PCT Day 79

Start: 998.2

Stop: 1015.3

Today’s miles: 17.1

Total PCT miles: 1085.8

Whew, today was a tough one, but I sort of knew coming south out of Seiad Valley would be. Andrea and I got up around 7am. I slept so incredibly well in that cushy hotel bed. My feet would still wake me up, throbbing or sharp shooting pain through my soles.. but I’d change position and fall right back into sweet oblivion. The pillows were so plush I got lost in them a few times. I moved around so much, Andrea thought I slept bad.. I definitely had my best night of sleep since starting this thing, so, whoops. Sorry, buddy..

We left around 7:35 and swung through a McDonalds for breakfast on the way out to Seiad. It was an hour and a half drive, and it took us down the same two lane road along the Klamath River I hitched down back in early June. I showed Andrea some of the same things that sweet man, Bill I believe, showed me. I was and still am so incredibly grateful for her friendship. If she didn’t come to get me, I would still be at Fish Lake, not one step closer to getting to Mexico.

Along the way we saw a hiker walking that two lane road. We stopped to pick him up, he was literally going to road walk over 50 some miles. Yikes. He didn’t talk a whole lot, and I think that was just fine by both of us up front. Andrea dropped me off at the store parking lot around 9:30. We hugged and she started her 5 hour drive home. I went into the store, which was actually open although everything online said it wouldn’t be.. and got a Dr. Pepper.

I drank it in the parking lot, filled my water bottles, and began the 6 mile road walk to the trail. I would have asked Andrea to drop me off at the trailhead, but this 6 miles is part of the PCT, so it didn’t feel right to skip that whole section. Well. That’s what I thought when I told her where to drop me off, I changed that tune about 2 miles into that 6 mile road walk. It was HOT. It had hardly any shade, and I was breaking in my new shoes. Fun times.

When I made it to the campground at the top of the road walk, I used the pit toilet and then laid on a picnic table for a bit. I wasn’t hungry for lunch yet, but I was pouring sweat and couldn’t seem to get enough water. Thankfully there was water all along the trail today, every 2 miles for most of it. But this is where the climbing got tough. From the campground, to where I’m camped at now, it was 4,000 feet of elevation gain in 11 miles. It wasn’t an up and down situation, it was mostly just UP.

The trail followed along Grider Creek.. it was overgrown in many parts, there were huge blow downs that took some effort to get over and around.. I was praising God and Andrea for my new shoes almost the entire day. My legs got pretty scraped up from the overgrowth, and maybe a little rashy, too. They’re burning now. I also saw a snake in the overgrowth, which only made me more anxious pushing my way through the bushes.

I had my umbrella out for the majority of the climb. And I sat and soaked my feet in one of the creek crossings for a solid 35 minutes. I would also soak my bandana at every water crossing to put on the back of my neck to try to help me cool down. It helped, some, but my god it was brutal. Now that I’m thinking on it, I wonder if this is the heat wave everyone was mentioning? HipBone and MountainGoat were saying southern Oregon would be in the 100s.. this feels a lot like that..

I passed a man coming northbound later in the afternoon. He stopped to talk to me, and he’s apparently the guy that gives out the awards when you submit your claim for the triple crown. So, after you hike the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail, you submit a form to a committee saying you did all three and they congratulate you and give you a certificate saying you got your Triple Crown and I’m assuming your name goes down on record for doing so. He said you only either hike 1 of the 3, or all 3, so he’d be seeing my name soon enough, ha!

We talked a good 5-10 minutes.. he’s done 3 different caminos and gave me his email so I can get some info from him about the Porto Way. Andrea was just talking about that this morning, I think it’s a sign that we’re supposed to do it together. We took a selfie and then headed in our opposite directions.. me being very jealous of his continuous downhill to my continuous climb.

I filled up with water at the last water spot before 6-7 miles of more climbing to the next source. I was originally planning to just eat dinner at this campsite I’m at-but once I took my pack off, I decided to stay. I’ll still get to Etna on the same day whether I camp here or torture myself for 4 more miles. I also hope that maybe the rest of the 2,000 feet of elevation gain will be easier in the morning in the cool air, before the sun scorches the earth again. One can only pray.

After I got my camp set up and cooked my dinner, a couple came by and decided to camp here, too. They’re German, Rudy and Rebecca, and they follow Drake and A-Train’s YouTube channel! They were so excited to know I met them and hung out with them for a few days! Such a small world. Their trail names are R&R. They came and ate their dinner at a log close to my tent (since I was eating in my tent-because bugs), and we “had dinner” together and talked. They’re super friendly and I’m happy they’re camping close by.

Since I got to camp at 6, I had planned to catch up on my writing and get a few things planned and organized for the days to come-but yall. I’m exhausted. It’s 8:40, the sun is gone but the sky still has just a little light left in it-and I think I’m going to have to close my eyes and get some sleep. The heat today completely zapped me. So, off to dreamland I go. Im already missing that hotel bed, and my west coast bestie. Sweet dreams!