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oliver and i

#me #arizona #hiking #subway cave #sedona #happy escape #oliver and i

ARIZONA🏜️ - photos by Joshua Winders

The Hat Creek Rim stretches south from Lassen Volcanic National Park with panoramic views of Lassen Peak on the south to distant Mt. Shasta to the northwest. While walking the PCT along Hat Creek Rim can be a scorching, arid test of character in mid-summer, today (November 3) it was strikingly beautiful.

The Hat Creek Rim is a fault where the earth’s crust has been shifted vertically. The floor of Hat Creek Valley is over 900 feet below the top of the rim. However, one million years ago the rim and the valley were at the same elevation.

Coming from the south, the PCT climbs from the valley floor to the rim which it follows roughly 20 miles to the north winding inland to avoid the relatively few gullies that penetrate the Rim. This can be a superb mid-fall walk.

#Lassen Peak #Hat Creek Rim #Pacific Crest Trail #Subway Cave

On November 3, we posted three images from the PCT along the Hat Creek Rim. Another nearby feature, just a short detour from the PCT as it climbs to the Rim, is the Subway Cave. This lava tube is very dark and requires a headlamp to illuminate and sturdy hiking shoes (not flip flops) to safely navigate the one-third mile trail. It is not all as pictured . . . some areas have experienced roof collapses over the years resulting in difficult navigation.

#Subway Cave #Hat Creek Rim

Hiking Subway Cave in Lassen national forest

#lassen national forest #national forest #subway cave #hiking #spring #california

The answer to PCT Quiz Question #8 is, of course, Subway Cave. Near Old Station just north of Lassen Peak and just a short distance off the PCT, the Subway Cave is a lava tube easily walkable for one third of a mile with longer, less friendly, options possible.

Although the above photos show a smooth floor, much of the cave floor is rough and jagged due to partial collapses of the tube over the years. The cave remains a cool 46 degrees.

#Subway Cave #Old Station

1,500 Down, 1,150 to Go

April and Jake impressed my friend and sometime trail angel, Ernie, who lives in Dunsmuir. He encouraged me to check out their blog and include an April and Jake post on this website. You can follow their journey the details of their journey at: (www.breakingopenthenutshell.com)

After April and Jake thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2014 they “haven’t been able to settle down.” April noted, “We got a taste of the adventure, freedom, and simplicity and we want that back. The past 4 years we have continued traveling in the US, testing out different states.” Tucson is currently home base.

Below is an excerpt from their most recent post summarizing their journey from Chester to I-5, through Lassen Volcanic National Park, along Hat Creek Rim, past Burney Falls, and on through Section O. They have passed the 1,500 mile mark and have concluded that “despite the hardships out here, every day is overwhelmingly worth it.“

We’ll check in with them again closer to the end of their long walk.

The trail always has the magical aspect of being ‘ever-changing.’ Later in the day we got to a nice piney area and camped on a sandy beach near wonderful running water. We had slept with our tent fly off, leaving us to look at the starry sky. But in the middle of the night I quickly got up to put the fly on as I saw the storm clouds rolling in. We later awoke to the pitter patter of rain, a welcome treat.

The next day we had another hot, hot day. The water was nil, so made sure to drink a lot at the water sources and carry at least 3 liters out. We huddled in some shade and took naps, trying to find the energy to keep on hiking. When we kept hiking my mouth felt dry and all I could think was to conserve water. Then the most magical sight… Oranges in a tree, coolers, hikers….

Subway Cave, an amazingly cool refuge, just before beginning the hot and exposed Hat Creek Rim

We ventured into the town of Burney, which had a wonderful church that hosted hikers. We all slept in a gymnasium on our sleeping mats & got free, hot showers. At this point the trail has been mentally tough in a variety of ways. Each day we are thinking about our daily mileage, as there is a short window of time that you need to start and finish. Our goal is to be done by mid-September which has us doing about 20 miles a day. It has taken a toll on our legs and our minds. Each difficult day I think how even the hardest days out here are better than the anxious feelings I felt in every day ‘normal’ life. I think about how alive I feel out here, I am present and aware. I overcome difficult situations, mentally and physically every day and that makes me feel great. Each day I realize that the simpler my life, the more free I feel. So despite the hardships out here, every day is overwhelmingly worth it.