Days 99
Start: Tate Creek headwaters
Finish: West Trough Creek
Daily Mileage: 28.8
PCT Mile: 1483
A deer greeted us this morning, cautiously working its way around our camp looking for hiker sweat or pee residue to eat. Almost every other deer we saw today was in or around a hiker camp. They are vultures for hiker bodily fluids here.
Honeybun and I continued down the ridge we were traveling. It was purported to be filled with blowdowns and overgrowth, but it was easy traveling with only occasional obstacles. So much fear mongering out here, you can’t believe most of it, and just hike your own hike.
The ridge did offer great mountain views which were enjoyable until we reached the end and the trail turned down through forest.
The forest was great though. The trail was a nice easy shaded downhill, and the forest was either old growth or close to it. There were many massive trees that were a couple hundred feet tall. We saw these throughout the entire day today which was great and reminded me of Washington where we are headed.
We flew through the downhill and had lunch at a trailhead, already covering over 17 miles. However, we had a challenge coming up.
So far the heat wave we are in hasn’t turned out as hot as originally forecast, but it was supposed to be 90 in the mountains today, and we had a climb after lunch. We first traversed and crossed the McCloud River which was a great milky blue, and stopped to fill our water bottles at the last creek before the climb. Even the flat trail before the climb had me dripping sweat, so I was unsure how ascending 2,000 feet would go in the hot weather.
I grabbed 3 liters to cover the elevation and started up. It was a nice gentle climb, PCT style, and the miles and elevation ticked right away. We made quick progress up the mountain, and the climb went well. I did drink a lot of water, but it was completely manageable. That made me more confident that I could handle the coming days where it will be even hotter, well into the 100s for days after my next town stop.
Descending through more amazing old growth forest with towering trees, we crossed a couple creeks. We decided to camp at the second one since camping was questionable ahead and the campsites looked decent.
It was our buggiest night yet on the trail. We were able to eat dinner outside, but were chased into our tents soon afterwards.
Even though the temperatures are climbing, the hiking was still not too challenging today, even doing 29 miles. I easily could have gone further if there had been better camping onward. The old growth lifted my spirits, seeing trees like home.