Category: Long Distance Trails

Start: 1274.1

Stop: 1284.4

Today’s miles: 10.3

Total PCT miles: 1135.2

I’m shocked today wasn’t a nearo, honestly.. we kicked ass!

We woke up around 8ish, well, I did-Margot was already awake, but lying in bed still. We got dressed and brushed our teeth before making our way down to the bakery. Apparently they have a pastry that comes from the area Margot is from in France-it was delicious!!

It was so smoky outside. From the door of the motel room it looked like we were in a cloud of grey/white. Some hikers were planning to hike south from here today, but the smoke is so terrible, I don’t plan to do that. Other hikers tried and turned back because of it. A trail Angel said that just because it wasn’t officially closed yet, it doesn’t mean it won’t be-there are more fires south of Etna, too-and another storm is expected tonight. NO. THANK. YOU. I’ll just have to come back and do Etna to my Grizzly Peak bail out spot either later this year or next year. I’m not messing around with fire and smoke for over 148 miles. It’s just not going to happen.

She headed to the outfitter and I went to the post office. I got my socks, finally, and I sent my shoes to Andrea, since I’m skipping ahead I won’t need them as soon as I thought I would, so now I’m all confused about what to do with them. At least if she has them I know I’ll be able to get them quickly.. being that the trail just keeps getting closer and closer to her house now.

We packed our stuff and checked out of our motel room. With fresh drinks in tow, we sat at the bus stop for over 30 minutes. It was late. I was getting worried.. a lot needed to happen to get the two of us back on trail today, and this first leg being late would mess everything up!

While we were sitting there, on the sidewalk, in the smoke filled sunshine and heat, a man walked up and said he and a friend were driving back to Mount Shasta with their rental car and we were welcome to join them if we wanted to skip the bus. HECK YEAH WE DO! Otherwise we would have to take 2 buses and wouldn’t get to Mount Shasta until after 2pm-and that was when the bus was still on schedule! With these guys taking us, we’d be there by 1! How awesome!

We hopped in and we talked as the hour drive went by pretty fast. Within a mile from our destination, Margot got car sick and threw up in a paper bag she was brilliant enough to bring with her. She felt so awful, but managed to get it all in the bag and then threw up again on the side of the road when they pulled over to let her get some air. Poor thing. The rest of the mile drive, she sat up front with the windows down.

We weren’t in Mount Shasta 5 minutes when a trail Angel, Noelle, arrived to drive us to the Burney area. She pulled up and as we were getting to her car, we hear our names being called: CEO AND BLUEBS! I ran over quickly to give hugs and say hi, Margot did too, and then we said our byes, not wanting to leave Noelle waiting on us after she came all this way to drive us another hour south of here. Hopefully we’ll get to catch up with them again soon!

Noelle took us through Starbucks, Margot got a large ice water to help settle her stomach. I got an iced coffee. It’s hot as hell still. She had us cackling the whole way to a tiny dirt road, where we left her and hopped in another trail Angel’s car, Dennis, to be taken the rest of the way to Hat Creek Overlook-the parking lot that Andrea and I made it to back on day 4.

We talked with Dennis the whole way there, too. Margot never got sick again, both of these angels were wonderful about the air and windows, she sat up front, and they took their turns easy and smooth-not much bouncing around. I know she was grateful. When Dennis dropped us off, and almost 4pm, it was hot outside, our packs are heavy, filled with 4 days of food, and we were slap worn out. She had been nauseous from the car sickness, and a mile or so in on the hike, I was nauseous from the heat.

Even with all of that chaos, moving around, jumping cars and the heat of it all: we managed to hike over 10 miles in 4 hours! We stopped to eat dinner around 6:30 and made it to camp by 8:30. It was already mostly dark though, so that part is frustrating. We’re losing daylight every single day. Part of it, I guess.

Tomorrow we’ll see how far we get. We’re 4 miles from Lassen National Park and we have to get all the way through the park regardless, because to camp within the park you have to have a bear canister-and we don’t. So, minimum, we have a 23 mile day, but I’m thinking we may be able to push farther. The elevation doesn’t look bad at all. So, here’s to getting back on trail, no fires nearby, and seeing our 4th national park!
Goodnight!

I slept in until 10am! I loved every second of it, too. I still had sleep voice when I called Derek, the motel owner, and asked for another night. He said right now the motel was booked because of the fires.. but if I’d wait a bit, he’d call to verify if the CalFire guys needed all of the rooms they

reserved, and then he’r let me know for sure.
I got up and started packing, assuming my luck had run out and Margot and I would be camping in the free campsites in town later tonight. Around 10:30, Derek called back and said he could rent me my room again! I was so happy I flopped back on my bed and laid there for another 15 minutes.

Eventually, I decided I was hungry and walked to the cafe in town. It was smoky outside. I got a breakfast burrito and talked with other hikers. I went to the post office, the new socks mom sent didn’t arrive yet, crap. And then I went back to my room to relax. I decided I didn’t want to hike south from Etna in all of the smoke, several hikers I talked to said they turned back because it was so thick and difficult to tell where it was coming from. Yeah-no thank you.

I reached out to Mark, the trail angel that helped me out of the snow in Dunsmuir. The bus would take us to Dunsmuir tomorrow, but then we’d need to get a ride to Old Station. Mark said he was at Dotty’s! No way!? I walked over and we talked. He was doing some shuttling with other angels to get hikers out of the fire. He was coordinating with BigMama today too! Who was on her way with Margot and my box! Yay!

Mark introduced me to Noelle, who had helped me figure out how to get to Seiad Valley back in June. She would pick up Margot and I tomorrow in Mount Shasta, at the bus drop off area, and take us halfway to old station, where another angel, Dennis, would take us the rest of the way. This network of people so willing to help hikers is truly unbelievable. I’m so very thankful to them all.

I walked back to my room, worked on the blog until 3:30, then went back to the post office to see if my socks arrived. They didn’t. BUT, the outfitter in town did exchange my hole ridden socks through the warranty exchange they offer, so I got a brand new pair of socks anyway. And the ladies working there were so kind! Actually, everyone in this town has been beyond nice, including stopping their cars to ask about my hike, and to wish me good luck on my journey as I walk down the road. Pretty neat.

On the way back to the room, Margot and BigMama arrived! Along with 4 other hikers. We all hugged and took pictures before they departed and Margot and I walked into the sweet bliss of the cold cold air conditioner. She showered and unpacked, then we went to Dotty’s for dinner. My 4th time there was just as good as the first two! (I didn’t eat anything when I came over to talk to Mark, I just got a soda). This time I got the

western bacon burger, and I have ZERO regrets!
We made it back to our room and laid out on the beds, talking over the last couple days apart and the plans going forward. Marquis got to Fish Lake today, but not early enough for BigMama to snag him and bring him to us. His legs are both hurting pretty significantly, so he’s planning to get to Ashland and then revisit the physical therapist. I’m really praying he gets better soon!

Ok, that’s all I got. We get to sleep in again, the bus to Mount Shasta leaves at 11:45, and I have to run by the post office again to see about my socks. Otherwise, sleep sleep sleep! Haha! Goodnight!

Start: 1040.1

Stop: 1054.4

Today’s miles: 14.3

Total PCT miles: 1124.9

Ha. My ostrich plan did not work out so well after all. I was shocked awake at 1:46am by lightening so close that it felt like it ripped through my tent. It was so bright and electric, every hair on my body, arms, legs, head, seemed like it was standing at attention. I was lying flat on my back now, pressed into my sleeping pad, and before I could even think to start counting 1 Mississippi, the entire world around me rumbled from the thunder.

I was so afraid, strikes kept coming and the thunder, too.. I even had fears of the rocks around me coming crumbing down on top of me with the way the ground was shaking from it all. It was CLOSE. Then, I started to smell a damp smoky smell. My immediate thought was, oh shit, the lightening is catching the forest on fire! I was in a complete panic, trying to force myself to think rationally, which isn’t easy when you’re tired and scared. Within minutes, rain came. Big, fat drops now pounding my tent.

When I went to sleep, my tent was staked out nice and tight, expecting some rain or something with the way the sky looked, now, the pressure of the rain and the wind whipping through there like it had an axe to grind, my tent suddenly looked very flimsy, seconds away from blowing away in the storm. I felt very unsafe.

So, I started packing my things, in the dark because the lightening was so frequent and so bright, I didn’t need my headlamp. I kept smelling that damp burning wood smell, so when I did eventually turn on my headlamp, and realized there was indeed NO smoke inside my tent, I paused my packing. I looked outside my closed vestibule, crouching to look farther than I could see from inside, and I saw nothing that looked like it was burning. Maybe the rain was helping?

I kept my stuff packed, but laid out in my tent. I figured I was ok, enough right now-it would be worse to leave in an active storm and hike uphill into a burn zone with zero safety or coverage. I was almost 15 miles out from town and the majority of that appeared to be along ridge lines in burn zones. I decided to wait the storm out, once it passed I’d shove everything in my pack, and go. I debated pushing my SOS button just to have someone official tell me I wasn’t in a forest fire-but I thought better of it, I didn’t want to tie someone up responding to me if they had other people to worry with. I did turn the garmin on though, just in case I needed to push that SOS button in a hurry.

It rained and stormed for 2 more hours, and towards the end of it, I guess it lulled me to sleep. I woke up at 6 wondering if I dreamed it all.. then I saw my packed stuff next to me, nope. I put everything in my pack and and broke down my tent, barely still staked into the ground. It was calm outside, no wind, no evidence of any rain or any storm. The sky was sightly hazy, but nothing that made me think I was going to walk into a blazing forest fire when I turned the corner.

I started hiking, and a couple miles in I caught up to the couple from Washington I met the other day. They said they were freaked out last night too. That made me feel better. When they stopped for water I kept moving. I was smart to not leave last night, nothing but burn zones and exposed ridge lines and then back into burn zones, all the way to the road. It was beautiful though, in its own way.

I got to the road just before 1pm and a trail Angel was there waiting for me, along with another SOBO couple I’d never met before. I messaged the Angel when I was at the top of a climb, so I’d have a ride into Etna. That lady drove like a bat out of hell! I was actually scared I might die in her SUV after surviving that storm last night, how tragic. I swear it felt like she was taking those mountain curves on two wheels. I may have even squealed a bit.

When she safely delivered us to Dotty’s, a burger joint in Etna, California, I definitely let out an audible sigh of relief. We survived! I quickly ordered a mushroom and Swiss burger, and a large drink, with fries and all the dipping sauces. Margot had told me once that there are two types of people: people that eat dry food and people that eat wet food, and since I’m a dipper-god I love sauces-I’m a wet food person. I miss her.

I ate my food then walked next door to the dollar general. It was too overwhelming in there to think about my resupply. I just grabbed a drink and some laundry detergent, then walked next door from there to the laundromat. I changed into my rain gear in a little back office that was I unlocked and unoccupied. I was sweating so much already, but I had to do laundry before walking to the other end of town, where free camping and quarter showers were located.

I got my stuff washing, and then sat on the bench to look up stuff on my phone. 108 degrees. No flipping wonder I was so miserable! I saw that there was no end in sight today for the heat, so on a whim, sitting there with sweat now beaded up on my eyebrows and upper lip, running down my back, I called the motel down the street. The man said he just had a room cancel, so it was all mine if I could stay on the phone a minute while he unblocked it in his computer and then he’d book me in it! I took it as a sign!

I finished my laundry, dressed in the office again, and went back to dollar general. This time, I got shampoo and conditioner, more drinks, and walked to the motel. He checked me in quick, telling me he had already turned the air on for me, and I quickly made my way down to my door and completely unloaded in that room. It was GLORIOUS! And only 3pm, so I still had plenty of time to get my chores done.

I showered and relaxed on the bed. Close to 5:30, I walked back to Dotty’s, and ordered chicken tenders to go, with all the sauces of course. While I waited for my order, I walked over to dollar general, for the 3rd time today, and resupplied. I finally had relaxed my brain enough to focus on what I needed to buy. My food was ready by the time I got back. Perfect!

Back in my room, I relaxed in the cool air, worked on posting my blog entries, and watched Law and Order: SVU, naturally. I caught up with mom, and planned out my next few days. That is, until I get a message from Margot. She was camped 8 miles from the California/Oregon border, and had just gotten a notification on her phone about being close to a wild fire.

I start researching: the wildfire was from the storm I was in early this morning. It’s called the Head Fire, and because of how quickly it’s growing, they’re closing the roads and issuing a mandatory evacuation of Seiad Valley! Omg! Margot could smell smoke, and it seemed closer to her than me now, since I was driven down into Etna. She was asking me if she should hike back.

I was terrified for her. I reached out to BigMama, who is home from her trip and knows the area so well. She said Margot should definitely try to get back to Callahans Lodge as soon as she can. I relayed the info, and Margot packed up and started to night hike back the way she came.

During all of this, we were coming up with a plan. BigMama was planning to go to Fish Lake tomorrow to get my box and mail it to Andrea, who Id be seeing again in Truckee, in 2 weeks.. now, she’d go get my box, then pick up Margot and some other hikers bailing the fire, and bring them all to Etna! Then, Margot and I would spent the night again in Etna, decide if it’s safe to go south from here the following day, or take the bus and some trail Angel rides to Old Station where Andrea and I left off.

So much is happening so fast! It’s crazy how quickly things change. I’ll be up talking with Margot and praying she stays safe while she hikes, I’m grateful she has service! I think that’s it for today though. I’m so worn out. Looks like I get an unexpected zero tho, so that’s still a win. Goodnight!