Days 121&122 Miles 1359.1-1412.8

Day 121

Start: 1359.1 End: 1387 Total: 27.9

I woke up around 6, I slowly got out and went down to the lake to filter water before heading out around 7. It was gearing up to be a hot one, I had 15 miles to do to get to the post office before they closed at 3.

It was mosquito hell for the first mile. I looked at my shoulder a couple times and saw 4 or 5 trying to bite me. It was already so warm and there was no shade. It was all just more burn zone pretty much all the way to Old Station. We got some closer views of Mt. Lassen as we went through it.

We got water at 6 miles then I went ahead of Mantis so I could for sure make it to the Post Office and he could take his time. It was another 6 miles to the next water source but mostly flat. My legs felt a bit sore from the day before but not too bad. The trail was super flat but really exposed. The dirt was now sand and hard to walk on a times. I met another hiker, Nemo, who had hiked from camp to Chester a year or so before and was back finishing the trail. I took a break and had lunch at the next water source, waiting to see if Mantis would catch up but he didn’t so I pushed on.

I made it to Old Station and found out my Amazon package was delivered but to the wrong post office. One by the ocean in fact, along with other packages for PcT hikers. The post office lady called the other post office and they said my package was delivered there but had been recollected and now was somewhere in the abyss. It was a new water filter bag and a connection that would allow me to do it hands free via gravity. Not the end of the world but a major disappointment.

Mantis arrived an hour or so later and was walking slowly and very defeated. He had a really hard day, his feet were killing him due to his blisters and his body from doing too many miles the day before. He said he had been thinking about quitting on the way in. We hung out at the general store for a bit, he bought me the beer he owed be and we got some showers and had ice cream and he started to feel a bit better. He was done walking for the day though and planned on hitching up to the next stop, Burney. So I would hike out that day and meet him there in the evening of the following day.

We hitched 3 miles down the road to check out these lava tubes. We ran into Beer Run, Fish Fry, Mango, Payload and Hilldoggo and hung out with them in the cave for an hour or so waiting for it to cool down. We had some beers and I made some Mac and cheese before hiking out around 6 pm.

There was a little bit of a climb out of there and smoke had filled the surrounding valley. It was still a bit burnt hiking out of Old Station.

I hiked a few miles before coming upon a man with some gallons of water, asking if I had enough. I told him I did, at least until lost creek where I planned on camping. He said I wouldn’t want to go down there, it was 500 feet down in only .3 miles. I realized he was right and got a bit more water, enough to get me to the water source after that the following day. I made it to my intended site, Payload, Mango, Fish Fry and Hilldoggo all camped a mile before where I did. When I arrived there were 3 tents there and beer run was close behind me. I set up my ground tarp and pad, journaled and went to bed.

Day 122

Start: 1387 End: 1412.8 Total: 25.8

My alarm started going off at 4:30, I didn’t get up until 5:07 but was packed and on trail by 5:17. It was to be in the 100’s today so I wanted to get as many miles done as possible before it got that hot. It was a beautiful morning walking along the ridge. I had more views of leaving Mt. Lassen behind and my first views of Shasta.

I made it 7 miles by 8 to a road where I was greeted by the magic man he offered me some coffee or a cold drink. I have been skipping the coffee lately and was quite tired that morning, it wasn’t too hot yet so I eagerly took him up on the coffee and donut. I hung out there for a half hour and went to the water tank that a different trail angel maintains and filtered some water before heading out. I still had 18 to go and it was getting warmer by the minute.

I cruised along pretty steadily, the trail was still quite flat. I had left the burn zone but now was walking through lava rock area, so it was super exposed still.

I had done 12 miles by 10 and it was really starting to get hot. I plugged in a podcast and kept trucking despite my aching body. I made it 10 miles past the magic man to the next water cache. I chugged some water and then took one more liter to get me to the next creek.

I was really starting to feel the heat of the day by now. The worst part was my water was being heated up so it was super hot whenever I would drink from it, I almost didn’t even want to drink it, it was so hot. I was shooting to do 21 by lunch and make it to a lake to swim in. .7 before this however is a little creek and I needed to take a brief break.

I dropped my backpack, took off my hat, sunglasses, fanny pack and continued to walk in the creek and submerge myself, fully clothed with my gaiters, socks and shoes still in my body. I first lied down in the foot deep stream before putting myself in push up position to dip the front of my body. It was so soothing. I put my water bottles in the stream to cool them off while I filtered and chugged a fresh liter of cool water.

I then got my things and went on .7 to the lake, passing by a power plant and meeting two people who very obviously disapproved of my wet clothes and big backpack.

I went for a swim and sat in the shade for a bit while I had my lunch. I then did the 4 miles to highway 299. A few cars passed and a couple in a jeep made apologetic signs to me as they passed, no one else stopped and a few minutes later I heard a honk from the other direction. That jeep had come back and flashed their lights on me. It was a nice couple would thought they didn’t have room but on second thought they decided they could make room for me in their trunk. I gratuitously accepted. They gave me strawberries and electrolytes and we chatted shoes all the way to the church in Burney that lets hikers stay there for free.

When I walked in the church I was pleasantly surprised to see Kiki, Tuah and Trouble! They had gotten there the day before. Mantis and I teamed up with them for dinner and we had a delicious feast of steak, chicken, shrimp, potatoes, salad and veggies. We finished with a bunch of free ice cream provided by the church.

They all left to camp at the falls tonight but will hang out there all day tomorrow so hopefully we will see them there!