How Norcal almost killed us and why it was still worth it

This section is known for giving people «the North Blues». Just out of the ethereal beauty of the mountains, they tend to feel disappointed with opinions during much of the rest of California. Now that I have had time to process my experience there, I agree with many that Norcal was not the best section of the PCT, but I still had its charm!

Bad

Lightning

For at least a week, we experience a ray every afternoon in Norcal. The most scary day for me was when the PCT followed a crest during miles and miles in any direction and there seemed to be several ray storms that we became just about us.

In general, we could time when we were high or low with the forecast to some extent, but that day, the path followed the height throughout the day. We decided to continue advancing and observe the storm closely. The weather became very bad very fast, and the forest road system that had found 15 minutes before suddenly became our refuge.

Not wanting to go too far, we continue the way a bit on the crest and cover ourselves in a shorter tree patch. Before realizing, the lightning was just above us. Our hearts came out of our chests and continued running along the way. Eventually, however, we reach a burning section. Although from the electrical point of view, I suppose the burned trees would probably act as a lightning rod in the same way as any living tree of equal height, it felt too exposed and we stayed inside the living trees. We were trapped.

We ended up running from one side to another away from where it seemed that the storm was heading, but it seemed that there were several just on us, so a storm would move away as another approached. At this point, he felt pure opportunity on whether one of us would be beaten, so we finally decided to get out of the road and Bushwhack through the mountain until the strikes no longer seemed so close.

We were soaked in the rain and was trembling for not being able to stay hot. The storm was scheduled to last several more hours in the forecast. We decided to get to SOS, not for a rescue, but for advice on the next steps. I saw a possible straight path through the mountain to get hooked, but it was difficult to tell the guy as I was on the edge of my map. Through this experience, I learned several things:

1. Satellite communication is slower under the roof of the tree (obviously, but not so obvious when you are afraid)
2. You talk to an initial emergency person from Garmin before sending it to a respondent of the most local agency for you (also obvious, but it was a tedious process at a stressful moment)
3. Garmin calls their emergency contacts and asks at least one of them all about you and who you are (possibly in case they need to find your bodies)
4. My phone becomes brick when my touch screen is wet and my towel does not help if it is soaked to be in my outer pocket

Find our way back to the road after the great storm

Fortunately, the storm left right when the local sheriff advised us to stay out of the ridge lines and out of water and high trees. Excited to enter my store, I realized that all my things were soaked, including the upper third of my sleeping bag. I could even get water. Then I learned:

1. None of my things is as waterproof as I thought
2. Plastic bags are the way to follow

Later, we discovered that our friend, Amelia, had been beaten by a ray in the same place a couple of days later. I will keep that story for her to tell, but fortunately she is fine.

Sweet rolls throughout our rain team during a much softer storm earlier in that week

Fires

The storms of the rays began several fires around Norcal. One of them began nearby and during our stay in Etna, and you could see a line of helicopters and airplanes flying right on the path where they left us. The fire did not seem a threat at that time due to size and location, but after walking a few miles, we met our friends, Stish and Chaps.

Helicopter headed towards the fire of the summit

They were considering turning around. We realized that there were now several small fires throughout the next section and we were not sure of the amount of cars that could come and pick us up on any of the next roads of the forest service. He had already taken us for two hours to a trip to Etna, and that was after he had already given us up and we started walking to escape from another lightstream storm. So we decided to return to together.

Our private (public) bus to Seiad from Etna

There were no buses in Seiad for another day or two, but Stish and Chams were able to organize a special trip through the local transport department. I was amazed; It still costs US $ 2 per person. In Yreka, by total chance, we collected a group of our friends (Oliver, Voodoo and Pooh Bear) that also wanted to ignore the fires and we all ride Seiad together.

Burn scars and thorns in abundance

I will not stop this too much, but the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Nortal are the miles of thorny bushes that cut our legs. We all had bloody legs for a couple of weeks and the thorns would drag through existing cuts. The bushes seemed to grow mainly in the burns sections, which there were many. It was so horrible that sometimes we laughed a lot about how fun we were having (no) having.

Good

Nice cities!

For Courtney’s birthday, zero in Etna. It was one of our favorite cities along the way. We stayed at Bluebird Inn, a Victorian -style B&B picturesque, and we spend extra money for the private suite. Etna even had a small well -being spa with a sauna and two outdoor bathtubs and an Epsom salt buffet. I felt that I could walk again without a limp, and not as someone who had just walked more than a thousand miles. Our inn even had free bicycles to travel around the city, and we live the dream of our small city with cakes in our bicycle baskets.

The lovely porch of Bluebird Inn in Etna

Quincy was another favorite. We stayed with Roslynn, Taylor and his dog, Perejil, who let us come before they even were at home. His house was full of hikers in the basement and in the living room, and allowed us to have a loose rein of the kitchen and everything. It was the closest thing I felt when I was at home on the road (except when I really returned home for a few days). Rick, an older man, asked us if we needed a trip while we walked to a place of hitching before we could say something. He went home to grab his truck, and then proceeded to buy us all shaved before taking us back to the path and giving us a great talk.

Burney was not a pretty city; In fact, I think he is dying. But the Church allows you to remain for free and really encourage a lovely sense of community! They also made free coffee drinks in the morning! Burney is also close to one of the most beautiful waterfalls along the way.

Burney Falls, one of the best waterfalls along the way

Great volcanoes (and great milestones)!

When I saw that we left the Sierra Nevada and entered the waterfalls, I cried a little to myself, which I did not even do halfway. I grew up in Washington waterfall foothills. It was the first sign that I really headed home.

Chandbear, my pet that bears my husband’s name, Chandler, entering the waterfalls (home!)

Chandbear and I in the middle of the PCT

The volcanoes are really the bright stars of Norcal. You can’t help looking at Mount Shasta, and walking on Mount Lassen was super tidy. I didn’t even know anything about Lassen’s Volcanic National Park before we left. Spontaneously, we walk near Semi-Geysers, through a lava tube and for vibrant geothermal pools.

A volcano that is definitely very famous, but all seem to me, so I will not try to name it

A false secret, terminal geyer, in the Lassen Volcanic Park

A geothermal pool within the Lassen Volcanic Park

Beautiful sunsets

Perhaps a silver coating of all the scars and rays of burns was that the clouds and clear views made many beautiful sunsets. Our favorite camp on the entire path was on a crest with a view to a valley and watching the sun of our sleeping bags. And after all the scary storms, there were usually vibrant colors that bounced in the rain clouds that dissipated while rolling towards the distance.

Vaquero camp at the top of a crest

These are things, for me, that have made this long and arduous trip worth it.