Thru hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016!
We took a cab from Ashland back to the PCT. The cab driver spent some time telling us about a machine he built, that could control hurricanes. Rob wanted details and asked lots of questions. I tuned them out. Fortunately it was a quick drive back to the trailhead. Continue reading “Days 105 to 108 (Miles 1716.2 to 1818.4)”
The PCT follows roads for the 6.4 miles from Grider Creek Campground to the town of Seiad Valley. We heard that the trail was originally meant to cross the Klamath River on a pedestrian bridge, but as costs skyrocketed, the planners abandoned that idea and simply routed the trail along Highway 96. Continue reading “Days 102 to 104 (Miles 1647.0 to 1716.2)”
The PCT feels like the PCT again. We spent the last few days at higher elevations, traversing along ridge tops at 6000′ to 7000′ elevation. Poison oak and face gnats have been replaced with conifers and sweeping views. The mosquitoes are still around though. They don’t bother us while hiking, but they swarm as soon as we stop to set up camp. Continue reading “Days 96 to 99 (Miles 1498.7 to 1597.2)”
The trail between Burney Falls State Park and Interstate 5 felt like a green tunnel. We spent a lot of time in dense forest, but with brief glimpses of Mount Shasta while we were in burn areas or clear cuts. We also managed to find campsites on ridge tops with good views. Continue reading “Days 92 to 95 (Miles 1416.5 to 1498.7)”
We left Chester in a tow truck! We were hitchhiking on Main Street when a tow truck driver at a nearby mechanic shop asked if we were trying to get to the trailhead. He was heading to Chico to drop off a car, so he gave us a lift on the way. Continue reading “Days 88 to 91 (Miles 1328.8 to 1416.5)”
From our campsite at Lookout Rock, we hiked 26.9 miles to a strange little place called Belden Town. This was record mileage for us! With the trail getting less rocky and somewhat flatter, we’re averaging well over 20 miles per day. The bad news is we are now sore like we were when we first started this trail. Continue reading “Days 85 to 87 (Miles 1257.5 to 1328.8)”
We got a late start out of Sierra City. We were expecting a resupply box, but the post office there doesn’t open until 10am. I still woke up at sunrise and it was nice to relax all morning. We took our time making coffee and breakfast. Continue reading “Days 82 to 84 (Miles 1195.4 to 1257.5)”
Now that we’re north of Tahoe, and mostly out of the snow, we’re starting to see a lot of other hikers! Continue reading “Days 80 & 81 (Miles 1153.4 to 1195.4)”
Day 76 started at 1:30am when a gust of wind ripped one of our tent stakes out of the ground. The tent partially collapsed, waking us up. Wind gusts shook the tent violently for the rest of the night. It didn’t let up once we were on the trail. Continue reading “Days 76 to 79 (Miles 1114.7 to 1153.4)”
After spending the night at the mostly deserted Kirkwood ski area, we packed up and made our way back to the trail. As we left the hotel, Rob said “I hope whoever gives us a ride has donuts for us.” I laughed at his optimism. I was expecting a difficult hitchhike back to the trail. It didn’t seem like Highway 88 on a weekday morning would be an easy place to catch a ride, but it took all of about five minutes before somebody stopped. We made it to the Carson Pass trailhead in no time! Continue reading “Days 74 & 75 (Miles 1076.8 to 1114.7)”