PCT Day 112 – 117: Crossing the California/Oregon border

Day 112 – Etna Nero

Showder and I slept until 6:30 in the lake, then we packed slowly and returned to the road. We had originally planned ‘hero’ inside and outside Etna, but after the last difficult days, we decided to take a nero.

I was just six miles from the road where we needed to hook ourselves. On the way, we pass the 1,600 mile brand! We are moving quickly now and we will soon have less than 1,000 miles to travel.

On the way, we wait a lot of time for a hitch. The only vehicles that passed were the Firefighters of the Forest Service, due to Butler’s nearby fire. Finally, an angel of trails that left the hikers offered us a trip to the city.

In Etna, we reserve beds in the Hiker Hut shelter, where stretching, PDF and Rocksie also remained. While we waited to register, we picked up new bags of Adotec bears proof at the Post Office, then we took lunch in Etna Brewing Company. After replenishing, we relax in the city library.

The hiker cabin was a cozy six -bed cabin with a beautiful bathroom, kitchen and a well -assorted hiker box. They also had laundry and loan bicycles, which facilitated displacement. After showering and starting our clothes, we entered the city and picked up the dinner at the Deli. They even had gluten -free bread, so I could get a delicious sandwich.

We spent the night hanging with friends in the hiker cabin. I fell asleep quickly in my comfortable bunk.

Day 113 – Deer Mafia

We slept and wake up around 7 in the morning, the shelter provided free breakfast coupons to a local bakery, so we all went by bicycle. It had a frittata and fruit, while the soup soup was for a massive sandwich of focaccia egg. While we ate, we met our friend Gandalf and we reach it before returning to the shelter to visit him.

We stopped at the local equipment store to obtain fuel, then we spend the time in a cafeteria until the time came to get hooked. He only took five minutes before a guy who worked on fire -related contracts gathered us. Within half an hour, we returned to the road.

Our goal was to walk 11 miles. The first miles were beautiful, with a view to Mount Shasta in the distance. But in the afternoon, a storm Rodó. We released the rain team, but they still soaked us with hail and rain. Fortunately, the storm passed quickly, and we only had a couple of miles to camp.

In the camp, we had dinner with our friends, but around 7 pm, a group of deer appeared. they were Noscared of us. We kept trying to chase them, but they kept returning. Finally, we hid all our belongings inside the store and close everything to avoid harassment of deer. They kept us awake throughout the night, digging and breaking around our store.

Day 114 – More Storms

We do not sleep well after the soy of the deer, and we woke up to find the deer who were still waiting outside. One even followed the soup in the bathroom. They were relentless.

We packed and start a great day ahead. Today we would enter the marble mountains, with a lot of climbing. We walk the first miles with our friend John. After passing through a recent burns zone, the path became green and lush, with wild flowers everywhere.

We climbed above a lake that reminded us of the Sierra, then we went to another area of burns. Later, we had a slow descent, where we found a caravan of 15 package mules and two dogs that had supplies for crews. Trail teams, we love you!

We have lunch for an old guardian station and talk with Scrub-A-Dub, who suggested that our family of trails (stretching, pdf, soup and me, two married couples) should be called «double appointment.»

After lunch, we got on the desert of Marble Mountain, absolutely impressive. While we walked, Thunder rumbled in the distance. We stopped in a lake to collect water, and began to assault again. We wait under a tree until the weather cleared a little, then we continue to climb a crest. Unfortunately, the storm returned with thunder and rain. We walk quickly in Treeline and finally we found a place to camp once the storm passed. The smoked sunset of nearby forest fires lit the sky wonderfully. We made dinner, organized camp and saw an episode of He Pitt before bedtime.

Waiting for the storm to pass

Day 115 – Seiad Valley and the state of Jefferson

We wake up early to a dry store, we packed and start the long descent to the Seiad Valley. The path was plagued by farms; For now, we are basically professional obstacles.

After about 15 miles, we stopped in a camp for lunch under the shadow of a tree. Then came the road walking to Seiad Valley, which is found and exhibited. But listening Thunder in the distance made us thank us in the valley.

Walk on the road to Seiad Valley

In the general store, we collected soft drinks, snacks, bars for the next section and some mini shooters to celebrate the Oregon border in a couple of days. The woman in the registry gave us some stickers of the state of Jefferson, definitely a unique memory. While we were there, we heard that some hikers had been redirected by the bus due to a fire near Etna Summit, only a day and a half after we left. We feel incredibly fortunate to have lost it.

We had planned to walk a little more, but we were convinced to stay in a parking house park on the road. They had Wi-Fi, a barbecue dinner and free open showers. The shower was freezing, but it was worth it. We had fun chatting with other hikers and we went to sleep near the road, occasionally we woke up registering trucks, a reminder that we are approaching home.

Day 116 – Walk by road and thunderstorms

We packed and decided to take the alternative alternative alternative instead of the steep and exposed path section, which was full of explosions. The road walk was shaded, had water and turned out to be a good decision.

We walked with Send It, Stretch and PDF, a great conversation caused the miles to fly. At the crossroads of the path, we have lunch with John. While ate, a couple stopped in a jeep and asked about our walk. When Chowder mentioned that we were married, the man turned to him and said: «You must be waiting for your wife all the time.» Chowder replied: «She is the fastest hiker, I am usually the one who tries to catch up.» The guy didn’t have much to say after that. I have not faced too much sexism along the way, but when it happens, it is always frustrating.

After lunch, we climbed three miles, then we began to overcome the farms again. I started to get frustrated, I am clumsy already hurt myself in these obstacles. Fortunately, they relieved after a few miles … but the weather is not. A storm rolled as we climb a crest. We stopped under the trees and waited while thunder and rays approached.

After an hour without rest in the weather, we decided to take a high forest road to the camp. We prepared and the power walked through the storm. Rayo felt uncomfortably close. When we arrived at the camp, we were soaked. It was too stormy to cook, so we ate and went to bed. Definitely a fun type 2 day, but we were so ready for Oregon.

Day 117 – Oregon!

We were delighted to wake up with a major tent. Our rain and packages were still soaked, but we packed and walk north with basket and animal. Half mile before Oregon’s border, we find PDF, stretch and John.

I was leading and shouted: «I see the sign of the border!» We all cheer. After walking almost all of California, crossing Oregon felt like a enormous milestone. We take photos and photos of celebration.

Half mile of Oregon, we find the magic of the path! Spark and Papaya, two paths of trails, had food, drinks, chairs and their dog greeted us. We compiled, talked and soaked, it was a perfect welcome to Oregon.

The path was soft and well maintained, so we had a good time. A few miles before camping, we run into further Trail Magic: Trail Angel Grilling Burgers. He had a delicious lettuce wrapped in lettuce, and we obtained a soda of a nearby refrigerator maintained by another path of trails. He gave us the energy to walk a few more miles.

In the camp, there was even more magic. The legend and the bee, two travel trail angels, were cooking spaghetti. While I couldn’t eat it, Chowder did it, and we talked to them and our friends. We camped with Mount Shasta in the distance, we saw an episode of The Baneo (We are in a kick of medical television drama) and we went to bed excited to get hooked to the city the next day for a well -earned zero.