Category: Long Distance Trails

Start: 1705.7

Stop: 1718.7

Today’s miles: 13

Total PCT miles: 132.1

Town day! Ah, that makes me miss TownLegs from the AT, and apparently I get the same motivation she does.. because I got up and got moving, ready to conquer today’s snow early and make it to town!

The first four miles of the day were on and off snow patches.. mostly the patches were easily walked over or around. I never even put my microspikes on, which thank goodness, that toe blister of mine is currently very unhappy. Because of that, I was gingerly stepping on my left foot, being cautious and attempting to keep that foot dry, not an easy thing to accomplish out here in Snow Melt City.

The parts that were snow free were stunning, even if I was literally walking through a cloud. It had a mystic feel to the morning, and I was in a very positive and happy mood. Every twist and turn I could see snow, and assumed I was about to be walking right back into it, but the patches would be above or below the trail, or I could easily meander around it. If only it would *stay* like this! Because THIS I can do!

Once I hit a junction where the trail met two dirt roads and another cabin, there was no more snow on trail at all! I cruised! It was glorious! Beautiful vistas, huge trees and views for days! Water was everywhere, from the snowmelt, making excellent, cold drinking water.

Around 10am I passed two couples out day hiking looking for wild flowers. They promised me no more snow all the way to Callahans Lodge! I was so ecstatic! Because even though it felt like I was lower in elevation and there wouldn’t be anymore, today at least, my heart would start racing every time I’d get close to turning a corner, expecting the worst. To have my hopes confirmed just flooded me with relief! I was practically skipping down trail!

As if the Lord knew I was giddy as all get out, the cloud I had been in for hours lifted or I finally sank below it, because the sun was shining and the skies were blue and the birds were chirping! The only thing missing was Julie Andrews swirling around on the hillside!

Less than 10 minutes of passing the couples, I ran into two men out doing trail maintenance! One had a chainsaw and one had a rake. I chatted them up for a bit, too, still chipper as all get out. Then, because of those two, I had a half mile of perfectly raked trail to walk on until I hit the road crossing. Glorious indeed!

From there I ran into a family of 4 with 2 dogs and then two older gentlemen. I crossed over roads, the trail went along a blue ski trail and at times there were downed trees but nothing was putting a damper on my mood! I was at Callahans Lodge around 2pm, picking up my package. Sadly, the restaurant was closed until 3pm-just my luck, so I got a beer and a Gatorade and sat in the lobby.

A trail Angel, Stephanie aka Big Mama (she is the tiniest human, but she’s a firecracker for sure lol), picked me up to take me to my cheaper motel. While waiting, I talked to two women from the Netherlands who just arrived to hike the section I just finished. We chatted and they’re just as frustrated with the snow as I am. I think we all are, honestly.

Stephanie got there with another hiker, Stripes, who just finished the section I’m doing next! She promises it’s majority snow free! Hell YES! We said bye to our new friends and my newer friends took me to the motel.. with us steady talking the whole time. Stripes has also had a hell of a time, she already hiked the desert and was off trail letting the “snow melt” like many people.. only to find its just not melting fast enough. She is going to Fish Lake today to head north to Crater Lake, where there’s definite snow.. she promises to keep in contact and update me.

I got to the motel, checked in, ordered Taco Bell from door dash (my toe on my left foot was not allowing me to even pretend to walk normal). I got my food, ate, then took a 30 minute hot as fire shower. It was everything. I have to tell you, it is disgustingly satisfying to watch the tub floor when I first get into a shower.. and just physically see the dirt and grime wash away. Gross, I know.. but satisfying all the same. I did my whole washing process twice, shampooed twice, then conditioned, in between scrubbing with dial soap with hands only, then again with a rag.. although, I’m not able to scrub scrub my legs as well as I’d like because of the scabs and scrapes being so tender. Soon, hopefully soon.

Once I was out of the shower, it was close to 5pm. I pretended like I was going to walk a mile to wash my clothes. And then I laid on the bed in my towel and dozed off and on until the laundromat closed. Hahaha looks like that’s a job for tomorrow. My second toe on my right foot looks freakishly like the bad blister on my left foot, just not popped yet. I’m thinking at this moment, my feet, mind, body, and soul need me to take tomorrow and Sunday off-and leave for Fish Lake on Monday morning, after another shipping run. I have too many chores and no reason to rush into more snow, so I might as well take it easy so these things can heal.

At least that’s what I’ll tell myself to make me feel less like a complete failure… hahaha. Ok, it’s bedtime. I don’t care that the sun is still out and the bar in the same parking lot at my motel is having a whole party out there. These eyelids have seen enough today. Sweet dreams!

Start: 1691.9

Stop: 1705.7

Today’s miles: 13.8

Total PCT miles: 119.1

Can I just say, I hate hiking in the snow. Like, it’s really making me crazy at this point. Ugh. Alright, here goes:

I woke up fine, no mouse issues that I could find. I packed quickly and ate breakfast on the porch, after putting everything I used away inside and shutting the door to the cabin well. It stormed all night again, and it was raining now too, making it a little chilly.

Right off the bat, I went the wrong direction for a good 5 minutes, up hill, before I caught myself and had to back track and find the trail. It was pretty, the dark greens of moss covering pines, soft pine needles to walk on.. painful pine needles and branches to climb over, under, and around. These blowdowns are no joke!

Early, and without much trouble, I crossed the California/Oregon border. Maybe because Cali has been so difficult for me to get any mileage in, maybe just because, I was pretty happy about the crossing! I was in a great mood.. the trees seemed greener, everything felt gorgeous. Well, until I hit snow. I’d be going going going, happy as a clam, and walk smack into a snow covered mountainside. As frustrating as it was, it was never as bad as it had been before Grizzly Peak. I was frustrated and slow, but I was never flat out terrified. Probably because at most points, I could see where it would end, and then where it would begin again. I never felt trapped.

I got through one hellishly long chunk of snow, thought it was over only to turn the corner and see my app say I’m meant to go up this ridge line, except halfway up to the peak, the trail splits off to the left and goes downhill. That’s all fine and well except the snow drifted off to the left so sharply, once again I couldn’t see a safe spot to go over.

Remembering the other day, I decided to go up closer to the top and look down to see from that vantage point where I should try going over at. Thankfully, the right side of the snow was up against rocks, so I could traverse mostly over those to the top. And I went all the way up. At one point I was thinking I’d just go to the top and then come down tree well by tree well again in the general direction of the trail.

However, at the top, I saw the whole other side of this mountain was snow free. I got service up there, so I quickly downloaded the topo maps while I could, waiting for it to disappear at any second. I walked over to the other edge a bit more, to try to see if I could spot the trail, lo and behold I could! And a dirt road! I slowly and methodically started inching my way down a steep NON snow covered mountain side. There were rocks to hold on to most of the way. By the time I made it to the bottom, and looked up, I was shocked I just came down that! It was high up there!! Apparently that peak is named Observation Peak! Who knew?

I followed the dirt road until it and the trail intersected. The trail northbound was clear, the road I was on hit a ton of snow. I took the trail. I was marveling at my good luck when once again I was smacked with even more snow. Luckily, this didn’t feel sloped the whole time and I could keep up my speed.. ok, that’s an exaggeration. I didn’t have to drop down to a crawl. Same difference.

Once I found another trail intersection, the storms started and I was getting drenched. And cold. I popped up my umbrella and followed another forest service road. It went around the biggest amount of snow left in this area, I had read about it on the app already, and storm or no storm I was going to be taking this road around Big Red Mountain regardless.

It seemed to last forever, and the rain wasn’t letting up. I wanted to stop for the day but it was only 3pm and even though my feet were cooked, I didn’t want to set up my janky tent in the pouring rain. I carried on. There was no more snow on trail all the way to this campsite I’m at. I was thrilled! Every single corner I rounded I’d hold my breath just knowing this is it, this is where the snow is!

I got my tent up and my stuff inside during a lull in the rain. It’s back again now.. I’m waiting for another lull to run out and pee. If all goes well, I have 13 miles to get to my destination tomorrow: Callahan’s Lodge. I sent a resupply package there, but wasn’t planning on getting a room there. Just eat at their restaurant, get my package, and then find a ride into Ashland, Oregon. Apparently they have a gear shop there, so I can get a new pole, a cheaper motel than the lodge, AND a Taco Bell in walking distance.

Depending how tomorrow goes, and if I get all the way there (please lord, no more snow), I’m probably going to take a zero the day after tomorrow, and maybe another one the day after that. All in hopes of letting more snow melt ahead of me.. and to let my leg scrapes and feet heal (I have a pretty nasty blister today from the cold/wet conditions and not being able to take my shoes off to air out my feet).

Knowing I could be “done” tomorrow makes me want to go to sleep right now, just to wake up and get hiking and get there already. I say that now, we’ll see what time I get moving in the morning.. especially with it being cold and rainy, too. Goodnight, y’all.

Start: 1671.7

Stop:1691.9

Today’s miles: 20.2

Total PCT miles: 105.3

It stormed off and on all night long. With the tent being so much lower and therefore not able to hold up the “bathtub” floor of my tent, I had to improvise and set up my umbrella and my pack cover across the one side of the tent to keep water from splashing in from underneath. Surprisingly, it worked. But I’ve got to get a new pole, asap.

When I woke up, my legs still stung. I weighed my options. Trail=2+ miles of bad blowdowns, plus whatever the hell else the trail throws at me. Road to the right= 15 miles back to Seiad Valley, which I would what? Then hope to hitchhike to Ashland to get new poles and figure out life? Another section jumped that I’d just have to come back to do later? Road to the left= unknown amount of extra miles but the option to road walk down, across, and back up to a junction that’s 18 miles away by trail, and an extra 2 miles north from there is a cabin I could sleep in and not worry with my tent tonight.

I pondered while I packed, grateful to my friend, Poptart, for doing some recon for me last night from my Garmin Inreach (since I had no service). I messaged her and she checked out the roads I was considering to make sure that they did exist and would come back to the trail, since my topo maps didn’t download. I got everything loaded on my back and within my first few steps it started raining again. Jesus, Mary, & Joseph! My outburst made me think of Nancy, and smile. I knew I didn’t want to quit. I also knew it was highly unlikely my first 20 mile day on trail would be in this section. So. I decided to take a risk, and turned left down the road.

It’s all dirt and gravel. I could see semi fresh tire marks, so I was hoping beyond hope that the road was intact all the way down. I could see swiggles on my app, so I knew it was a road, but there was no way to really guess the mileage.

I flipping flew down that road. According to my arm swing on my garmin (not all that accurate), I hit 11.2 miles before 10am. When the road ended, next to a campground, I got water from a creek and turned right. At that junction, a big metal gate was across the road and said, “Road Closed” across it. Crap. I decided to go for it, what the hell, I’m not hiking 11 miles back up that hill.

I went around the gate and the road seemed fine. Then, out of no where, all of these “No trespassing” signs and “private property” and “keep out” signs were everywhere! I made my progress, not seeing any people, until a girl in a pick up truck came down the road, waved and carried on. Hmmm. I guess she knows how to open that gate.

Then I start seeing homes. Some that could probably be condemned, some very pretty, all with gardens and solar panels. I ended up passing a man that came to talk to me. I was expecting to get reprimanded for being on this road, but instead he was kind and helped me figure out the best way back up. I was secretly hoping he’d offer me a ride, but that didn’t happen.

I carried on, by noon my watch said 17 miles. No way. My feet were sore but I didn’t think I’d walked that far yet. I finally turned on the final road to take me to the top, and it was a long one. I walked over where the road washed out, I passed several more “road closed” signs and each time prayed that I would be able to pass through. I started hearing wind chimes at some point, then realized it’s cows with bells around their necks. I scared them! Sorry buddies.

I hit this spot of switchbacks on the road and my god my feet were aching. I started dry heaving for some reason (just typing that is making me do it again. Not sure what’s up with that?!), and slowly trudging along. I was at the top of the switchbacks, so all I had to do was this one straight away and I’d be at the intersection to get back on the PCT, hike 2 more miles, and then set up shop INSIDE a cabin. OUT OF THIS RAIN!

As I was going, I was wondering about the people in this area and that maybe they have four wheelers because I could see fresh tracks but some of this stuff a vehicle surely wouldn’t go over. In that moment a white truck appears in front of me flying towards me like a bat out of hell! I pictured Cruella Devile (cartoon version) as I quickly moved.

A man, maybe my age, with a gorgeous black lab with grey and white around his muzzle stopped in the truck. The doggie quickly popped his head out of the window for kisses, and who was I to say no? The guy started asking me about my hike and where I was headed.. then drops a “you still have a pretty long ways to go by foot.” I thought, meh, 2-3 miles tops. SURELY.

This man pulls out an app of all the forest roads in the area and proceeds to tell me I still have over 7 miles to that junction. And, he’s certain he’s telling me the correct junction because he is a forest road construction worker, and he left his “big machine” at that very junction. Son of a biscuit eating bulldog. Then, as he must have watched my entire body deflate, all but my right hand petting his sweet pup-he goes, “want me to just drive you back up there? Probably like 10-15 minutes by truck.”

Y’all. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into a stranger’s car so damn fast. I tossed my stuff in the back seat with Jake, the lab, and then hopped right up front with John like we’d been best friends since I was seven. The whole way (which he had to make an awkward turn around in very tight quarters) he told me about how he’s the only one contracted in this area to maintain these back country forest roads. The other guy he had with him quit last fall, and they haven’t hired anyone to help him.

He literally comes out, with his pup (13 years old!) and fixes and clears and works on these roads. I was blown away. And also so very grateful I ran into him, otherwise I would have been setting up camp with my broken trekking pole in the rain, again, but this time at a weird side part of a dirt road. Sheesh.

It had been raining off and on all dang day. Thunder crackling and rumbling so deep I could feel it through my body. When John dropped me off, it was 5:15pm, my watch said I had gone 29.9 miles. Lord have mercy. I took off into the woods, hoping the 2 miles to the cabin weren’t bad. In the grand scheme of things, they weren’t, but I did have blowdowns to clamber over (and scrape my not once all dang day scraped legs). There was a little snow, but I walked over it ok.

Finally, around 6, I walk through a meadow of cows and their bells up to a cabin on the hill. It was beautiful! I unpacked. The cabin had cots, so I put my air mattress on top of a cot (blown up), and then put my sleeping quilt inside my liner and my pad inside that. This cabin is known for mice and the idea of a mouse on my good quilt is just too much to take.

I made dinner and ate outside at a picnic table, at times popping up my umbrella. Damn rain. And when I was all done, I stuffed my food bag into a 5gallon plastic bucket with a lid.. I found it inside the cabin, with some other random food items, and then I hung my pack from a carabiner on a wire that ran across the cabin. Hopefully the mice don’t like to do tight rope walking.

Now, I’m all tucked in, the sun is setting, my watch says 32 miles today (only 20 count towards my hike) and I be damned if I don’t see a mouse right now! He could care less that I’m here, just running around the rafters checking stuff out. Thankfully he’s up high, away from me, my pack, and my food bucket. Ah, let’s hope this night goes well! I think I’m probably too exhausted to care!