Monday, July 30, 2018 - Going The Distance

33.5 miles - Total to date - 241.4  miles

Ascent - 5191’’ , Descent - 5898’ - Camp at Chips Creek Crossing (1293.43)  to Soldier Creek (1325.52)

I am camped almost exactly 50 miles from the Mt. Lassen National Park border. Normally, this line on a map would have little meaning, just an administrative  boundary to cross. The trees, flora and fauna continue on and from a hiker’s perspective nothing has changed. But, national forests and national parks have different mandates and guidelines by which they operate. Forests are generally multi-use whereas national parks are preserve. Consequently, Lassen National Park requires all hikers spending a night within their boundary to carry a bear can containing all food to protect their bears. The national forest has no such requirement. I do not have a bear can with me. What to do?  Hike the PCT portion that lies within Lassen NP all in one day. At 19.3 miles, this is not a tall order, but it does require a little planning, such as being on the southern border of the park in the morning so the 19.3 miles can be traversed in a day without undue strain. 

To get to the southern border in two days requires two consecutive 25 mile days or some variation there of. Water and camping looks appropriately spaced to allow two 25 mile days, although I would have to dry camp, so when I left camp at 5:17 am this morning, I had in mind doing just that. But as the day progressed I noticed that if I hiked 32.5 miles today I could camp at Soldier Creek and have running water available for washing, drinking and cooking. I resolved to see how I felt as the day progressed and determine my course of action later in the day. 

First thing out of the gate was a 3000’ climb up out of Chips Creek. It was cool in the morning. This made the climb bearable. 

Once on top the trail ran along the ridge top for the most part, rising and falling along with the ridge. Sometimes it would side hill around a high point, sometimes go right over the top. 

The first water stop was a spring called Cold Spring. The water came out of the ground in a water pipe that filled a water trough. It was cold and wonderful. I had a bite to eat, soaked my feet  and drank my fill.  This was at the ten mile mark for the day. I thought for certain I would be joined by other hikers as I lounged by the spring, but no one came. 

About midday, Obe Wan caught up with me. I am not sure how he got behind me as he had left the day before. I was talking to Sally on the phone at the time and only just greeted him, thinking I would get a chance to talk to him later, but with phone service I called and talked to Jeff and John Sanford, slowing my pace a bit because I stopped when signal was good to avoid getting cut off.  I did not see him again for the rest of the day. 

I stopped at twenty miles from my starting point at Little Cub spring. With the trail up right on the ridge top, the water was earned by hiking down off the ridge 0.3 miles to the spring. I repeated my actions, soaking feet, eating and drinking my fill. Then I had to climb back up to the PCT on the ridge. 

Once I had gained the ridge and the PCT the trail climbed over the next five miles, bringing us to Butt Mountain. From this high vantage point it was nearly all downhill to Soldier Creek, 7.5 miles away. I sat down, had a bite to eat and evaluated how I felt. After a few minutes evaluation I felt good. All systems Go!  

About two miles down the hill I passed the halfway marker, a concrete post in the ground that marks half the distance from Mexico to Canada. The trail has been altered in recent years. The marker is no longer exactly at the halfway point, but it still is a psychological milestone to hit this point. For some it is uplifting, others look at it and think “I am only halfway?”

I had had cell service off and on all day. For this descent it was on. I called Andy, Ed and Sally as I walked along, still talking to Sally as I walked into the campsites near the creek. I was surprised to find no one here. It was now 7:30 pm and I suspected someone would be camping here, but that was not the case. I soaked my feet, pitched the tent, crawled in and cooked a quart of rice, chicken, pineapple, walnuts, dried cranberries and spinach and ate the entire pot while laying on my sleeping pad. I was tired, but did not have any points of pain, just overwhelming fatigue. 32.5 miles from where I camped last night to where I was now laying. That does not include the 0.6 round trip to Little Cub Spring, nor the distance off trail to Cold Spring. I was pleased with my accomplishment.  I hoped I would not pay for it in the coming days. With 32.5 miles today, tomorrow was a relatively short day, just 18 miles to the Mt. Lassen NP border. 

Cold Spring, a couple tenths off the PCT