Tag: PCT2014

Day 103: July 14th
Mile 1391.2 to Mile 1412.8

The weather forecast was for 100 degree temperatures and it delivered.

The day started out nice enough. Pleasant, almost cool, temperatures as we started hiking the Hat Creek Rim were we stopped in the dark the night before (a few miles before the lookout tower site). Cache 22 was stocked and we found Coppertone there serving his trademark root beer floats. These were our third floats from Coppertone in four encounters.

And then, the day got warmer and warmer and warmer. 110 degrees if Weather Underground is correct. It kind of took the joy out of walking. Not much that we could do except tough it out and complete the hike down off the Hat Creek Rim to the next water about 10 miles away. Fortunately we were carrying plenty of water to drink.

We passed the 1,400 mile mark today.

Mileage: 21.6

Day 102: July 13th
Mile 1373.6 to Mile 1391.2

This morning we encountered trail magic from Chef and Jerry-can just after leaving camp, and enjoyed a second breakfast from them: yummmm, emu egg omelets!

We met up with a friend in Old Station who let us chill for the afternoon until 5 pm, waiting out the afternoon heat wave. Hah! Silly us! It was still hot when we left.

Still we took the time and extra mile to detour and investigate Subway Cave, a cool underground lava tube. Afterwards we headed up Hat Creek Rim for our long waterless stretch, each of us carrying 5 liters of water.

We stopped our night hiking at 11 pm, tired from being hypnotized by our headlamps: we had expected the full moon to do more to light the trail for us.

Mileage: 17.6

Day 101: July 12th
Mile 1350.1 to Mile 1373.6

Most of today’s hiking was in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Just a few miles into our hike we took the side trail to Terminal Geyser, which is a very cool steam vent that spews great clouds of steam into the air. After that the Pacific Crest Trail passes near Boiling Lake, another interesting site.

Soon we got to Warner Valley campground, but had already decided to bypass the resort of Drakesbad and the breakfast buffet and pool. It never really was on our day’s agenda.

We continued another 15 miles or so and exited Lassen National Park and then dropped down to camp at the very lovely Hat Creek, where we cooled off before hiker midnight. The day’s hiking was mostly flat for the afternoon through the 2012 Reading fire area, but still the hiking seemed slow because of the sun exposure (hot lately!) and the sandy, dusty trail. Obviously the PCT is never really easy.

Photo: Terminal Geyser

Mileage: 23.5

Day 100: July 11th
Chester, CA to Mile 1350.1

Surprisingly neither of us slept well in our cute little motel room: we now seem to get a better night’s sleep in outdoors – go figure. Lon was congested and Deb’s legs couldn’t get comfortable on the nice, soft bed.

We slept in until 7 and then got a very reasonably priced breakfast at the Copper Kettle cafe. Deb barely began to write up a hitch hiking sign when Debbie and Tina offered us a ride back to the trail, since they were headed that way to pick up Debbie’s son and other hikers. We so enjoyed our stay in Chester!

Back on trail we hiked the first 9 miles over gentle terrain, a welcome relief when your pack is newly heavy with food. Then it was back to climbing and we are now camped in Lassen Volcanic National Park. We are about 3 miles from Drakesbad, but haven’t decided whether to stop by for breakfast.

Mileage: 15.5

Day 99: July 10th
Mile 1317.9 to Chester, CA

Today we hiked to Chester, CA where a package was waiting for us at the Post Office. Both Deb and I received new shoes (we have been wearing our old shoes for 630 miles, since Kennedy Meadows South). We both got new Platypus water containers to replace leaking ones, and Lon got new smaller size pants.

The grocery store here is one of the best along the Pacific Crest Trail so we were easily able to purchase food here.

Chester is a very hiker friendly little town. Robert and Shannon happened to be restocking coolers of drinks and fruit for hikers at the PCT highway crossing and gave us a ride into town. Dr. Webb (the town dentist) gives hikers gift certificates for a local restaurant (along with toothpaste and floss). The laundry was across the street from a place that serves some of the best milk shakes we have ever had.

We stayed at the Antlers motel, “the cutest little thing in Chester!” We happily took the last room available and were delighted that laundry, grocery, banks, and food were all nearby – hikers hate walking anywhere off-trail, in case you were wondering.

Mileage: 16.8

Day 98: July 9th
Mile 1296.3 to Mile 1317.9

Today was a day of climbing as we continued the climb out of Belden and then made the usual climbs that the Pacific Crest Trail makes as it meanders across mountains. We climbed 4,700 total feet today.

We are about 17 miles from the town of Chester, CA where we have a package waiting for us at the post office, and where we have to buy more food for the next leg of our journey. Trail food is getting a little boring at this point but we eat it anyway.

We also passed the 1,300 mile mark this morning. The 100’s are beginning to go by faster now!

Mileage: 21.6