Category: Pacific Crest Trail

Day 70 – Bizarre 

At mile 1717.7. Hiked 17.5 miles today. Walked unknown number of off trail and town miles.

I hiked to Interstate-5 where I hitched a ride to Ashland. I was dropped off at Albertsons Grocery so thought I would shop for my resupply. At the entryway I dropped my pack into a large cart, pulled out my hiker trash and dropped the trash in a can just outside the glass door maybe 30 feet away. When I turned around my cart with backpack was gone. Gone in less than 30 seconds.Thinking little old lady with memory issues may be shopping with cart and backpack, I asked store personal to make a PA announcement. No luck. I kept watch on doors and registers thinking that the pack must be in the store. The manager reviewed the security camera recordings and identified the person who took the pack. No little old lady and the person was still in the store. They were concerned and did not want to approach this individual. Police were called. The policeman asked me to follow him as we approached a man who was shopping with a small cart. He wasn’t normal looking. The police asked the man whether he took my backpack and what he had done with it. The man said that, “He came after me, so I thought I would teach him a lesson. I put the pack in the cooler.” The police les me into a refrigeratated room where my backpack was sitting in my cart. I whispered to the policeman that the man must be crazy. Review the recording because I’ve never seen this man.

Bizarre!

I don’t blame Ashland. It seems like a nice and safe town. Touristy. The Ashland Hostel was wonderful and an employee gave me a ride back to the trail. Despite all, it was a nice break. Reminder to myself … shave beard if it attracts kooks like this.

Here is meadow and tree view of Shasta. Looking at snowy north slopes.

Here is the rare White Flowered Bog Orchid. I met flower enthusiasts on the trail who were gathered around this tiny orchid. There were also numerous day hikers an eve more long distance runners training for the 20th annual SOB (Siskiyou Out and Back) race with distances up to 50 miles.

At mile 1700.2. Hiked 24 miles today. Rating: Don’t Miss.

Looking up the trail I saw something that looked like a huge long legged jack rabbit hopping down the trail. A doe nosed this animal into a hiding place at the edge of the trail. Of course it was a tiny fawn. It would not move. I could have stroked it, but left it unmolested. I thought, newborn and Bambi. Later upon examining the enlarged photo, I noticed an injury to the leg. Now I think about “The Yearling” a novel by Margorie Rawlings Kinning where a boy adopts an injured fawn.

Today I hiked through green. A huge contrast to the burns and ashes of yesterday. The trail passed through green meadows and cool shaded areas of trees.

It seems like there is a view of Shasta every day. Moving toward a view of the north slope of Shasta.

Wide open space and Shasta a tiny white spot in the background. This is an effect of the photo. The mountain actually appears more prominently to the eye.

This is Donamore Meadow.

Here is Donamore cabin. Original owners are working to restore this historic cabin. I had lunch inside the cabin. Enjoyed eating while sitting in a comfortable chair with TV tray. No TV.

I’m finally in Oregon! My first time in this state. This is the only state that I entered the first time by walking into it. All other states I was either born into, or first entered via automobile or plane.

More reasons that I rate today’s hike as “Don’t Miss”.

The trail with these beautiful grasse with tall stalks.

Cowboy camping at mile 1700! Turned out to be a mistake. No mosquitoes, but heavy dew that soaked everything including outside of sleeping bag and hiking shorts. Instead of a quick start in the morning, I had a slow start with a chilly and moist awakening.

View from my campsite.

People:

Saw only 2 people today, they were both ultra long distance runners on a run.

At mile 1655.9. Hiked 21.4 miles today.

The day started with another soft sunrise. I was on the trail by 5:50 AM.

Some of the trail is overgrown with raspberry plants. 

I reached Grider creek and crossed the creek rock hopping, then later via bridge. The trail followed this Gridee creek for miles with several bridge crossings.

I was surprised to find nice smelling wild gardenias.

Here are some wild orchids.

I meet a PCT trail maintenance team. They have a camp at Grider Creek Campground. This crew of volunteers will work on washes out trail. Leading the crew is a woman (far right) from the PCTA.

One of the crew members worked at Mission Creek in SoCal where the crew fixed a spot in a marshy area where everyone was losing their way. I remember the spot well. It wasn’t fixed when I came through so I lost my way. Bushwhacking and using GPS I found the trail again. It was funny to talk to the people that fixed this spot on Miaaion Creek 1400 trail miles south of here.

The last 6.5 miles are a road walk. It was hot! Bruce at the Seiad Valley RV Park told me that it was probably 115 degrees F on the road today.

At mile 1634.5. Hiked 20.7 miles today.

Here is a close up view showing the layers of marble found in Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Wildflowers, Marble, and Trail.

I flushed out a grouse. I heard one of the chicks peep, then silence. The hen moved in clear sight while drwing. attention to itself. And away from any hidden chicks. This is a pattern that I have seen before and will see again later this day. I think this is how grouse outwit bobcats and the like. Mother hen distracts to save the chicks. Mother hen can fly and move quickly to evade a bobcat, but acts like an easy and very noticeable prey. Meanwhile, chicks go unmolested.

Grouse on marble.

Butterflies collect along moist areas of trail and rise as I pass. The PCT seems like a Disney movie where butterflies and birds follow along as the main character strolls through nature.

There were areas where snow covered the trail.

Some marble has deep fissures that could be foot or leg traps. Those shown  below were 6 – 8 feet deep, but only wide enough to accept a wayward leg.

Here are more views of snow and landscape.

After hiking through these beautiful areas it is time for lunch.

This is my Two-Fish Tortilla. Recipe: Wrap tuna fish and goldfish in a tortilla. Goldfish won’t be at the seafood counter. You can find them in the snacks aisle.

Later, a light colored bear hurtled across a large open area like shot out of a cannon. He crossed the trail about 50 feet in front of me.

At mile 1613.7. Hiked 14.1 miles today.

I rode the Hiker Hut provided bicycle all over town. Among other destinations was the post office where I sent my first ever bounce box. IThe postal service will allow you to keep forwarding a package as long as you don’t accept delivery by opening the package. Hikers use this to send themselves things up the trail. In my case I had fleece pants and a down jacket that I won’t need until it gets colder. I sent it via Priority Mail from Etna to Cascade Locks, OR.  This is about 300 miles up the trail. When I reach Cascade Locks if I dont need it’s content, I can ask the postal service to”bounce” it further up the trail. With the bounce, my pack is lighter than ever. I still have a down vest and a Marmot jacket to keep me warm on cooler mornings. 

Fire season has started. Here is the Fire Finder App on my phone. I use it to get up to date info on fires such as extent, location, and percent containment. Orange flames indicate active fires. The blue dot is my location. The object of the game is to keep the BLU dot as far away as possible from the orange flames. Since I’m north of the fires and headed north things look good for now.

Here are beautiful sloping ridges that I hiked through.

There was a lot of burned forest along the trail today. The trail was also very rocky which caused me some issues with my new shoes. The next day I figured out that I needed to tighten the mid foot portion of the laces to give my feet more stability over rocks. Until that adjustment, I felt very maladroit, like I was stumbling with every step. Even with the burn and the rocky trail this was one of my favorite areas.

The trail extends across this slope and the next as it disappears in the distance.

I liked this bouquet.

I like being up high in the wide own spaces.

This is an example of the beauty of this area. The fires didn’t get everything.

We camped next to Fischer Lake, a small deep lake. As we sat on rocks along the shore an Osprey? flew to the top of a shoreside tree and just stayed there. We stopped paying attention. Suddenly the bird dove into the water missing his mark, then alighting at the top of another shorter tree. It dove again, coming up with a fish and flying in circles in front of us over and over as if it were showing off.

Fischer Lake. Campsite is in trees on left side. Not shown.

One of many Newts that live in the lake.

My campsite at Fischer Lake.