Day 117 Seiad Valley – The hike

Day 117 Seiad Valley
22.1 miles
From Grider Creek Campground (mile 1651, elevation 1744)
Near Cook and Green Butte (mile 1672, elevation 4784)
Upload 5695
Descend 2624

It took me a little longer than yesterday to leave camp. I started walking at 6:15. It’s great, but I didn’t feel like I needed my puffer jacket at all. I’d get in and out of Seiad Valley fairly quickly with stops at the shop to buy a few things and the cafe for breakfast. I’m intrigued by your 5 pound pancake challenge. I have no idea how much 5 pounds of pancakes weigh. It’s probably far beyond even my hiker’s hunger.

It was on the walk into town that I hit the “1000 miles to go” mark. Although there was no marker next to the road/trail, I still took a photo to celebrate the achievement.

Also on the way to town, I saw several interesting flowers.

red clover photo

red clover

Mullein moth

mullein

common madia

The cafe wasn’t open this morning, so I satisfied my hunger with a box of six donuts.
The store was very well stocked for hikers and had much more reasonable prices than most small town stores.

Like other lower elevation spots near the water, there were wild blackberry bushes growing on the side of the road.
I wonder if my backpack could use a «I break (take breaks) for blackberries» sign.

photo of blackberries

blackberries

My hand after feasting on blackberries

The city of Saied Valley was at an elevation of 1400 feet. I had lunch near the top of Devil’s Peak at an elevation of 5,730 feet. It was a huge climb. But, given the elevation change, it wasn’t so bad:
– occasional dance to avoid poison oak at lower elevations
– shouting at Scree in a few
– hot sun and little shade
– steep
– almost no water
– the bushes cling tightly in some places
– a fallen tree that serves as a path
But overall it was a pretty smooth trail and there was an occasional breeze. I just made sure to take short breaks every few hundred vertical feet.

At one point, I looked ahead (and up) and saw a trail. I automatically assumed I would go there. He had no fear or resentment. I also didn’t have any emotion prompting me to move forward quickly. I just realized the fact that I will go up, followed by steady steps to slowly advance towards getting there. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. My legs would be tired. I would be sweating a lot. But I’ll keep going until I get there. There is no other way to move forward. I knew my legs and body could handle it.

Tree trunk that serves as a path.

Trail up to Devil’s Peak

Looking down on the Seiad Valley

Looking back towards Grider Creek (yesterday’s hike)

Photo looking towards Grider Crk

Still feeling the need to cover miles to get as close to Ashland as possible (we already purchased theater tickets for a specific night), I wanted to cover a few more miles at the end of the day. I pushed for the last few miles, counting the steps to help me quantify how far I had come and how much further I needed to go. I ended up camping at the pass where the dirt road out of town meets the PCT.

Today’s nearly 5,700 feet of climbing is the most I’ve done in a single day on the trail.

Trail at the end of the afternoon crossing the rocks.

Camp

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.