Waking up in my tent at a highway rest stop was a strange feeling that ended up being the start of a strange day.
I started my hike with a walk along the road. The trail runs through an area that has been closed since 2004 due to endangered frog habitat.
The alternative is a ride along Highway 2, which is also currently closed to vehicle traffic due to landslides and areas where the road is washed out. Fortunately, the path is still quite safe to walk on.
I came across Straight Up and soon after we heard a distant wave coming from a man on the side of the road. The man took Straight Up and me to the hostel for a Mexican Coke and crispy rice. He is part of the Buckhorn Ski Club, which is a club that has been in the area for years. They have a small mountain chalet, a small makeshift chairlift and a couple of ski slopes that are used during the winter. It was sad to see the damage caused by the floods in the area, which almost destroyed a small cabin next to the lodge.
After the hostel we reached Bug. The three of us were having fun hiking along the road, so we decided to stay on the road for as long as we could. We realized too late that walking down the road would mean missing the 400 mile marker, so we made our own little marker in the middle of the road.
At the end of the highway closure there is a large parking lot. Today must have been the sports car rally because some nice cars were there doing donuts and parking to take some photos. We watched and when it was time for the photo shoot, we had to spring into action. The trail can be a strange place. You never know when you’ll end up in a sports car photo shoot.
A little further on, the road turns off towards the track at a car park. At this trailhead lot we came across a magical trail! The trail angels set up camp chairs for us, made sandwiches with every topping you can imagine, had bowls of fresh fruit, cold beers and sodas, charging stations, and other little delights perfectly tailored to our hikers’ trash needs. One of the angels walked in 2024, so he knew what was going on. He was incredibly kind.
It was hard not to get carried away with the cold beer and full stomachs, but we had a few more miles to go. We arrived at camp and sat down to dinner and play dice. I had some cell service, so I FaceTimed my family and, most importantly, said hello to my dog.
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