#or section b

[pcttrailsidereader]

Heard in the Hills

Our imaginations thrive under cover of darkness. Deep in the blackness of night tends to be when our worst fears prevail and paranoia overwhelms rationality. I’ve been there.

Nighttime on the PCT is ripe for the adrenaline rush that accompanies an unexplained sound -- the bump in the night, the rustling of branches or crackling of leaves. Most PCT hikers have at least one story of dancing  with their own nighttime fears.

When one enters Bigfoot country east of I-5 in Northern California, the antenna are on high alert once the sun goes down.  And sometimes it IS a bear.

See Homestretch and Barking Spider’s blog for more PCT stories:

https://adventureclaudia.wordpress.com

I heard some creature stomping around and snorting last night. I wonder if it was Bigfoot.

I got a little lost on the side trail down to Callahan’s but I made it eventually. I ate my tasty town breakfast and drank a ton of coffee and charged my devices then sorted my resupply box. I found a pair of Altras that were just a half size too small and traded them for my falling-apart New Balances, the ones with holes so big I could stick my feet out of them from the side. I swapped the bright-colored skirt I’d been hiking in since my old shorts got holes in the crotch for a brand new pair of shorts. I feel so fine!

My pack is heavy with food since my appetite for trail food is down. One day I’ll get my resupplied dialed in. Probably not any day soon.

I saw Sweet Virginia as I was packing up, she just finished her flip flop through the Sierra. I’d like to see the Sierra one day without so much snow. I bet it was fast. I bet it was beautiful. But I have no regrets!

Just past noon, way later than I intended, I set out for the trail. Half a mile in, I saw a big hiker with a huge pack clearly struggling. “How do you do it,” he asked, “How do you get your packs so small?”

I climbed up in the heat of the day, past Pilot Rock, past day hikers and trail crews, past lizards and birds and beetles. I took a little break at a spring and drank water and dried out my tent, soaked from condensation. My last miles stretched to sunset. I stealth camped overlooking the burning sun.

Before I fell asleep, I heard tree limbs snap. Animal noises. Just frequent enough to keep me up. It got closer. I could hear the bear snorting, breathing. I wasn’t afraid, since bears don’t really attack unprovoked, but I was unnerved and definitely prevented from sleeping. I clapped, I talked, I yelled out “Hey Bear!” I played Poi E on my phone, maybe more for my benefit than the bear’s. It semicircles around my tent and I peered into the forest to try to see it in the moonlight. I thought about the ants and grubs and spiders and plants it was eating, how it had to get fat for winter. I hoped it had the same disdain for trail food that I do. It left me well alone. At about 1am, it sauntered off and I finally fell asleep.

[pcttrailsidereader]

These three photos from the Southern Oregon PCT capture some of the beauty of this stretch of trail . . . often maligned because of the unending trees and abundant mosquito habitat, cheered for its relatively flat and easy trail, and appreciated for its sunny and mild weather. The top photo gives a little taste of the incredible trail construction through the lava flows around Brown Mountain. Moving clockwise, Mt. McLoughlin dominates the horizon through much of Oregon's Section B and Section C (to Crater Lake).  And, finally, Cliff Lake, a short and worthwhile detour from the PCT just north of the Lee's Peak/Devil's Peak Saddle.

[pcttrailsidereader]

My wife, Amy (aka Sock Monkey), and oldest daughter, Chisa (aka Trail Bait), and three decade plus hiking partner, Howard (aka Rocky), and I section-hiked the PCT from Crater Lake south to Hyatt Lake in southern Oregon.  Although there were many highlights, we all enjoyed talking with others on the trail.  Here's a cross-section (beginning with the top left photo and proceeding clockwise) with a brief backstory on each:

1) Legs and Nature.  Legs owns a grocery store back east but would prefer to be hiking. Nature, mother of five and former registrar at Mt. Holyoke, was recently questioned by one of them about her addiction to backpacking. "People your age shouldn't be doing this."  Ha!

2) Gabe and Nick.  We are from Arcata, California.  Gabe and Nick are from Arcata, California. We have been following their journey north.  We met south of Brown Mountain Shelter.

3) The Mariele Sisters.  Heidi (24) and Miranda (17) had started at the California/Oregon border and were backpacking the length of the PCT in Oregon.

4) Phil and Rick.  Phil (76) was finishing up the Oregon PCT with support from his young friend, Rick (70).

5) Amy, Chisa, Rees, and Howard.

6) Nick and Caroline Kristof.  Nick Kristof is a celebrated columnist for the NY Times as well as a long-time lover of the PCT. He has managed to pass along that passion to his 16-year old daughter, Caroline.  They were heading for the California/Oregon border now and were planning to walk the PCT in the North Cascades later in the summer.

7) Blackhawk Down. Blackhawk Down was back on the trail after knee surgery and a fall that broke several ribs.  He was going slow but was certainly the epitome of determination.  We suggested a more appropriate trail name might be 'Blackhawk Up'.

[pcttrailsidereader]

I return today from a week of walking the PCT south of Crater Lake through the Sky Lakes Wilderness area toward Ashland.  I will be with my older daughter, my wife, and my long-time hiking partner, Howard Shapiro.  In the middle of the week, my wife and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.  It was 30 years ago now that she and I were finishing our bicycle ride from Seattle to Kansas, where we were married in my parents' home. Thank you, Amy, for these many years of love, friendship, and adventure!

[pcttrailsidereader]

Just east of Interstate 5 and below Siskiyou Summit on the PCT, Callahan's Siskiyou Lodge has long been a welcoming stop for PCT hikers.  However, following the fire that destroyed the Lodge in September, 2006, there were many who imagined that the facility would never be rebuilt. But owners, Ron and Donna Bergquist, courageously rebuilt opening again in 2008. 

Callahan's remains a cherished PCT landmark, watering hole, and one of the better options for getting a ride into Ashland.

[pcttrailsidereader]

Sunset photos taken by Weathercarrot in Northern California and Southern Oregon along the PCT. It is difficult to really capture the subtle color of sunset but Weathercarrot has come close.