Tag 81-89: Miles, Miles, Miles

Tag 81: Last night I probably had the best sleep on the trail so far. It could also be due to the THC gummy bear that I got from Ninja. Marijuana is legalized in California and she bought the pack in Lee Vining. I've only had one less great experience with a hash brownie in Amsterdam, but the THC gummy was really good. The whole evening was super relaxed and the sleep at night made it perfect. Warrior and I can only make a maximum of 15 miles today, as the 19-mile long Lassen National Park begins, where you need a bear canister to stay overnight. And we don't feel like doing a 30-mile day to cross the park today. So we sleep in and go back to Cravings for breakfast. After that, we'll spend some more time at the motel before we have to say goodbye to Ninja for good. This farewell is not easy, especially for Ninja. She not only has to say goodbye to us but also to the trail. The owner of the motel will take us back to the trail. We didn't expect that, so we didn't lose any time hitching. The 15 miles to Boundary Spring mostly go through burnt areas. When I arrive at Boundary Spring, I'm initially the only hiker, which is lucky. Because this way I can reserve the best campsites for us. Over time, more and more hikers arrive, and in the end, there are at least eleven tents here, including ours. I can see that many from my tent, it's possible that there are even more. So once again, we are stuck in a bubble that hopefully we will leave behind in the next few days.

Tag 82: Lassen Volcanic National Park has a lot to offer. Shortly after we set off, we reach a thermal geyser, where the water erupts as a large column of steam, after a short detour of 0.3 miles. A deer is not bothered by it and eats just a few meters in front of the geyser.

Just about a mile and a half later, a strong smell of sulfur suddenly fills the air. The source is Boiling Springs Lake. A sign warns against approaching the lake, as it could collapse and fall into the sulfur spring below.

The rest of the park has unfortunately been almost completely burned, only occasionally passing through small green islands. It's another hot day, and a little shade would have been very welcome. Especially the first ten miles of the day are very tough. Nevertheless, I have already covered 23.3 miles by 3:20 pm. When Warrior comes a little later, we decide to camp here as well. Since we want to spend July 4th in a town, it doesn't make sense to do more miles at the moment. We actually wanted to have breakfast at JJ's Café in Oldstation tomorrow, as it wouldn't have been much of a detour. However, I read on FarOut that the café is closed indefinitely. Definitely a little disappointing. However, there are ominous comments about the 'Trail Angel Cafe' at every waypoint in the area around mile 1380. Apparently, there is a trail angel there with drinks and snacks for the whole season. So we'll take our breakfast break there; I'm very curious about what awaits us.

Tag 83: I start on the trail at 6 am today, half an hour before Warrior. Because in eight miles, I want to do a short mile-long detour to and through Subway Cave, which she skips. On the way, we pass through a sparse pine forest that hasn't been burned. For about half a mile, I'm followed by two ravens flying from tree to tree and squawking down at me. I'm briefly reminded of my encounter with the falcon, but luckily, the two ravens keep their distance. Subway Cave is very impressive. Actually, it's not a cave but a lava-formed tunnel. I'm alone down there for about ten to fifteen minutes before I hear a group coming into the cave. It's a pleasant 8 degrees Celsius in the cave, and when I turn off my flashlight, it's pitch black. Unfortunately, camping is prohibited here, but I'm sure I would have had a very good sleep down here.

Back on the surface, we head to the Trail Angel Cafe, where I meet Warrior again. The 'cafe' is a trailer of a trail angel who lives in his van. He is on the Arizona Trail in spring and autumn, and he's here for the entire PCT season. He has water, sodas, first aid supplies, and today he also has fruit for us hikers. We chat while having a Mountain Dew and an apple. He himself is not a hiker but still wants to be part of the trail and loves to support us. He also gets to know a large part of the hikers of the season. I can understand the appeal of this kind of trail magic, and we are grateful for everything we receive.

While we are sitting there, we receive a message from Hasbeen. The 4th of July party in San Francisco is happening. However, we will be picked up at Interstate 5 on the 2nd. Warrior and I had planned to be there on the 3rd. That means we need to increase our daily mileage a bit and walk at least 25 miles every day for the next four days, preferably more, so that we have to do fewer miles on the last day. So after a good hour, we set off again. We walk along a ridge with a great view. We haven't had such a distant view for a long time, and I enjoy it very much, even though the ridge is very exposed and completely in the sun. Mount Lassen, which we have been circling in the past few days, can be seen behind us, and Mount Shasta, which we will approach in the coming days, can be seen in front of us. In the end, we cover 31.7 miles (51 kilometers) today, our new longest day on the trail. The next four days will definitely be tough, but I'm ready to face the challenge for a double zero and a 4th of July party in San Francisco with the tramily.

Tag 84: The first ten miles of the day are very easy. The trail is mostly well-maintained and mostly downhill. This means we arrive at the road to Burney in just over three hours. We also don't have to wait long for a hitch. The driver sees us and turns around specifically to take us to town. However, he's a bit strange, and Warrior, who is sitting in the passenger seat, is sitting right next to his gun. Additionally, one of his dogs, who are sitting in the bed of the pickup truck on which we also put our backpacks, bites into the foam mat that I borrowed from Warrior. That's very unfortunate, and now I'm missing a seating option. In Burney, we have breakfast at the Blackberry Patch. The portions are really big, and since I know that I still have a long way to go today, I don't finish my plate for the second time on the trail. After that, we go to the outfitter next door to buy new socks. Unfortunately, they don't have any insoles, but I get some from the pharmacy that seem to fit well so far. Then we go to Safe Ways for resupply. Fortunately, we only need food for two full days and two half days, so the backpack doesn't get too heavy. The last stop is the church. There is a community center with a sports hall where PCT hikers can stay for free and use the kitchen and shower. We quickly repack our backpacks there and head back to the trail, even though the temptation to stay in the church and the town is strong. We quickly get another hitch from a resident who drops us off and also takes us back into town. Simply unbelievable. Anyway, we're back on the trail just before 1 pm. The next ten miles are fast miles, and it takes us a little over three hours to cover them.

By now, it's very hot again. On the way, I'm very lucky and find a small Swiss army knife with scissors, which I can use because mine doesn't have any. When we reach Lake Britton Dam, things get interesting. The bridge over the dam is being renovated. So we are guided through the construction site by a construction worker. He's very interested in the trail. On the other side, we are approached by an older worker. He wants to know where we're coming from and tells us a little about the local dams, which is actually quite interesting.

After that, we tackle the final six miles to the campsite. About halfway there, we pass a rather strange man. He is shirtless, with a backpack on, his pants hanging far below his ass, and he has a dog with him. When I hear him talking to himself, I wait for Warrior so that we can pass him together. We briefly chat, and the man is definitely drunk or on drugs. Fortunately, he doesn't make it to our campsite. However, there are a lot of mosquitoes here again, and one managed to sneak into my tent. Luckily, while I was writing, it flew past my ear, and I heard it, so I was able to successfully eliminate it. Now I occasionally hear a strange deep popping sound. I have no idea what it could be, perhaps gunshots. But who starts shooting when it gets dark? Or it could be coming from the power plant, which is actually quite far away by now. In any case, a lot of strange things are happening today. In any case, we are very satisfied with the day because despite spending four hours in Burney with resupply and everything, we covered 26.4 miles, another marathon day, and we are right on schedule for July 2nd.

Tag 85: The strange popping sound from yesterday starts again in the morning. Otherwise, there is nothing much to report. The trail had some beautiful views of Mount Shasta today, which we have come much closer to. And the trail was sometimes extremely overgrown, so I had to raise my arms in a boxing-like stance to push the branches out of the way. Today, we covered over 30 miles again. On the one hand, it feels great to cover so much distance and make progress quickly. But it's physically and mentally exhausting as well. At a certain point, my feet just hurt from the constant pressure, yet I have to keep going. I'm glad when we're done tomorrow, because then it's only a half day on Saturday, and then we have two full days and two half days off.

Tag 86: Today we have another marathon day ahead of us, so we set off at 6 am again. By now, my body has accepted that I expect more from it. Although my feet still hurt, I'm fast again and able to cover many miles. When I come across a very large fallen tree after the first five miles, I hear something in the bushes. It's definitely something big, but no matter how much I look around, I can't see anything. Warrior later tells me that she saw a bear at this spot. I knew there was one. It's a shame that I still haven't seen one, but I'm happy for her. I still have a few miles to see one.

The trail is very fast most of the time today. During our lunch break, we meet Autograph, a section hiker who started three weeks ago. He lets hikers he gets to know better sign his PCT bandana. We'll meet him again in the evening and get to sign it as well. After the break, we only go 3.3 miles further to Squaw Valley Creek. We want to swim here because we won't be passing any water sources until Interstate 5, and tomorrow we won't be able to shower and will have to make do with a cat bath in a toilet. The river is beautiful, and the water is not as cold as expected. After the last few challenging days, the swim feels really good. Since we won't come across any water sources before Interstate 5, we decide to have dinner here and then do a few more miles, even though we've already done our marathon. But while we're sitting there and cooking, Autograph and a hiker named Max come by and invite us for pizza. Max hiked the PCT himself in 2018 and is now riding his motorcycle along the West Coast, doing some trail magic as well. Besides pizza, there's also beer, which Warrior and I share. While we're sitting and chatting with the two of them, it gets later and later. Eventually, we decide not to hike any further and camp here. We will be at Interstate 5 on time tomorrow anyway, and whether we're an hour earlier or later doesn't make much of a difference since we don't even know if we can do anything meaningful with that extra hour. So we prefer to have a relaxed and fun evening here by the river.

Tag 87: To get to I-5, we still have to climb a ridge. When we reach the ridge, Warrior has a reception. We're not going to San Francisco. Unfortunately, Hasbeen's friends, who were supposed to take us back to the trail, have canceled, and it's almost impossible to get back there by public transportation. So we'll spend July 4th in Mount Shasta. As we descend, we take a shortcut along the ridge and save about two miles. I agree with a comment on FarOut and call it a 'Beautiful Cut' because the view of Mount Shasta is fantastic, and the actual trail leads two miles through the forest. At the interstate, we are lucky again and are picked up by a trail angel in a camper who takes us to Mount Shasta. But before that, we have a piece of watermelon from the refrigerator, probably the best piece of melon I've ever had. In Shasta, we have lunch first, of course. Before going to the diner, we meet Sorry and Hasbeen. The joy of the reunion is huge. While we wait for a table and tell each other about our experiences, a man approaches us. After chatting about the trail for a while, he asks if he can treat us to breakfast and gives me $50 at the end. Shasta is a very hiker-friendly but also somewhat peculiar town. But more about that later. After the meal, Sorry leaves us again, as he is starting today, while we are staying for another two days. The rest of us go to a brewery/bike shop. We talk about our favorite subject, personal issues. Later, Nine Lives and Momma Cow join us, two hikers Warrior and I met in Chester. And Waterbaby appears out of nowhere, as is his way. Because of the upcoming 4th of July, the town is hosting a kind of town festival. Here, the peculiarity of Shasta becomes apparent. The streets are full of hippies, crystals are sold at the stands for and against everything imaginable, and there is a lot of other esoteric stuff. Additionally, there are enough people who like to talk about the 'Lemurians', either ghosts or extraterrestrials who are supposed to live under the mountain. At the same time, we are in Northern California, which means people lean towards Republicans and are more conservative and pro-gun. In any case, we spend the evening at the town festival. At some point, we are approached by Mike, who offers us to camp in his backyard. Since we only have a hotel room for the next two nights, we gladly accept. Mike can also be classified as a hippie. Judging by his appearance, he probably has Native American roots, but it could just be his style. He originally comes from Canada. At 9 pm, we go to Mike's place. We actually wanted to cowboy camp in the backyard. But just as we lie down, it starts raining and thundering, so we quickly move under the covered terrace. We politely decline Mike's offer to sleep in the living room, but we gladly use the bathroom. Due to the rain and maybe a beer or two, I sleep very well on Mike's terrace.
Tag 88: In the morning, we spend some more time with Mike, as he offers us to take a shower at his place. Hasbeen gets us coffee and avocado toast for breakfast, and while one by one takes a shower, we have breakfast and talk with Mike. He is a very interesting character. On the one hand, he is very spiritual and connected to nature, but at the same time, he is not a science denier and invests in stocks. He seems very much at peace with himself and is very inspiring to me. We say goodbye around noon. We make a quick stop at the outfitter, and I buy a new seat cushion since I have nothing to sit on anymore after the dog destroyed my mat. Then we have some delicious Indian food at the town festival, and a few locals invite us for beers. One of them is planning to hike the PCT next year, so we have a lot to talk about. Afterward, we can check into our room, but we go out immediately because Momma Cow has invited us for a BBQ at her hostel. There are burgers and hot dogs, and we play cornhole. We spend the rest of the afternoon in our room taking a nap because the night wasn't very restful. Later, we meet up with all the other hikers at the town festival again and have a great evening.

Tag 89: Today, Warrior and I get breakfast at a nearby café. There, we meet Waterbaby, who joins us. Today is July 4th, the reason why we are actually in town. But in the morning, I read the news about the shots fired at the parade in Chicago. And I had a very interesting conversation yesterday with a hiker named Rachel about July 4th. Before, I never really thought about it, but during the conversation, she showed me how wrong it actually is to celebrate in the way that it is done, and I can only agree with her. In any case, we lost our desire to celebrate. Instead, we meet up with Monarch for lunch. He is the hiker from whom we received trail magic just before Kennedy Meadows, about 800 miles ago. He and two friends who hiked the PCT with him last year wanted to climb Mount Shasta yesterday, but they didn't make it because of the thunderstorm. We get along great with Monarch's friends as well. Hikers are just a special kind of people, and we have such a great commonality that it probably shouldn't be surprising that we get along well with most hikers. In fact, I've hardly met any hikers that I wouldn't have a beer with at least. After the meal, Warrior and I resupply. Hasbeen postpones it until tomorrow as he will stay another day in town. While he was hiking alone, he met a hiker named Bambi, who will come to town tomorrow. And since the two of them are interested in each other, Hasbeen is waiting for her to hike with her. They will probably catch up with us sooner or later. At least I hope so, because from all the things I've heard about Bambi, I would like to get to know her. So far, I have only seen her from a distance; she was at Trailmagic at the same time as us. In the evening, we plan to have dinner in town, but we realize that almost everything is closed. In the end, we find a Thai restaurant that is open, and the food is really good. Afterwards, we end the day with wine in the hotel room and watch Independence Day, because what other movie should be on on July 4th? The double zero was good for recovery, but I really can't wait to get back on the trail.