7/2 Out of Lassen we walk a ridgeline that begins to look much more Cascadian. I see lots of animals in the morning, cows, deer, a rattlesnake, a skunk. We hit water caches again in this section, a throwback to the desert. Haven’t seen one in a long time but it’s a welcome reprieve from the dry stretch. In the afternoon heat we stop at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch 0.3 off the trail for ice cream and soda, which hosts a 100 mile race annually that I consider running someday.

7/3 In the morning we hike to Burney Falls State Park, except we go a mile past the turnoff and need to turn back. We meet Starship again, except this time they are carrying a much bigger pack; their impressively light 5 pound base weight Pa’lante Joey was just for a short section earlier. It’s nice to see a familiar face, now far ahead of the “bubble”, we are seeing fewer and fewer hikers as time goes on. The waterfall at Burney is nice but it’s crowded so we make our way back to the PCT and crush some miles

7/4 Another hot, poison-oak-filled day. Luckily after a lot of climbing through thick manzanita in the morning, the afternoon is clear and downhill. We run into Mark, a local trail angel, grilling hot dogs in the parking lot. I feel particularly American as I eat one and drink lots of soda.

7/5 We make it to Castella, just off I-5, near Castle Crags state park. The rock is rugged and beautiful. It’s so nice to be outside of the burn zone and poison oak zone, I appreciate the healthy forest so much more now.

7/6 The crags loom over us as we hike up a 4,000ft climb in the morning. The newer, volcanic rock of the Cascades is an interesting counterpoint to the Sierra Nevada granite I have been seeing for so long now. Following the ridgeline, I’m able to find enough service to call home. This whole section we’ve had great views of Mt. Shasta, and this one is no exception. Biscoff complains he’s getting tired of it, but honestly I don’t mind. She’s a beautiful mountain.

7/7 As we near the end of California, the terrain begins to look more and more like a typical Pacific Northwest Landscape. It’s getting greener. There are still a few small burned sections, but nothing as bad as before. We crush 37 miles, a new record for me, excited to get into Etna tomorrow.

7/8 Lots and lots of climbing today. We have 26 miles into town but it may as well have been 36. Progress is slow, but the views are beautiful. Now in Klamath National Forest, we briefly get a section of Sierra-esque granite again. It’s almost like I’m back in Sequoia-King’s Canyon. Conversation focuses mostly on how we have almost finished California. For me it’s bittersweet but Biscoff is very excited to be back in Oregon soon. Etna is charming and we enjoy the small town’s atmosphere before an early night.

More than halfway through the hike, things are starting to feel more routine and less novel. Fewer firsts. Fewer hikers around. But it’s still a good time. We have just a few dozen more miles until the end of California. Next stop, Ashland Oregon.

Mac

Milk & Cigarettes