mile 1476, near Lake McCloud Resevoir
If you think you're something, well think again, along comes Anish! She passed me at our party at Burney Falls. Obvisouly, she doesn't have time to eat or drink, as she is doing a 42 mile per day pace! Trying to break the speed record for the PCT. Good for her. I can barely move after a 30 mile day.
Check her out...and she's so young and cute.
https://www.facebook.com/
Left Burney early after a crazy, fun night with the whole gang. This is the group that is up and at em' before 5:30. Well, I left at 7am and they were not stirring (little too much partying). My goal was to have Maureen pick me up on a FS road, Grizzly Road. Seemed ok on map. WRONG. Got a text from her after she made the attempt to go 8 miles on this so called road. She ended up going in Reverse for almost 2 miles when she could go no further, only 2.3 miles from PCT junction. Found the FS fire guys and made it out with a bit of help. Oh well. Her text sounded desperate but she was ok and we realized that pick-up was not going to work! Decided that she could do a pick up at the Lake McCloud Damn. Another FS road, but definitely a better one, according to Data Book. That meant 2 big days for me to walk.
First day did a long hard day (29 miles) as water was a problem along with no good camping spots. I walked through a thick forest with no available water. It's like you get in a mind set that you're in the Sierra's and the water should be plentiful, but the forest was too thick to get to it safely. Passed 2 springs that maps said were there, but couldn't find them. I really didn't want to sleep on the trail with no water. Ended up finding an old logging deck with a creek (headwaters of the MooseHead creek) nearby. Soaked my aching feet in the ice cold creek. Heaven. Set up my tent. Ate my Salmon with mashed potatoes and went to sleep with my loud neighbor, Mr. Bear. He continued ripping through his log looking for grubs through the night making lots of noise. Didn't want to turn on my headlamp. Sometimes not knowing is the best way to deal with a loud Bear. Hoping that I triple wrapped the salmon trash really well.
After going through lava fields with an almost desert like landscape, the trail now became a thick deep forest. I really miss the high Sierra's!! Really, really love those Eastern Sierra's.
Second day hiked 24 miles to get to Maureen. Chatted with a volunteer PCTA trail crew. Doing beautiful work with a really nice camp. Propane showers, tents, mules, kitchen, water filters. This is an annual event and people from all over the country come to this Northern Calif. area to help with the PCTA trail maintenance. Trail boss is John Lyons. His daughter, just so happens to live in Lompoc, and is part of our local, Los Padres Backcountry Horsemen. John was also in our unit, but moved to Etna. Super nice guy. Offered me a fruit bowl and a coke - mid morning snack for PCTA hiker! Actually invited me to stay for dinner, but knew I could get caught in another Vortex and Maureen and Bodie would be somewhere on the trail.
Trail was up, down, up, down, more up and down through more thick forest. Saw a Big Buck (Mikal...I mean BIG!), Bear scat, another bear. Enough of the bear sightings. Found Bodie and Maureen coming up through the forest! Was great.
Bears - 3
Rattlesnakes - 9
Will be happy if neither increases at this point.
Chief
 |
| Dense forest walking for about 55 miles |
 |
| Going over that way...Mt. Shasta in the background |
 |
| PCTA Trail Crew kitchen |
 |
| more Kitchen..check out tree |
