief hitch, and we were on our way.

After meeting up to go across the Hat Creek Rim, Ben and I have decided to walk this journey together.  I am very happy, our time apart made me miss him and our ability to work as a team.  This opportunity seems too long in the making to not take advantage of.  We reached the signpost for the PCT about nine miles into our day.  It is surreal and exciting to be more than half way done as I write this.  There is much to reflect back on and more to look forward to.  I think the best thing is how much connected and present I feel in this lifestyle.  It took awhile and I finally feel like I have settled into the trail or the trail has settled into me.

September 8, 2013

As a reward for doing 28.5 miles by 7 pm, Ben and I are sitting in Belden, drinking a cold beer and waiting for our burgers to arrive.  Despite snoozing this morning and getting the day started an hour later than planned we have been very productive.  We even made it through Myrtle Flats alive, the area where there has been a cougar stalking solo female hikers.  My body feels stronger than it has after our other long days, which is encouraging.  I hope the trend continues tomorrow.  Usually after walking close to 30 miles, I am collapsing in a heap on my sleeping pad after dark.  Really, the only bad part about today is that as we dropped elevation into town, the evil, evil gnats started relentlessly flying into my eyes.  Sitting inside now, about to eat an awesome dinner, life could be far worse.

September 9, 2013

This morning we climbed up out of Belden, from about 2,000 feet to 7,000.  This allowed me to escape the bugs and get back up on the surrounding ridgelines with some very lovely views of alpine lakes and what appeared to be granite rock formations.  It is very hot today; it would have been a great day for the lakes to be on the trail instead of inaccessible below.  This evening I took a detour to road walk and pick up a pizza, and I will loop back to meet up with Ben about five miles south on the trail.  This is two miles longer but well worth it for pizza.  Chester to Sierra City is nearly 140 miles (one of our longest stretches) and we have had town food everyday so far.  I am feeling like a very spoiled thru-hiker.  My body feels tired today and I am definitely moving a little slower after the long day yesterday and the climb this morning.  I will still do 27 miles for the day, which I am very happy with.

September 10, 2013

My side trip of last night was going great until it started getting dark and the junction from the road was super confusing.  I was misplaced for about 10 minutes but I knew I was in the very near vicinity of where the trail crossed the road.  I was having all kinds of catastrophic thoughts of never finding Ben when I spotted a blaze on the north side of the road and I was back on the PCT!  Now I felt at home and only slightly worried about being in the dark.  After a few minutes I saw a light.  Before I could even think “oh, thank God, it’s Ben!” I realized it was a pair of glowing eyes staring at me.  My heart leapt in my chest, but it was just a deer.  A terrifying cougar-deer.  This happened five or six times before the light was actually Ben and we had pizza and pop and all was right with the world again.

Today bugs tried to fly in my eyes much of the day, which made me intermittently pretty grumpy.  The highlight of the day was lunch at the Middle Fork of the Feather River, which had fantastic swimming holes.  We were able to escape the heat and the bugs for a couple hours, splashing around and floating downstream.  It was very, very tempting to spend the rest of the day here.  We were very responsible and hiked on, 23.5 miles for the day.  Today was the first day since northern Washington that we didn’t see another person all day.  I love it, and I hope the trend continues.

September 11, 2013

Today moved really slowly for some reason.  We only walked 13 or 14 miles by 3 pm.  Then for some reason, we started talking about walking all night and doing a 40 mile day to get close to town.  The walking in the evening was beautiful, high on ridgelines with phenomenal views.  The moon was illuminated in the sky as daylight faded.  We took a dinner break at 25 miles, I was spacing out and exhausted and just wanted to lay down.  I did feel better when we started walking again, and rapidly became convinced that walking all night was probably a terrible idea for my body.  We camped at Summit Lake, calling it a day at a little over 29 miles.  As this leg from Chester to Sierra City goes on, I can feel my body protesting.  I feel worn down.  It is the first time we have walked mid to upper 29’s for several days in a row.  We have walked 109 miles in four days, averaging over 27 miles a day. 

September 12, 2013

This morning I woke up with horrifically painful feet.  I felt like they were swollen and getting shoved into my shoes.  We walked a very slow and painful 15 miles downhill.  Going down is so much harder on the body, especially when the trail is rocky.  I am sounding quite the complainer today.  On the bright side, we walked around these beautiful rock formations called the Sierra Buttes.  I actually spotted them on the horizon several days ago, their craggy outline calling to the climber in me.  Little did I know we would be walking right beside them.  After descending we walked the highway into Sierra City to discover that the Post Office closed at 2 pm instead of 4:30 as listed in the guide book.  Maybe it is a blessing that we are stuck in town for the night.  We had pizza and root beer floats, did laundry and then went across the street to the Old Sierra Hotel for a burger and a beer that turned into a couple beers and couple shots of Jager.  We had the pleasure of visiting with locals and other travelers passing through.  While we were eating a storm passed over, complete with thunder, a downpour and a double rainbow.  It felt so peaceful to sit on the patio and watch the rain fall, warm and dry and content with nowhere to go and nothing you need to do.  After the rain passed we set up camp on the backyard of the church and shared a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Peach Cobbler ice cream.  We have been craving it the whole trip and it has taken us nearly 1,500 miles to find it!

Double Rainbow - Sierra City PO

Burney to Chester

Transcribed:  September 14, 2013

From the Journal:  August 31, 2013

Mom and I got up super early (maybe I am finally used to trail schedule) and got town chores done.  This included finding coconut soy lattes and having blueberry pie for breakfast.  I got to spend time with Mom and Mike before we headed back up to the state park.  Ben and I have decided to hike the very hot and dry Hat Creek Rim together so we met up in the afternoon to nearo out of town.  We walked 12 miles to the Crystal Lake Hatchery.  We walked past Baum Lake right at dusk, and saw several herons take flight into the pastel sky.  We also saw an owl and many deer.  It was a magical evening for wildlife.  Huff and Bomber picked us up and we got to have a lovely dinner with friends.

September 2, 2013

Yesterday we took an impromptu zero to hang with Huff and Puff and Cherry Bomb before they headed back to San Francisco.  We had an awesome breakfast at JJ’s Café before heading back to the trail.  We fed some albino rainbow trout and gazed at these huge white birds (herons or egrets) before saying farewell to our trail buddies.  And so Smooth and I headed out to the heat.  At noon.  Not our best planning but there was some cloud cover at least.  We walked 14 miles to the water cache at Road 22.  Sunset was beautiful with all the clouds and Shasta on one side and Lassen on the other.  I have heard a lot of complaints about Hat Creek Rim, but everyone has failed to mention the beautiful views.  It’s good to be back at home. 

 Breakfast at Old Station

September 3, 2013

I am sitting at camp, eating chocolate and sipping on wine that Smooth and Huff cached at Old Station.  It has been a great day.  Hat Creek Rim was nowhere near “unbearably hot” and there was plenty of water.  We stopped at the store in Old Station for Squirt and ice cream bars before heading on our way.  We are now camped beside Hat Creek, about to walk into Lassen National Park.  24 miles today.

September 4, 2013

The area surrounding Lassen was made stark by the burn that went through last year.  We followed a chain of lakes through the blackened area and had a relaxing lunch on the shores of Lower Twin Lake.  We saw the very strange Boiling Springs Lake and the boiling mud pots that surrounded it.  As dusk was approaching we got back on the PCT and took a detour northbound.  We conveniently realized this mistake after making camp and so will have a few more miles into town tomorrow.

September 6, 2013

Yesterday we walked 17 miles into Chester by 12:45.  Going to town can inspire some efficient walking.  One of our first stops was “The Dentist”.  Dr. Webb and his office manager, Karen, do awesome trail magic giving dental hygiene supplies and meal vouchers to a local Mexican restaurant for hikers.    Karen, (aka, The Tooth Fairy), was absolutely wonderful to talk to.  Naturally , our next stop was the Mexican restaurant for margaritas and fajitas.  We have been intermittently eating, resting, catching up with family and friends, and taking care of town chores.  We were going to leave town but ended up taking a rest day.  I am so glad, both because we have a lot of prep over the next few weeks before going into the Sierra (switching gear, new map sets) and because Benny’s foot is bothering him and needed a day of resting and ice.  Chester has been super friendly, and we are on to Sierra City in the morning.

Fajitas and margaritas in Chester

 

Trying on hats - getting ready for the Sierras

 

 

Carter Meadows to Burney Falls State Park

Transcribed:  September 14, 2013

From the Journal:  August 23, 2013

Ben took off early this morning.  Mom and I got on trail after outfitting me with new clothes and shoes.  I feel pretty snazzy and maybe almost clean.  Mike headed to the ocean, he will meet Mom and I in Burney in eight days.  Today we walked through the Trinity Alps, which was absolutely gorgeous.  Craggy peaks, beautiful clouds in the sky, Mount Shasta in the distance, picturesque lakes in the basins below.  Most of the walking today is between 6,000 and 7,000 feet and the expansive views are stunning.  There seems to be much less smoke and I have my mama here and we get to chatter away and catch up about everything under the sun.  We walked about 20 miles by 5:30 and called it a day.  This is a lovely time to be done hiking for the day.  We are cowboy camped near the Scott Mountain Trailhead.  Hopefully I will get a good night of sleep and we will have an amazing day of walking tomorrow.  I didn’t expect to catch Ben, but I’m still sad that I didn’t.  I am also overwhelmingly glad to have my Mom around to share a part of this journey.

August 24, 2013

What an awesome day of hiking with Mom.  It was awesome to sleep 9+ hours, I needed the rest.  We were walking at 6:00 and were able to greet the beautiful day.  We were chasing some cows up the trail for a while, but they did not try to charge us, which was good.  The views continue to be expansive.  I’m pretty impressed with Northern California so far.  There were awesome views of Shasta and great cloud formations.  When we were getting water from a spring, we came across a patch of pitcher plants, which is a carnivorous plant, perhaps similar to a Venus Fly Trap.  They were very strange looking.  Mom and I have fun with the flora and fauna identification.  We saw a good handful of North bounders today (maybe five) but definitely less than we have been seeing.  We are camped at this lava surrounded lake called Lower Deadfall Lake.  It is a lovely place to call home for the night.  Mom did her longest day at 24 miles and we made it to camp by 6:30 pm, which is super early for thru-hiking standards.  We had tortellini with pesto and I am about to eat some chocolate and go to bed.

 

Darlingtonia californica - Cobra Lily

 

 

August 25, 2013

Mom and I woke up by the lake and were walking by 6.  Before very long, it was pouring rain.  This was somewhat discouraging.  We made a short detour to Porcupine Lake for water and had a short break from the rain.  I guess the silver lining of rain is that it’s good for miles – it is less desirable to take breaks when you are cold on top of wet as soon as you stop walking.  The rain stopped around midday and we had an awesome lunch up on this ridge with blue sky ahead and very grey sky behind.  In the afternoon we entered the Castle Crag Wilderness.  The rock formations are unbelievable.  From a distance the silver-grey spires and towers really looked like an enchanted castle.  We stood in awe and took a pretty ridiculous amount of pictures as we drew closer.  I want to climb these mystery peaks so badly.  Very ominous thunder and lightning was chasing us, but luckily stayed a good distance away on the other side of the ridge.  I will say the crazy weather made for some magnificent clouds.  This evening we dropped down into the forest and are about 10 miles from Castella.  Mom rocked out 26 miles today.  We are falling asleep to a symphony of crickets.

 

Entering Castle Crags Wilderness

Castle Crags

 

 

August 28, 2013

I have been a much better hiker than journalist for the last few days so I will have to play catch up.  The 26^th was a very important day with Mom.  It is the anniversary of the day BJ died and I could not have asked for a better way to spend it then a day walking with my Mom.  We got into town and had coffee and good food and later beer and ice cream.  We ran into Ben waiting for a package until the Post Office opened the next morning.  We camped at the State Park, had awesome sandwiches and homemade guacamole and a campfire.  It was most relaxing.

The next day we got back on trail and walked about 20 miles.  It was very hot; luckily the trail was mostly forested.  There were very nice views of Mount Shasta (finally out of the clouds) and the other side of Castle Crags.  There are very evil gnats that constantly try to fly into my eyes when we are below 4,000 feet.  I instantly regret sending home my bug net to save one ounce.  Perhaps the most exciting part of the day is that I finally saw a bear!  He was just ambling around in the woods when I was scouting for a campsite.  Neither of us seemed particularly upset about the encounter and he did not eat Mom or I while we slept. 

Today was also an excellent day.  We were walking by 7 (I was in complete snooze mode this morning).  We took breaks by a couple of nice creeks and walked along the raging McCloud River.  We climbed high enough to escape the bugs and broke out of the trees to walk along the flanks of Grinley Peak.  I believe we walked 24 miles today; Mom and I are ready for bed, but otherwise feeling good!

 

Mt. Shasta and Shastina (far left)

 

 



August 29, 2013

I am so tired this evening.  Mom and I did another 24 mile day, which is awesome!  The morning was beautiful and cool, with expansive views of green hillsides that look like they are moss-covered and would be awesome to roll down but in reality are shrub covered and would probably be quite painful to roll down.  Mount Shasta was rising out of the clouds this morning; we are quite close to her still.  A lot of the day was hot, water sources were sparse and off-trail and much of the trail wound through active logging sites.  This part was honestly pretty depressing and not at all what you would want or expect from a wilderness experience.  We also found a rattlesnake, which moved away but then coiled up very aggressively.  We gave him a very wide berth.  Then we found this awesome campsite with a gorgeous view of Shasta and the sunset.  The stillness that set in as the sun sunk below the clouds seems to fill up the whole world.  We released some of BJ’s ashes to the wind at sunset.  It was a perfect way to end my last night with Mom on the trail.  The time has been wonderful and rich, and went way too fast!

Our last night together - Rachel journaling before bed, Shasta in the background

 



August 30, 2013

Mom and I were up before sunrise in our beautiful campsite.  The silhouette of Shasta was barely visible on the still dark horizon.  Actually, I think Mom was up most of the night watching shooting stars.  We made good time into Burney, taking one relaxing break to soak our feet in ice cold Rock Creek.  We ran into Smooth at the camp store, he had not yet been successful hitching out.  We had hot dogs, and a root beer float, and then the three of us pretty quickly got a hitch into town.  Soon after, Mike, (Road Warrior), Huff and Puff and Cherry Bomb showed up.  Ben left to hang out with visiting friends and I had an awesome steak dinner with my parents.  Mom and I were up late talking, wishing she could continue on and that we were sleeping under the stars.

Soaking feet in icy cold water

Only 1418 miles to Mexico!

Burney Falls State Park