Days 94
Start: Chester, CA
Finish: Lassen National Park south border
Daily Mileage: 15
PCT Mile: 1347.4
There were only 15 miles to do today, so did a late start since there was no rush. Ate breakfast and sat around the hostel until mid morning. I headed out with el Chaski and Honeybun to hitch back to the trail.
A few minutes after we started hitching, a guy in a car across the street asked where we were headed, so we went over to talk to him. He was going our direction, but asked for a few bucks in gas money which was a little odd but ok. We got in for the 8 mile ride to the trail where he was telling us about being deported to Mexico even though he was American and how his ex was behind it, and how he paid 10k to get over the wall, and showed us a video of federal Marshalls coming to arrest him, etc. Not the most comfortable hitch, but there were 3 of us and he got us to the trailhead so not all bad.
Back on trail we reentered the vast tract of the Dixie Fire burn area. We still have another day or two getting across it. Hard to comprehend a fire so big. The scenery was just the burned forest, but it flew by quickly with the hiking company. Hardly noticed the hills.
Halfway through the hike, descending a mountain to the last fork of the Feather River that we will cross, Lassen Peak came into view once again. This mountain has been on the horizon for almost a week, but suddenly it was the very next mountain over. I didn’t take a picture though since I never got the clear view I was looking for. Great to see the changing landscape and making progress on foot towards a once distant destination.
Then it was just a few more easy miles to camp, through a mix of burned and unburned forest.
We set up camp right next to the border to Lassen National Park. Camping in the park requires a bear can which we are no longer carrying, so we need to stop here and dash across the park tomorrow. This spot is a collection point for hikers, and most of those we were with at the hostel trickled in over time. Had a great dinner with all of the other hikers: El Chaski, Honeybun, Bags, Prick, Kanga, Yeti, Gang Signs, Bear Cage, Angler, and Toes.
