[pct-l] Our PCT Section hike O-R

[susan alcorn]

Ralph (Timecheck) and I are celebrating having
completed our longest section hike of the Pacific
Crest Trail--300 miles from Burney Falls (near
Lassen), California to Ashland, Oregon (Sections O, P,
Q, R). Our total PCT miles are now 1,400 so we've
hiked more than half of the distance from Mexico to
Canada. (I know this is small potatoes to some, but
when you're in your 60s and 70s, it's a bit of a
challenge).

Many backpackers dread starting section "O." Some
guidebooks refer to the horrible trail conditions.
Apparently for years there were sections that were
almost impassable.  At this point, most of the trail
is in good condition.  There are still a places where
you have to push through brush, but at least there are
few deadfalls (fallen trees) or serious obstacles.  We
thought that Burney Falls was a good starting
place--the terrain is pretty easy as PCT trails go. 

Of course we did have a few challenges--dealing with
temperatures in the triple digits--105 at 4:00 in the
afternoon--takes some getting used to. Did I mention
the humidity? We were warned about poison oak and
although there were places where it was a nuisance
(primarily near Castle Crags and Seiad Valley), I
ended up buying and carrying an 8 oz.  bottle of
calamine lotion for no good reason.

Many people complain that they get really tired of
looking at Mt. Shasta--after all hikers will be
looking at it from every angle for 400-500 miles, but
I never tire of seeing it. It was especially
interesting when we had a cold rain while near Castle
Crags (off Hwy. 5, north of Redding) and saw that Mt.
Shasta had gained a new mantle of snow down to 9,000
feet. In July?

Our hike also took us through the Trinity Alps, Marble
Mountains, and the Siskiyous. The JMT remains my
favorite section of the PCT, but this area is a
spectacular second. Every mile seemed to bring
something new--a forest, a field of wildflowers, a
boulder field, sparkling lakes, granite peaks
. Anyone
looking for a wonderful place to get into the
wilderness and avoid the crowds would enjoy this
region.

As our trip progressed, we began to see more
thru-hikers (they cover 25-30 miles days compared to
our 12-15 ones) making their way north. I noticed that
most were a lot less likely to stop and talk than when
we see them hiking in Southern California. By the time
they get this far north, they seem much more focused
on putting in the miles--perhaps they sense the
seasons are beginning to change and Canada is still a
couple of months away.  There were also several days
in which we saw no one. 

To avoid carrying food for 3 weeks, we mailed supplies
ahead to Dunsmuir, Etna, and Seiad Valley.  Each of
these small towns had its own distinct personality,
but Etna was the clear winner as far as hiker
friendliness.  No sooner had we been delivered to the
post office by a trail angel than the locals started
asking about our trip. One man offered us a place to
stay, "I live by myself, but you're welcome to stay,"
he said. Another man offered to drive us back to the
trailhead (15 miles) when we were ready. We could have
stayed for a nominal amount in the local "Hiker
Heaven," but elected to treat ourselves to two nights
in a "Bed & Breakfast" instead.  

As always, on this trip several "trail angels" helped
us.  We had a terrific sendoff--complete with gourmet
meals to compensate for the days of freeze dried
ahead--by friends in Clio. Then were JoAnn Michael and
Emory Hanlon (near Castle Crags), Jim Payne of Etna,
and Bill of Ashland -- all of whom drove us from trail
to town. Another friend drove us from her place in
Medford, Oregon to Burney Falls so that we only had to
drive one car up north to start out. We would NEVER be
able to do all of this on again, off again
(section-hiking) without the generosity of the angels.

Happy trails,
Susan Alcorn
Backpack45