Days 96
Start: Hat Creek
Finish: Hat Creek Rim
Daily Mileage: 27.5
PCT Mile: 1398.3
There’s a short side trail to the lava tubes, with the hiker’s holy triumvirate of toilets, trash cans, and a water faucet. After making use of the amenities, we headed into the lava tube.
The tube was pretty incredible. The walls were smooth and it was almost as if the tunnel had been bored by humans and not nature. The perfect tunnel led us underground to a cool environment pockmarked with fissures and pumice cemented to the tube.
It was an incredible sight, and experience, and well worth the short side trip. However, soon enough we emerged from the cool environs and were headed back to the trail.
The water we grabbed signaled the start of the Hat Creek Rim dry stretch of trail. This section is notorious for being without natural water on-trail for 37 miles if you exclude the off-trail water we got from the Subway Caves. It was 16 miles from the caves to a water cache, and I carried 3 liters out. I could have carried some more, but I figured that would get me there, with thirst depending on the heat of the day.
The trail headed up to the Hat Creek Rim, which was a cliff overlooking the Hat Creek Valley below us. Walking on the rim gave frequent wide views of the valley and mountains beyond.
It was an easy hike along the rim, though very dusty and just enough rocks to break our strides every so often. It warmed up which can be a challenge on this section of trail since its exposed from old fires and waterless, but there was a wind which came up often enough to keep things not miserable.
We cruised right along and made great progress. I rationed my water. I had enough, but if I had more I would have used it.
After 16 miles of dry trail, we came to a water cache tank which had plenty of water to fill back up. We had initially planned to camp here, but it was early so we pressed on after a break.
We got into cow pasture but without the cows. More rocks but still relatively easy moving. A little before 5 we called it at a flat spot on the rim with shelter from trees. I had realized my shoes were once again getting old and worn since I could feel many of the small rocks on the trail through them, so I ordered some for the next town we will be in, and we figured out our resupply strategy for a quick top off tomorrow.
Gang Signs, Angler, and Bear Cage later joined us in time for dinner before we retired to our tents with the sun setting over the valley in front of us.
