Author: mmbowden60

At mile 1393.6 Hiked 23.9 miles today.

I  hiked an early 7 miles to the Chevron Statiion in Old Staion where I managed a  limited resupply to get me to  Dunesmeir. I bought 50 precooked breakfast sausages. Maybe I should start the sausage challenge. Live off sausages  for 5 days of hiking. I l’ai bought stovetop stuffing and plan to use sausage with stuffing. I am inventing a new breakfast called the PCT. Porridge with Cooked Turkey sausage.

The desert came to Northern California today at Hot Creek Rim. …oops… Hat Creek Rim. Everything is relative and I have nothing to complain about. My early season desert walks in SoCal weren’t typically hot and Hat Creek Rim will be hotter for hikers that arrive later in the season.

Hat Creek Rim had to be one of the most beautiful sections of the PCT that I have experienced. One walks on a high table of lava rocks and wild flowers overlooking broad expanses of green valleys a thousand or more feet below. The trail often tracks along the edge of the table with rocky precipitous drop offs to the valley below. Wind sweeps across this open highland sweeping grasses in waves. There are a variety of wildflowers dispersed among black lava rocks in sprigs, bunches, and bouquets of every color. Volcanic mountain ranges stretch across to far side of the broad valley with the east end anchored by snow blanketed Lassen and the west anchored by Mt Shasta. Only the towering Mt Shasta disturbs the blue sky with tiny wisps of clouds forming just below the peak. As the afternoon advances these cloud wisps join and extend in a string stretching beyond Shasta.

Today I had the first trail magic of Northern California. It was a cooler full of cold drinks and snacks and oranges hanging in a tree. Thank you anonymous trail magician! Great spot to find trail magic. Hat Creek Rim is where you reallly appreciate it.

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Here is Mt Shasta from Hat Creek Rim. Notice a cloud beginning to form.This is only happening to Shasta. Lassen and others didnt generate their own clouds. It’s own wether system  helps keep snow on Shasta.

Here is where I could have resupplied water but didn’t. There is a stream at the bottom of this gorge. A steep trail descends 450 vertical feet rob the stream. The PCT goes around this lava rock gorge.

Often the trail follows the edge.

Here are a few examples of flowers on the Rim.

 

 

At mile 1369.7. Hiked 19.4 miles today. 

Here is King Creek crossing. Impossible to cross here with dry feet unless you remove your shoes.

Here is where I crossed King creek using a log by walking upstream.

Next I came to this boardwalk crossing a beautiful green wetland.

I came to Twin Lake where I took a break and swam. The deer didn’t seem to mind.

I walked along Twin Lake for a while.

I walked through miles of burned forest that allowed many views of Mount Lassen. Mount Lassen is over 10,000 feet.

Here is a view of where I had a long lunch. There was a little creek running through this meadow so I ate on the creek bank. It was 12/30 and I had already walked over 13 miles and only had 6.2 miles left for the day.

 Just before exiting Lassen National Park a beautiful gold colored juvenile bear bounded  across the meadow in front of me. It crossed the trail and kept going. I played a little loud music in case there was a mama bear. Wish I had gotten that video because the bear was out in the open and running free.

One last look at Mt Lassen as the trail turns into a valley and away from this snow draped volcanoes.

Looking ahead out of the burn zone to the next landscape.

Hat creek just feet behind my tent.

My tent for tonight where I hear water spilling over rocks in Hat creek.  

The Thru-hikers:

Met a new thru-hiker named Rainman. He told me that a lot of hikers who skipped the Sierras are NOBO like me. He has been seeing them. And I thought I was the only one. 🙂  

While resting after lunch alongside a stream, none other than Ramen-Jamen came walking up. He was headed southbound having skipped the Sierras after Forester Pass. Ramen-Jamen and I had met on the PCT in SOCAL. Just before reaching  my camp on Har creek I ran into Yellow Jacket and Life Hack. In SoCal they were part of a large group of hikers that were known as the Brits and Aussies. These two are all that are left. I guess the others split off or quit hiking. YJ and LH had hiked 29 miles the previous day to get to Old Station  (a  town). Now they were faces with another 29 mile day if they were to get through Lassen without camping. This is due to the Bear Canister rule. Instead, they were resting and taking a short day with camping just before the park boundary. Ironically, that spot is near where I saw a bear today.

Thinking about Ga Tech I asked Yellow Jacket how she got her name. She said Thunper named her. She went on to describe Thumper as an older Mormon man. I asked, “Do you mean Jack?” Yes, Jack is snow known by his trail name Thumper. As Thumper hiked behind YJ, he thought that her blonde hair looked yellow against her jacket so he named her Yellow Jacket. 

At mile 1350.3. Hiked 22.8 miles today.

My original plan was to hike to boundary spring and camp outside Lassen National Park. This was to make it easy to hike through Lassen without camping which would have required carrying a bear canister. I then realized that I could camp in the Lassen National Park campground and use the campground’s bear lockers. A bonus was that I could have dinner at nearby Drakesbad ranch. 

At Drakesbad, not only did I have dinner, but I had a hot shower, clothes washing in the sink, and a swim in the hot springs fed swimming pool. This is a place that charges $200 per person per night. A couple would spend $400 for one night. I paid only $15 for a gourmet dinner of spinach salad, wild boar, rice, and steamed vegetables, and a dessert. Non-alcoholic beverage included. As a PCT hiker and not a paying customer, I had to eat outside by myself, not in the dining room with the others. Even with the isolation, I was able to make friends with a couple of guests, Pete and Jack. They live east of San Francisco, but are from New York. We met on the trail just up the hill from Drakesbad. They had just seen a bear that I had missed. 

It is hard to describe how good these comforts that Drakesbad Guest Ranch offers PCT hikers makes me feel. It recharges me physically and lifts my spirits. Oh yes, I bought an ice cream sandwich and Cliff Bar from their store. Saved the Cliff Bar for my mid morning energy boost.

The hike itself was mostly through wooded areas,but the trail was easy. I started late and still made Drakesbad at 5:30 pm. I didn’t make the 0.6 mile round trip to Terminal Geyser, but I smelled it and that was enough. It isn’t real geyser, it is a steam vent.

Here is Mount Lassen in distance. Today I entered Lassen National Park.

Here Ia the trail. Much of the day was spent hiking through forests with few views. There were some hot climbs also.

There is the North Fork of Feather River a mile or two ahead in valley below. Same river that flows through Belden.

Here is some Geothermal stuff in Lassen NP. It stinks and it is hot to stand nearby. Hot enough as it was without standing next to geothermal features. I had been kept moving by the mosquitoes. Can’t take a break the mosquitoes make me keep moving.

At Drakesbad I walked across this boardwalk.

I swam and soaked tired muscles in this hot springs fed pool at Drakesbad. Earlier in the day the pool was at 130 degrees so in order to prevent cooking the guests the caretaker had to pump in cold creek water. 

 

At mile 1327.5. Hiked 16.6 miles today.

 Got a very late start around 10:30 am because I was uploading and editing blog entries that were backlogged for   days. I keep up with the blog each day by writing on notepad and selecting. editing and compressing photos and placing photos in an album labeled for its day. When I have connectivity to the internet. I upload the photos, copy and paste the text into a new blog post, and place photos in appropriate position within the text. I also select “feature” photo, the one you see at the header of the post. So you see, even if you keep up with writing, there is more to do once you have connectivity. It takes some time.

I caught up with 2nd Breakfast and Capico as they were finishing their lunches. We sat and talked as I ate my lunch. I finished up a jar of peanut butter that I had transferred to a vacuum seal bag. I’ve been carrying it since Sierra City. Every time I squeeze some peanut butter from the bag and eat it. I feel a little ill. This time wasn’t an exception. I hiked along while burping. 

It is no longer desert, but  once again, water takes some planning. Some water is off the trail with as much as a one mile round trip. I made a 0.6 mile RT down a steep hill to water to supply me the next 15 miles. There were other water stops along the 15 miles, but they all required more off trail hikes.  I chose to camp at Soldier Creek at 15 miles, but I had no info that their were campsites near Soldier creek. Finding a level campsite a half mike before Soldier Creek I stopped short of water. The  liter and  half of water remaining from 15 miles back was enough for camp.. I’ll be dry, but I’ll reach the stream early in the morning.

Lassen National Park requires bear canisters so tomorrow I am hiking 18.8 miles to a spring on the park boundary. I’ll camp just outside the park and the following day hike at least 19.3 miles so that I am out of the park for my next campsite. As long as I am not camping in the park without a Béar canister, I’m legal.

Here is the trail.

These flowers grow everywhere around the rocky lava soil. I’ve seen a lot of these flowers the last  week, but they weren’t in full bloom until now.

Open area. THe last part of the day was hiking through dense forest.

Here is the PCT halfway post. 1325 miles. I have really hiked 950 miles so I’m not halfway yet, but I do have 1325 miles left to Canada, so I celebrated all by myself. I was also alll by myself at the monument at the beginning of the PCT. There was a deer nearby, but no people. The feature photo is me sitting on this midpoint post.

At mile 1310.9. Hiked 24.1 miles today.

The day went well because breakfast was heavy. I microwaved Santa Fe Rice Beans and Steak from resupply for breakfast. I also cooked pancakes with grape syrup. I had half a pot of coffee. Next thing  I know, Brenda, owner of Hiker Haven is bringing me cantaloupe, strawberries, and muffins. For once I wasn’t hungry a couple of hours after hitting the trail. I started out at 6:15 am because Brenda runs the shuttle at 6 am. 

A good part of the day was spent crossing creeks and climbing out of Belden via the Chips Creek drainage. Near the end of the climb, a very large bear came charging down the hill right in front of me. I wouldn’t want to meet whatever scared that bear enough to make him run like that. Maybe it was a larger bear, or perhaps Sasquatch or it could have been Oscar with his rubber and gun.

At the end of the day reached a brand new landscape, lava formations. 

People: 

Hiked with 2nd Breakfast some and Oscar, Shawn, and ? were also going NOBO and saw them a few times. I was surprised to see Ninja Fabric bear Cold Sprimg. I had thought she had quit the trail. She was headed south to the Sierras.

Here is the PCT crossing the bridge at North Fork Feather River. Gold Rush country.

Here is a stamping mill on the PCT at Belden.

Here is Sweet Shrub. I crushed some and rubbed under my arms, but it didn’t help my body odor much.

A lot of creek crossings on the way up from Belden.

Here I am. Beard getting longer, man getting skinnier.

Here you can see the weather. A few raindrops, snow pellets, and sleet fell on me, but I lucked out, nothing bad.

Here are green meadows over the top.

1300 miles! Not yet for me though. I will go back and pick up the Sierras in August. I’ve hiked around 850 miles so far.

Scenery 

Lava country. 

My campsite.

At mile 1286.8. Hiked 16.5 miles today.

I ran up on a grouse with it’s brood of baby chicks. The mother hen ran around in loops on the trail in front of me all the while fluttering loudly and angrily. The hen performed its job of distraction because at first I didn’t notice the chicks. The wayward chicks that had not already disappeared in the undergrowth competed with me for  mother hen’s attention. One second the hen was charging toward me, the next it was running angrily toward her chicks in an effort to herd them out of site. It was quite a show and as I walked on it got me to thinking what chance birds like these would have against the bobcat I saw yesterday. 

People:

I continue to see people that I know or met and many new thru-hikers as well. I saw 4-Eyes again after meeting her when I was hiking south from Walker Pass. Easy to spot with her skirt and glasses. I also saw Farmer again (3rd time) sitting at the bar in Belden. Farmer is going south now, but once through the Sierras he may flip again back to Canada and go SOBO. If he does that, we should pass again somewhere between here and Canada. I first met Farmer on the trail just before Inspiration Pass near Wrightville. Farmer was at the bar with Calamity. She had been hanging out with Young Englishmen, Oscar and Shane. Those two carrât a large wooden rubberband gun in their packs. They are among the “intense” hikers. I heard that Ninja Fabric quit the trail due to foot injury so the young German men are likely bummed. NF was quite a personality. At Hikertown, I witnessed a very animated rap show she put on for her followers. This brings up another phenomena that I have observed. One or more girls tend to form the core of any sizable group. I rarely see 4 or more guys as a group. Case in point was the Ninja Fabric group, the Jenn group, and the Brits and Aussies group. I have also observed that one girl is the leader. All above observations have to do with youth. The over 50 generation is an entirely different matter. 

News:

I met a man about my age named 2nd Breakfast ((NOBO). He told me that the May snowstorm dumped 10 feet in Bucks  Lake. Maybe he meant March snow. I had just hiked through iBucks Lake and didn’t see a single snowflake. 

This morning Hollywood explained how his feet were frozen in the Sierras. It wasn’t frostbite, rather all ten of his toes became Christmas toes. That means they are numb and that it will take until Christmas for feeling to be restored. Others in the blizzard had true frostbite. 

Tonight I am staying at the Braaten’s Little Haven in Belden. No WiFi. No cellular service. Brenda is a friendly host and has thought of everything for thru-hikers. She only takes donations to cover expense.

Belden Town Info

I had a double cheeseburger at Caribou Crossroads. The new owner sat down with me and showed me old photos of the great Belden landslide of 1984. Belden is in a canyon with the North Fork of the Feather River running through. In 84 the river ran high wiping out the bridge adjacent to Caribou Crossing and under cutting the railroad in several places. This river was also the site of one of the California gold rushes. The famous gold rush of 1848 took place on the drainage of the American River whose headwaters I crossed yesterday. 

Carribou Crossing was again under threat in July of 2012 when the Chips fire nearly took it out. Firemen pumped water directly from the river to save it. 

Today Caribou Crossing hosts an annual trout fishing contest. There are some monster trout in these streams.

Rain is expected tomorrow and temps will drop. I also had a huge and heavy resupply. I’ll see how it goes.

Here is a lake view.

Here are views at the beginning of descent into Belden canyon.