2021 Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hike

Day 124

+5

Day 123

I woke this morning around 5:30 again. It was very cold and somehow with condensation I’d become very wet. It was not great. We all got up and headed to the well. I had cooked a hot breakfast which I never do. We were, like everyone else around us, hiking the road alternate. It would be 10 miles on a road and save us 6 trail miles. Thin Mint, AB, and myself all hiked up the road. My feet hurt but shortly it was over. I was feeling really down this morning. Like I wanted to go home for good. And like I should give up on HikerFeed. I was in a funk for sure. I talked a lot with Thin Mint and AB about it. When we arrived back at the trail there were almost 20 hikers getting dropped off in cars who’d ridden around the trail rather than the road walk. I sat and talked with Thin Mint for a while longer and then kept hiking. I started to feel a bit better. My mood picked up. Soon I was able to make a few phone calls and that cheered me up too. I realized I only had 3 weeks left as of tomorrow until I finished. I could do that. The trail climbed up a ridge where I had a view to the south of Mt. Hood. Then it wound up and I could see Mt. Adams. Shortly it came down and north and I could see Mt. Saint Helens and it’s crooked, blown of top. The trail was thick and lush full of pine. We passed through meadows and by lots of beautiful little ponds and lakes. Some were turquoise. The ground was soft and the climbs were minimal. The air was cool and despite a thick forest a nice breeze rolled through. Right before camp I ran into a father and son. They chatted with me and gave me a nectarine and a bag of homemade macaroons. Nice score. We camped by a beautiful lake tonight just us three. It’s cold and quiet and I’m trying to get better at adjusting to my new normal, which is ringing in my ears when it’s peaceful and quiet. I feel a lot better but I’m still ready to go home soon.

+9

Day 122

I woke around 5:30am today. The earliest day in a while. It was so very cold out but I stayed warm all night. Robin gave me her new insulated inflatable sleeping pad and I tried it last night. I have never slept on one before and it was okay. My back hurt a little bit but I can’t tell if it was from the slope of the ground or not. I left camp at 6:40. The trail was very cold and wet. Branches and grass soaked me all morning. A heavy fog was over the trail. I felt sad and wanted to go home. I’m too affected by the weather. The sun came out shortly after and I felt a lot better. I passed by a campsite where there were close to 10 tents still there. I stopped for a break about 9 miles in and loads of hikers were around. The trail was gorgeous today. It dipped down into lush, mossy forests with massive ferns and leaves. Then it climbed high with the most fragrant pines I’ve smelt yet. The sun was warm but the air was still very cold. I took another break then pushed on. We had two big climbs today but I was done with them. I hiked on and eventually came to the road where we’d camp. Panther Creek Campground. A woman gave us trail magic. I tried to drink a sprite but it was too sugary and gross. AB and I walked and eventually found a campsite at the campground. The large group rolled in after us. We finished 25 miles by 5:30. That felt good.

+9

Days 118 - 121

Trail days was a success. We had lots of people show up and lots of interest in the app. One person who bought a hat in 2019 came back and bought 5. Another person who has been an early adopter of the app came by to say hey and show me a bunch of mushrooms I could identify on trail. Someone went home with a brand new pack we gave away. I felt overwhelmed with all the friends that showed me so much support. I have made some great friends and met wonderful people and they all came to support me and brought others along. Robin was a great great help with the booth. I am happy and thankful for a great few days. —- I rode with Robin to the airport this morning. I said goodbye but this time it will only be for a few weeks. Much less than the last time. I had to ship home some stuff and then I had breakfast with Jeremy who picked me up at the downtown Portland REI. I snagged a new jacket and grabbed a stove for Roller. He dropped me back off where AB had waited for me at the cafe. I was ready to leave Cascade Locks. We left around 1pm and walked in the cold mist. I was not thrilled but I was happy for good company. The trail was thick and lush with green and ferns and water. We saw so many hikers and it felt nice to run into folks I hadn’t seen in a while. I saw Benni-Hanna who I last saw in Wrightwood, and Mugs, and Rhapsody. I last saw them on our ride to Acton around the closures. It has been so long. We all sat and ate dinner by a spring that was down a very very steep trail. Thin Mint showed up but went on since there were no good campsites. I think within a day ahead and behind us there are 50-100 hikers. The sky cleared but the temp significantly dropped tonight. I’m trying a new pad that Robin lent me. An inflatable. Should keep me very warm.

+9

Day 117

I woke early this morning from a sharp pain on my thigh. I thought maybe I rolled weird and pulled my hair out in that area but it hurt worse than that. I tried to sleep but the pain pulsated. I pulled my leg out and found a large welt on my leg. I had been bitten or stung. I took my blankets off and looked around and found nothing. This means somehow an insect crawled into my tent, into my sleeping bag, into my liner and stung me. Somehow I fell back asleep despite the fear of this insect crawling on my face. I woke back up to a misty morning. We made coffee and took it slow. It was cold and I didn’t want to get out of my tent. Soon, the tent was hit by an orange glow. The sun was out! I was so excited after a miserable day yesterday. I peeked out and saw an amazing sight. Rays of sunshine peeked around a tree and through the fog. It was gorgeous. We left camp around 8:30. An improvement from yesterday. The trail had loads of blow downs, which we knew about. They slowed us because we constantly had to climb up and over and up and over. And sometimes we’d have to go way off trail, bushwhack, then come back to the trail. The sun was out and we were happy it was warm and the air was cool. We smelt smoke and looked back at Mt. Hood and sadly could not see it at all from smoke approaching us. We couldn’t see Mt. Adams or Mt. St. Helens. Smoke was in every direction but around us. We stopped for lunch and I dried out my tent. I saw a bug crawling and walked over to my tent. Sure enough there was a Yellowjacket inside my tent which was zipped shut. This seems like the culprit for the mid night sting. I felt relieved it wasn’t something worse. From here we split off the PCT for the famous Eagle Creek Trail down to Cascade Locks. It was supposed to be a very beautiful trail with waterfalls and all sorts of views. It started extremely steep, losing 2k feet in 2 miles. Both our knees were feeling it. We finally joined a mellow trail and it gently wound us down. We saw lots of little waterfalls and creeks. This trail had a massive fire near it in 2017 and we could see the effects of it all. It was burned for miles and miles. Eventually we made it to Eagle Creek and followed along it. Suddenly the trail is on extremely steep cliffs and cables to hold as you walk by. I was terrified. I am very scared of heights. I had to have Robin lead, keep a steady pace, but not too fast. I didn’t really like it. I couldn’t look down or to the side. Just forward. We made it to the famous Tunnel falls where you get to walk through a tunnel behind a gorgeous green waterfall. Again it was scary but beautiful. We stayed on this trail for several miles and looked into a deep gorge below. Eventually we made it to the parking lot. We met an older gentlemen who offered us a ride to town. We happily accepted. I was proud of Robin for doing a big day and only taking one short break. I am now in Cascade Locks, the border of Oregon and Washington. I have just 505 miles left and hope to be done in just under a month. I’ll be in town for the next few days for PCT Days.

+9

Day 116

I was woken in the early morning hours by Robin. She said she thought it was raining outside since our vestibules were open and rain would get in. I have only had rain on this trail one time aside from thunderstorms. So I said it wasn’t rain, just debris falling from trees. Robin put her hand outside to feel the rain and it was rain. So we zipped up. The rain continues all morning long. I stayed in my tent for the longest I have yet. We didn’t leave till 9. It was cold and miserable. A classic Pacific Northwest day. Fog covered all the mountains around us and a light mist fell. We walked through a massive canyon where silty water runs to the Sandy River with glacial melt. We had to cross on a slippery log and a crowd of folks were too scared. So I went first and then they all followed. We had a pretty steep climb up into beautiful ancient forest. The trees were massive and majestic. Robin and I chatted lots and supplemented podcasts in here and there. We stopped for a short break but didn’t sit down since everything was wet. We pushed down to Lolo pass where we were met with amazing trail magic. Two groups of people were doing magic for us. There was a tent for us to sit in where we could stay dry. The rain was now pouring intensely. I shivered for the better part of an hour. I hate being soaked to the bone and cold. I ate food and tried to dry out. A woman turned on a propane fire and handed us umbrellas. I almost cried when I felt the warm air float up to my face and stay warm under my umbrella. We stayed there for about 30 minutes and pushed on. I was reluctant to push on but I knew we should hike a little more. Plus, the fire had dried me out quite a bit. We did another 4.5 miles and I was shivering and numb all over again. I couldn’t feel my fingers. We stopped and setup and got inside and lit my stove to dry out. I burnt my finger hair completely off trying to dry out my numb hands. We laid and napped since it was only about 5pm and we’d only done just over 12 miles. I didn’t care. These days suck. I’d rather be warm. We made dinner and relaxed. We have a 25 mile day into Cascade Locks tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be dry and 10° warmer than today’s 45° high. Plus, we’ll descend 2000 feet.

+9

Day 115

We woke today around 6:30am. I slept well but I was tired. I wished we could’ve slept in but I wanted to get moving. The lake was so quiet and beautiful. When we arrived last night the moon was reflecting off it so brightly. We broke camp and left around 7:30. The trail was beautiful and the air was cool. The sun peeked in through the trees and made the forest golden. I had Robin lead the way and set the pace since it was her first day on trail. Boy, was she slow! Just kidding. She kept a great pace. We passed by an old parking lot at Barlow Pass where I used to camp by myself 5 years ago. That was weird to see. At this parking lot we cross the old Barlow Road which was one of the routes of the Oregon Trail. I have always been fascinated by that so I stopped to walk down it a bit. We hiked on and took a nice break at a water source. Having company for a break was just so wonderful all over again. It made me realize how much I’ve missed having Rugy out here. Regardless, I was glad to have Robin out here. We pushed a little more and came out of the woods and had a grandiose view of Mt. Hood. Wildflowers lined the ashy trail. Each step was challenging as it ascended and our feet sunk into deep sand. We skirted a massive canyon where glacial melt roared below. Shortly we had a glimpse of Timberline Lodge. We stopped in for lunch and I saw Big Bird. I introduced her to Robin and we chatted. She’d been stuck in horrible smoke after she tried to jump ahead to Olallie Lake and instead got a ride to where we started last night. We looked in the distance and saw a massive smoke plume and smoke south of us and covering all of the eastern sky. I was glad we moved ahead and weren’t in that thick mess. Timberline Lodge is the lodge from the Shining. At least all the outdoor shots. I’ve been here loads of times before but it was fun to be back as a hiker. The place was overrun by dozens of us. We went to the famous buffet and sadly didn’t eat too much. My favorite was a Belgian waffle with thick, house made whipped cream, topped with strawberries. We ate until we were too full, rested for 30 minutes and hit the trail. Again the views were gorgeous. We followed along gorges and meadows and had excellent views of the peak above and then finally made it to camp. It was a gorgeous and lovely day. I was so happy to be out here. It’s such a wonderful feeling having Robin here and having fun. I feel like I haven’t in a while.

+9

Days 112 - 114

Robin got in at nearly 1am this morning after flight issues. I took her around town to get breakfast and run a few errands. I booked us massages with the best massage therapist I’ve ever been to. Someone I used to see when I lived in Bend. We went to see Mt. Joy and Trampled by Turtles later at night. — Robin and I decided to take one more zero rather than heading back out on trail. We were tired and since she got in so late we wanted to give time to enjoy a day off without all the errands of a zero. I didn’t mind. We ended up meeting up with Bougie, Clockwork, and JPRO for dinner and redeemed our free beer at Crux. — We woke late this morning and were so tired. We were able to arrange a ride to McKenzie Pass since that section opened up. It was only because I had a friend who wasn’t working today. We drove to Sisters and got lunch and coffee. We talked it over and we decided for logistics we’d just go hitch from 97 up to the end of the fire closure. Otherwise we’d have to hike 17 miles today and then figure out a 100 mile hitch tomorrow without the help of friends since they’re all working tomorrow. We were driven to Terrebonne by a friend who had no AC. It was 102° out and so he left us ar a grocery store and we tried to hitch for an hour. It was so hot and miserable and nobody even came close to stopping. Instead, someone said “I don’t envy you at all. It’s 102° out today”. Nice of him. Steven called and said now that it’s cooler he’d drive us. So he came around 6:30 and drove us the remaining hour and a half to the end of the closure. Again I felt bad about missing these miles but this is literally what the PCTA suggests on their website. So we were doing what we should. Robin and I hiked out 1.8 miles to a campsite I used to frequent years ago when I was in Portland. It’s so nice to have the company.

Day 111

I woke this morning after a rough sleep. For some reason I just couldn’t stay asleep long. I think it was because I was so hot most of the night. I left camp second to last. Big Bird left after me. The trail was beautiful and the air was already warm. The trail wound down a ridge and through a meadow. It climbed up and I stopped to lol back and had a gorgeous view of the sisters. I was glad to finally be out on this part of the trail. I hiked on and had amazing views of all the cascades around me and massive lava fields. The trail went through a large burn area from 2017 fires but fire weed grew brightly along the sides of the trail. A volunteer for the forest service asked to check my permit since there are new permit rules this year in this area. The last mile of the trail was on exposed lava fields with no trees and views for as far as the eye can see. It wasn’t fun to walk on but at least it was pretty around me. I made it to McKenzie pass and was offered a ride into Sisters by Big Bird’s ride. I gladly took it and made it back to Bend fairly quickly and showered at Cody’s before heading to my hotel to wait for Robin. I grabbed dinner with Planner and Thankful later at night. It was so nice to see them again.

+9

Day 110

I woke this morning at Cody’s house. He had planned to take me to the trail. A little over a week ago I got off trail to head home for my cousin, Brody’s funeral. It was so nice to see family and spend such quality time with them. It was obviously hard to be at the service too. It’s impossible for me to accept that Brody is gone at this moment. It just felt like he was missing. Some nights lately I wake up with that thought. That he’s gone. But I have to take a deep breath and tell myself I can’t think of that in the middle of the night. Anyway, it was a good but short trip. I landed in Portland on Sunday night and stayed with one of my best friends on the planet, Dirty Peanut. She is a friend from the AT who just moved to Portland. I spent the night and she drove me to Bend on Monday night where I crashed with my friend Cody. I came down with a cold that night and decided not to head out on Tuesday either. I arrived this morning at the Elk Lake trailhead. I decided to not do the 58 miles from highway 138 to Shelter Cove. I’d already done Shelter Cove to Elk Lake in years past and didn’t feel like doing that over. So, I missed another 58 miles of the trail but I’ve decided to make up for it by taking a shuttle to Olallie Lake rather than Government Camp. That’ll add back almost that many miles. I hiked alone for a good part of the day. I stopped for a short break and met a guy named Mando (I think). The view was gorgeous. I sat and looked over a large meadow and at the south side of South Sister. I hiked through the meadow and it was just wonderful. I really enjoyed the view and the hike. I took my next break at an ice cold creek in a meadow where I met Big Bird. I hiked on and the trail started to go behind Middle Sister on the east. I thought of my grandparents since I’d taken them out to see these very mountains a couple years ago. The trail was filled with meadows and gorgeous views of all the mountains around. I met up with some folks who Planner and Thankful introduced me to. They knew me but I didn’t remember their names somehow. Either way, they invited me to camp with them. I hiked another 5 miles to Obsidian Falls. It was a gorgeous waterfall covered in moss. The water ran over lava rocks and obsidian chunks. Obsidian was strewn about all over like broken glass. I breaked with the others then headed on. The trail followed a creek and then went by mounds of shiny obsidian as far as I could see. It was so cool! The trail headed up on lava rocks and climbed steeply. It was also so cool. There was a massive lava flow for miles and miles. I made it to camp with everyone and I sat and ate dinner. They were very friendly and I enjoyed their company. I did 25 miles today and it feels good to be back. Tomorrow night I get to see Robin and hike with her for a while.

+9

Day 101 - Crater Lake

I woke early this morning at the backpacker campground. Legend was there and made us pancakes and coffee. Shit Kicker and I decided to leave and hike together. We stayed close as we hiked to the approach of the Rim Trail. We stopped for water at the visitor center and had our first glimpse of Crater Lake. It was gorgeous. We took photos and hiked along. We stopped for a snack on the rim and took in the views. We didn’t really see any other hikers for the whole day. We took one more break and then I pushed on another 7 or 8 miles to a water cache. My toes were so numb. My shoes are way overused and so I’m causing nerve damage to my toes by the continual pounding of my feet. I know this is common but it’s still very uncomfortable. I should’ve had my new shoes sent long ago. I stopped at the cache and met someone who had hiked this year but had to get off because his father wasn’t doing well. He was in a sprinter and waiting to meet friends later in the night. He gave me a seltzer water and I drank it despite not loving the carbonation. He gave me a tour of his sprinter and I waited about an hour for Shit Kicker to arrive. I decided that I wanted to hitch to Bend tonight. I have 60 miles to do in 2 days and I am beat. I’d rather get to town tonight and worry about those miles later. I walked to the road and heard a car coming. Before I even got on the road I raised my thumb above the embankment hoping the car would see it. Sure enough the driver stopped and drove me an hour and a half to Bend. Just like that. I’ll be flying out two mornings from now to head home for my cousin’s service and for family time.

+7

Day 100 - Mazama Village

I woke at 5am today. It was dark and cold out and I didn’t feel like getting up. So I ate breakfast in my sleeping bag and eventually got moving at 6:30. The trail was very flat and gentle. It was cool and beautiful. I walked for a while and then decided to put on podcasts for a while. I had service for a couple hours and called Robin. The trail wound around a rim and had a great view of Mt. McGloughlin behind us. I stopped for my first break about 9 miles in and kept it to about 10 minutes. Then I made it to 14 miles and filled up on water. Sadly there was no reliable or decent water on trail for 23 miles. So I carried 3 liters which sucked. It was so heavy and I felt sluggish. I hiked and the day got very hot. I’d done 20 miles by around 2pm. I had to do around 37 to get to Mazama village at Crater Lake. I was bored and my feet hurt and I was tired but I pushed and pushed and pushed until I made it to the road. I got there just after 7pm and walked the road to the visitor center area. I got to camp and I met up with Shit Kicker, who I hadn’t seen since Kearsarge Pass. I was so happy to see a familiar face and he reciprocated and said he’d been so lonely too. So we agreed to hike together for a few days. I made dinner and am in my tent. A long day but a great end.

+9

Day 99

I woke this morning around 7 and headed out to get some delicious bagels at The Little Shop of Bagels. I had two lox bagels with the works. I went to do some laundry and then came back to meet up with Planner and Thankful. I sorted food and got ready to head out. I thought it through and for time sake I decided to shuttle to Fish Lake, where I’d left off with friends a couple years ago. It was 55 miles ahead and would put me in a good place to get ahead of the group even more when I head home for the service. The hope is I’m ahead of them enough that they meet up with me when I’m back. I’ll have to be off for 5 days so we shall see. I got to the trail around 2:30 and headed up. We had a “climb” but I was wondering the whole time when it would start. It was so gradual and nice. My feet hurt from the weight of my pack but otherwise the hiking was easy. I didn’t see a single hiker for hours. I got to a water 11 miles in and decided to camp even though it was only 6pm. The next water was 11 miles and I read there was a lot of bear activity at the next several campsites. So I stayed and chatted with some section hikers. I made ramen that I couldn’t finish and then set up for bed. I’m going to attempt to do 38 to Mazama Village tomorrow. I’m so glad to be in Oregon.

+5

Day 98 - Ashland

I woke around 6 this morning and headed out. I slept peaceful my first night alone. I could hear the water trickling all night. The last climb was not bad but a little tiring. The trail wound through beautiful wildflower meadows and what seemed to be ancient volcanic flows. I didn’t sit down for 8 or 9 miles and took a short break. I called Cam and Ash for the majority of the hike into town. I had great service. I got to the road and immediately was offered a ride. I took it. I got to my hotel, showered, then headed out for groceries and lunch. I got food and swapped socks at the gear shop. Then came back and had dinner delivered. I even had Ben and Jerry’s delivered. I laid around and FaceTimed Robin. Planner texted me and asked if they could crash on my floor later. I said it was fine and they eventually arrived around 11pm. It was nice to have their company. I’m glad to be in Oregon. Someplace familiar.

+7

Day 97 - Oregon

I woke today around 6:15. I didn’t really want to get up but I was so excited to get to Oregon that I did anyway. There was one last substantial climb out of California and I was at the base. Somehow I got to the top in no time. It felt great. It was only short climbs till the border. I pushed for about 12 miles and then took my first quick break at Alex Hole Spring. The guy who wouldn’t let me pass showed up, sat right near me, asked where the water was, then said nothing else. I drank a Gatorade mix Robin had got me and it was so cold and delicious and tasted like the real thing. It was wonderful. I pushed on the remaining 8.5 to the border. I stopped only once to check out the cabin since it was rumored to have trail magic. I got a liter of water from a cache in there then pushed the .5 to the border. I could see a little sign and a register and got so elated. I was cheering to myself and couldn’t stop smiling. I’d done it. Shortly after, Spurs, who I had just met, came up and we celebrated together and chatted and ate. It was so nice to have company while celebrating. I pushed on and called everyone I knew to tell them the news of making it to Oregon. I felt a new sense of excitement for the trail. Like it was achievable. It was wonderful to have that energy again. The trail wound along grassy hills with volcanic rock jutting out and strewn about. Then it came into a beautiful valley with cows below and flowers and tall grass about. A thunderstorm sprayed light rain on me and threatened to open up on me. I kept seeing lightning and hearing thunder but thankfully the storm moved north. I had planned to do 37 earlier in the day but decided I’d stop at 33.2. It was enough for me. I was beat. I arrived at camp at 7:30. That was good time, in my opinion. I made dinner and set up my tent. It’ll be my first night alone here unless someone shows up. I’m relaxed and looking forward to a great sleep tonight. I can’t believe I made it to Oregon!!

+9

Day 96

I woke this morning to a quiet camp. Nobody was around. I slept so well and felt completely refreshed after such a long day. I left around 7 and started the long 7 mile slog to town. We were on roads the whole time. I didn’t really enjoy it. My feet hurt from the hard surface. I made it to town by 9 and had breakfast at the cafe. I had to wait till 12 for the post office to open. I met up with Mango and Slice again which was nice. There were so many hikers there. After I got my package I walked down to Wildwood cafe and hung with mango and slice and charged and used WiFi and eventually ordered food. I had a blackberry milkshake earlier and then got a chocolate caramel one here. I hung for a long time. The place was packed with hikers. I met a new man, Breezy. He said he wanted to do the road walk alternate and we agreed to leave together. The trail had another 5 miles or overgrowth and burn area and I had no desire to do it. Especially with all the poison oak. So we walked the 12 miles on forest roads instead. It was much better. I learned that Breezy runs a whiskey bar in Portland. We had a nice chat. At one point two pit bulls ran out of someone’s house and chased us. One was massive. We fumbled for our poles and yelled at them and they didn’t come all the way at us. Their owner climbed up, holding onto poison oak to pull herself up the hill, and called them away. It was eventful. We rolled into camp around 10pm. 21 miles to Oregon! Last night in CA!

+4

Day 95

I woke today to some light and intermittent rain. The sky was dismal and I felt depressed because of it. I didn’t know a single person I was camping with and I felt very lonely. I left around 6:30 and headed out. The rain was enough for me to throw my rain fly on but not my jacket. I hiked on and got enough service to make a short phone call and called my mom. I lost service within 15 minutes and hiked a steep climb as the rain came down. I don’t really enjoy hiking in exposed, treeless areas, so I didn’t enjoy this. Plus it was raining. I didn’t see anyone for over an hour. I took a break at 10 miles in. A quick one. I pushed another 5 and had a longer break with a couple guys I hadn’t met before. They seemed a little grumpy about hikers having to jump up around the closure. Oh well. I pushed another 5 miles to the last water for 6 or so miles and grabbed some. My stupid filter is so slow after I spent 30 minutes flushing it. So filtering is now a long chore again. I hiked on and had service so I made a few phone calls. I had originally planned to do 42 miles but there was way more climbing than I anticipated. However it was all downhill now. I changed my mind to shoot for just under 36. The trail was miserable. It was so grown in and had so many down trees and massive amounts of poison oak. I refused to stop and kept going. I pushed and pushed. I came up to an older man and I asked if I could pass when it was safe. He said “go ahead” and wouldn’t move aside and kept walking. I said “well, it’s hard to pass on this narrow trail unless you move over.”. He then rudely said “yeah, exactly”, as if my request to walk around him was unreasonable. I found wide enough trail and brushed by him and sped on. What a jerk. I made it to camp just after 8pm. I washed all the poison oak off myself and then made dinner and laid in my tent and ate it. There’s one other gentlemen here who I haven’t met. So far, my biggest day. 35.8.

+9

Day 94

I woke today after an extremely hot and sleepless night at Lori’s. It was a wonderful place to stay and I’m not ungrateful but it was hot. I had 3 fans on me. I had to get up and soak my head and body with a face cloth to attempt to cool down. I walked to the PO and bounced my box to Seiad Valley since I didn’t need it. I got a quick snack for the trail then got some breakfast. I saw Planner and Thankful and we caught up. Apparently they’d been worried about me. I was glad to see them. We made tentative plans of where to camp and I said I’d love to hike to Oregon with them. I ate my food and headed back to the house. I laid around for a couple hours until Lori’s daughter was able to take me to the trail. I hiked slowly and sluggishly to start. I was tired and my ankles ached a bit. I barely saw anyone. I passed two hikers, one who was playing a harmonica. I didn’t see someone else for about 2 hours. There was cell service so I called Robin and had a quick bar. Then I pushed quickly to camp so I could arrive before dark. The trail wound the shape of the mountains. It was quiet and lonely. The smoke was at least gone, so that was good. I saw one more man camping about an hour after the last one but just kept moving. At one point I heard what I thought was a cowbell coming from a meadow steep below me. I stopped and listened. It was very active wind chimes. Or that’s what it sounded like. It was creepy and I didn’t understand why or how it would be there. I moved even quicker and pushed to camp. There was only one real spot left that was very uneven. I took it. I cooked dinner and got water next to a group of like 8 hikers cowboy camping on the lake. That’s not something I care to do. There are all kinds of weird bugs crawling around and giant salamanders in the lake. Hike your own hike. Tomorrow I’m attempting a 42.2 mile day.

+8

Days 92 - 93

I woke today with a scratchy throat. I kept waking up in the night and covering my face with my shirt to filter the smoke. My eyes burned too. The smoke had sunken a bit into the valleys below but it was still very present. I left around 7 and started on. I was so tired from my lack of sleep. The climb we had was almost nonexistent yet it took so much out of me. I took my first break after about 7 miles for some water and a snack. I felt so sluggish. I met up with Thankful and Planner. I pushed on listening to podcasts and audiobooks to pass the time and keep me moving. It was flat but I was just too tired. I crossed a trailhead with lots of cars and considered hitching to town from there but didn’t know if it was possible. I pushed on another 3 miles. I met up with the other two at the water and I had noticed the smoke was closing in again in the same fashion as the day before. It was very very thick again. I didn’t want to be stuck in the smoke again so I talked it out with them and I decided I was going to head back to the trailhead and hitch to town. I have never turned around before and hiked back on any trail like this but it just felt like the right choice. I felt very sick from the smoke. I got to the trailhead and and waited for quite some time before seeing anyone. I finally asked a couple and they didn’t seem to want to give me a ride. I asked another two women later and they said they didn’t have room. A minute later I heard “hey orange shirt, we’re making room for you!”. I was glad and I squeezed in. The ride was very long and windy and I was carsick as usual. They actually gave me Dramamine which was nice. They were only going to go so far but offered to take me all the way to Etna. I arrived to dozens of hikers and even worse smoke than where I was picked up from. Every place was booked. I tried my best to hitch to Yreka and had no luck. Some man pulled up and offered to take me to his friend’s house who hosts hikers. I arrived at Lori’s house and she was extremely friendly. She was recently widowed and lived only with someone she said was her pseudo daughter. She gave me a bed and laundry and a shower. There was no AC in the room but it was still great. I went out for dinner with two other hikers she hosted, Slice and Mango. — The next day I decided to zero since the smoke was no better than the day before. I just laid around almost all day until I went to get dinner. By nightfall the sky had cleared substantially. I’m hoping it clears so I can head out tomorrow.

+7

Day 91

I woke around 6 in the hotel and kept snoozing my alarm until about 8. It was so nice to sleep in. I showered and packed everything up and went to get coffee and breakfast with Little Bag and Slice. In no time I had a hitch back to the trail. We had a long climb up behind Castle Crags. It was pretty but also very very hot. The forecast said 102° in Dunsmuir. There was smoke in the distance when I started and it slowly came closer to us. Within an hour we were covered in smoke. It kept getting worse and worse. I was worried. I made it 17.5 and called family because I felt stressed about the smoke. I talked with a group who I had been leapfrogging and they encouraged me to move forward and invited me to hike with them. I’d met them both before, Planner and Thankful. We hiked together and had dinner together and the smoke was getting better. It seemed to sink into the valleys and we were up higher. In total we did 28 miles today and hiked till almost 11. It was a stressful day but I’m glad we did a big day to attempt to get away from the smoke.

+9