PCT 2015 – Week 11

16 July – Day 72 – mi. 1291 – PUT YOUR FIRE DEAD OUT! – Mom hooks up a resupply through Backpacking Solutions – mile 1300 – gastrointestinal distress – Half way marker! – evening second wind – spooking deer – nocturnal boa snake – army crawl under and over downfall – late night in auto hike mode to highway – saved by Pops – hiker party at firefighter Sean’s house – loving, excited reunion with Team Gnar Gnar – late night with food, drink & friends – tired and happy – massive enchilada cowboy camp – Team Gnar Gnar, Hundo Daily, Roadrunner, K, Momma Goose, Ciervo, Chef, – Chester, CA – mile 1329
 

Hiker party

 
17 July – Day 73 – mile 1329 – trail angel pancake breakfast – second breakfast – Chester Rotary Club trail magic cookout – Boiling Springs – hike out with Middle, Key Lime, Roadrunner – late night hot springs soak and wine – rain – Drakespad – mile 1348 

  

Boiling Springs

 
   

18 July – Day 74 – mile 1348 – woke up to rain – breakfast hook up at Drakespad, delicious coffee and quiche – lake lunch and swim – The Chill Faction – soft, duffy trail in a burned forest with Mt. Lassen in the distance – unreported water sources – traveling through parallel worlds – town rush – thru hiking balance – RV campground shock – Old Station forest camp – mile 1371 

 

Burned forest

 
19 July – Day 75 – mile 1371 – breakfast at JJ’s – views of Shasta and Lassen – Hat Creek Rim – plantar fasciitis – Cache 22 exists – most sore feet of the trail! – late hobble to camp – everyone looks wrecked – too tired and sore to write – busted pipe fountain camp – mile 1404
 

view of Mt. Shasta

 
20 July – Day 76 – mile 1404 – Berney town breakfast and resupply – Anna’s Cafe – Wild Bird Spring trail magic – Berney Falls State Park – unruly hikers and vortex – pleasant evening hike – Rock Creek Ridge camp – mile 1422
 

Wild Bird Cache trail magic

 
21 July – Day 77 – mile 1422 – unremarkable terrain with heavily disturbed areas: logging, fire, powerlines – feeling slow – evening break to watch thunderstorm and lightning show over Mt. Shasta – great ridge traverse with storms – buzzed by a rattler – tired, tired, tired – Alder Creek old road camp – mile 1453
 

Ridge walk

 
22 July – Day 78 – mile 1453 – more foot pain – McCloud River is freezing cold – beautiful forest hike – Middle runs an is fast – GG, Morningstar, Cookie Monster, BC – hike, eat, sleep, repeat! – Trough Creek camp – mile 1479