Day 101

Water cache 22 to burney mountain guest ranch - 16.6 miles

Total - 1411.3 miles

We haven’t been the first ones out of camp in awhile and today was no exception. Scrub-a-dub got out with a couple others before Caleb and I left but with a zero day in our eyes, we were on a mission. Quickly we zoomed pass the first girls and then leap frogged the guys. I didn’t caffeinate but I was still feeling speedy. The burrito yesterday really got me into the mind of town and that’s all I wanted. Beautiful views of Shasta and lassen all morning with a brilliant sunrise coloring the entire valley below us orange. I lost Caleb pretty early on. I looked down and then up and he was gone but before he dusted me I saw him up ahead looking into a bush curiously about to poke something. I got closer and peaked into the bush expecting a bird or a small chipmunk as they are always rustling in the bushes as we past. Instead I saw something black and white staring back at me, which quickly turned around showing us it’s ass. I pull back very calmly, cool and collected and simply but assertively stated that it was a skunk. We immediately ran away like the lil girls we are counting our blessings we didn’t get sprayed. After, I officially lost Caleb to the speed demon he is when caffeinated. I descended into the valley, cursing as I went as I kept tripping on every jagged rock, stubbing my toes time after time. I wasn’t going to stop though as again the town was just so close. I eventually pulled up on scrubadub, which he surprisingly said he normally never gets passed on trail and that we were some speed demons. I was very happy with that. Hiking with the guys has trained me well. But when I pass someone who I know is fast, I gotta go faster so it doesn’t feel like I’m being followed so I booked it the next 5 miles, practically running. Still tripping though. I didn’t really enjoy it until we hit a fishery and electrical facility which opened up to a very pretty meadow and lake. The dragonfly’s were all about, and I saw two pelicans on the pond which reminded me of utah and working up at the preserve last summer. I still have two miles to go so I ran up the hill and made my way onto the dirt road under some electrical lines. Two bald eagle nests were on top of the towers which made for a cool entrance to the resort. I met Caleb and rocklicker out front after signing in and getting my free soda. Rocklicker skipped up from Chester to rest his foot but he’s still going to take a week off as his dad is coming out to surprise him and let him rest some more. He’s hanging with us until then tho! We played a game where we tried to hit a rock in the hole of an orange cone. Took us so long but there was an order, one by one, we threw and completely missed. Scrubadub joined when he got to the ranch. Eventually Caleb hit and that meant we could drink. Sadly there were no beers so we decided to get a hitch into burney to 1. Get beers and 2. Resupply. We walked down to get a hitch and were horribly unsuccessful. Even the ranch owners passed with some other hikers and didn’t fucking take us. We decided to walk to the trailhead which as we were pulling up a car stopped for some other hikers. We ran over to beg to be brought with them. Luckily the lovely lady agreed and we all squeezed in (Caleb, rocklicker, wolfie, me, and the two other hikers). We went to our fav place grocery outlet to resupply and buy two thirty racks as we were doing another case race. I tried to go grab my package but it wasn’t there sadly so I might have to bump it to Shasta. We then got a hitch within 2 minutes of being on the curb from a guy in a truck who ended up giving Caleb some fresh grown weed. He didn’t have a bag so he just put it in Caleb’s hands like the peasant Caleb is. “May I have some more please” said in a sad child’s British accent. We got back to the ranch and promptly at 3pm we started the case race. Caleb and wolfie were team, rocklicker and I, and Ben from Boston with scrubadub. We couldn’t get anyone else to join bc no one is as fun as us. I fully knew we were gonna lose so I didn’t put that much effort in. I started off slow bc last time I was DYING. Everyone else went straight in, chugging beers like their life depended on it. It was a mix of coors and bud lite. Caleb’s team had all budlite so it made sense that they won. Photo finish between the other two teams with scrubadub tapping Ben to finish his drink, Caleb realizing that they were close and pounding back the last beer. After, scrubadub and wolfie threw up lol. I was feeling great, the perfect drunk even. I drank 3.1 beers by the time we finished, with Caleb drinking 7 beers in 24 minutes. He did 8.5 last time in 35 minutes I believe. Absolute fraternity unit of a man. All the training he did in high school and college led up to these moments and boy did they pay off as now he is 2/2 wins of case race on trail. After we all had to sit the fuck down. We chilled by the pool chit chatting and listening to music before heading to all you can eat dinner for 26$ which is a hikers literal dream. It was good too as it was bbq chicken, mash potatoes, salad bar, pasta, and break rolls. I was in heaven. I got two plates with two salads. Ben from Boston went back 5 times because he is a bottomless pit of a person on trail. They eventually brought out homemade chicken tenders which were amazing followed by a blondie cookie and ice cream. We headed back out to the pool and again, chit chatted it up while smoking. I’m truly loving the most dirtbag life. I have never smoked this much in my life but when I’m offered free weed and I don’t have do anything, you have to take the opportunities while you can. Plus Caleb rolls pins (new pothead word I just learned) so it’s the perfect amount. Caleb was chirping me to have more confidence when talking to new people especially in a group so that’s what I’m personally working on. New goal unlocked. My other goal was to actually relax on zero days so that’s the other mission. Eventually scrubadub called it a night around 9, and that’s all I needed to hear as I followed. I was getting eaten by mosquitos so it was time. We are in a shared bunk room so stealth and another guy were already in bed. I tried to be as quiet as I could but it was all ruined when I got into bed and all the guys came in lol. They weren’t that bad but way noises than me.