Day 131
Start: 1575 End:1674 Total hiked: 18 Total skipped: 71
With a 26 mile day ahead of us we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time. We woke up at 5 or shortly after and were on trail by 6. It was a beautiful morning walking along the ridge as the sun rose through the smoke filled valleys. The air smelt of bonfire which more and more increased my anxiety.
I put my bandana over my mouth to filter the air I was breathing a bit but it was so hard and hot to walk uphill with that on. But taking it off was always such a stark reminder of how smoke filled the air was.
Soon after leaving our campsite and the ridge we returned to the scorned earth. Nothing but blackened trees, brush, and wildflowers. The dead, fallen and burnt trees made a window into the surrounding areas and you could see piles of smoke lingering in the valleys and around the mountains across the way.
We passed another ridge after a bit of a climb and a few hikers who had not yet left camp yet. We then descended into the valley and the smoke seemingly got worse and worse. In the midst of the burnt forest we stopped to filter water and spoke with Dapper. He too was wearing a bandana but said the smoke wasn’t too bothersome to him. He would keep hiking through it and it should get better the further out we go.
We said goodbye and got some water and began trucking up the next climb. It felt impossible to hike up hill with that bandana over my nose and mouth but taking it off felt detrimental to my health. As we approached the road I saw a few cars and hurried to get Mantis’s attention. “If we see people here let’s see if we can get a ride into town” he eagerly agreed but as we approached we only saw theee parked cars and no people. We wondered what anyone would want to come out there.
We went to the road and not a sound was heard. I didn’t want to hike in that smoke either but I also didn’t want to waste an hour on a road that nobody drives when we still had 20 miles to walk. Mantis, knowing there could be an out now and that I would take it, was eager to wait. He went down the road and called out that he heard a car. He stood in the opposite lane and waved his hands frantically as it approached. They slowed down and he begged the driver to take us to town, any town.
The driver pulled over and began to make some room. He said he could take us right to Etna, where we needed to go. His friend was close behind him and pulled in. Their cars were crowded as they had been camping out and gold mining on the salmon river. Mantis rode with the first driver and I got in with the second. His car reeked of cigarettes and he drove a little too fast on that windy mountain road but he was nice enough. He’s from Kansas but has been coming out there to mine for gold every year for a while. He showed me some of the gold flakes they found and fumbled with putting them back as he sped around the mountain turns.
They dropped us off at the city park in Etna and we saw our friends, Kiki, Fish Fry, Bushwack, Toro, Beer Run, Payload, Mango, Hilldoggo, D&D and many others. It seemed everyone had bailed before us. Except Mango, Beer Run, Hilldoggo& Payload who all hiked through the smoke with no problems.
We learned that there was a bus to seiad valley, the next trail town, and it left in three hours. The next section had recently undergone a fire right on trail and was closed but had recently been reopened. Due to the smoke and not wanting to walk through a brand new, still smoldering burn zone, we decided we would skip ahead. Bushwhack and Toro spent 3 hours the day before trying to hitch there but without any success. The bus would be our best option to get there but it only runs Monday and Thursday. So we had 3 hours to get our resupply and get on that bus.
It was a bummer because Etna seemed like such a cool town but we wouldn’t have any time to actually enjoy it. We went to a coffee shop and got coffee and breakfast sandwiches that took forever to come out. We then showered in the park sprinklers before going to dollar general then right to the bus. It was a hectic time in Etna.
We then took the bus to Yreka where we had a couple hours until the next bus to Seiad Valley. We went into Walmart briefly before going to the nearby black bear diner to redeem free breakfasts from signing up for their club emails.
Then we caught the bus on the winding and deserted road to a tiny place called seiad valley, home of a store, post office and rv park. We hung out there in the shade for an hour or two before deciding to join Bushwack, Toro, Kiki, fish fry and D&D on beginning the trek up the next mountain.
It was supposed to be a 15 mile and 6000 foot climb out of Seiad Valley but there was a road that would cut off 1500 feet of elevation and 2/3 miles. The gang had decided to go up the road and as there was nothing to do in Seiad Valley we decided to go up with them.
The road became less and less road like the higher we climbed. Going from a residential two way road to eventually a dirt rd. We didn’t really see any cars on the later half. We made it up about 10/11 miles before sleeping next to a waterfall. Bushwhack and Toro called it quits a couple miles before fish fry, Kiki, D&D and Mantis and I. We got to camp and to sleep between 10-11.
Day 132
Start: 1671 End: 1693.5 Total: 22.5
We had a very slow and relaxed morning. Sleeping in by the waterfall, then having coffee, breakfast and doing some journaling. We left camp at our record latest time, 10 am.
We went uphill on the road for about a mile then rejoined the trail. Immiditley entering into an exposed burn zone and climbing up 1500 feet in 3 miles.
We took a rest at the top of the climb where there was a bit of shade and were passed by two hikers, Smalls and Hobbs. After our break we entered back into the burn zone but no trail maintance had been done. There were countless fallen trees and the path was re-created around the worst of them. The path would often disappear into thick brush but if you paid attention you could find it.
We entered into this area and Smalls and Hobbs were sitting down. Apparently Smalls had been impaled by a stick in her shin. They had everything under control and didn’t need anything else but it was bad enough for them to turn around and go back down that insane climb.
After that we made our way up, over, and around very slowly and carefully. That part only lasted for about a mile then vegetation reappeared. We went another mile before taking lunch break around 1/2. We had only gone 6 or so mile so far that day.
After lunch we plugged into listening to some audiobooks or music and cranked out another 7.5 miles to the next water source. We went through some really beautiful mountains and trees along the way. We got to the water source around 5 and had a short but steep drop down to collect it out of the spring. Renesaaince and Recess Christ were there as well.
Earlier in the day we learned that the CA/OR border was only a total of 21/22 miles away. Mantis was doubtful that he would want to make it as we had such a late start and the first 5 miles were so tough. But we decided we would go for the border as it was only now 8 miles away.
I set a fast pace and we cruised along, not stopping for anything. Despite not being crazy high miles we were both feeling the day quite a bit but we pushed through. We had a long downhill then collected a bit of water then a short uphill. It felt like the terrain and scenery were already starting to change a bit.
We got to the border and snapped some photos and drank our border beer we had packed out! We spent half an hour or so there then went .4 miles further to a dirt road and campsite where we found our friends, Bushwhack, Toro, Kiki, Fish Fry, & D&D all sitting around a fire, it was a wholesome scene to walk up on and gladly welcomed. We joined them for dinner and desert before eventually everyone went off to bed.
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