Chuck's News: Saturday, August 4, 2018

28.63 miles - Total to date - 362.3 miles

Ascent - 5624’ , Descent - 3148’ - Burney Falls State Park (1419.0) to Moosehead Creek Headwaters (1445.2)

Derek and I decided to get an earlier start than normal as we were faced with a big climb for the day. We set our alarms for 4:30 am with the ambition to be on the trail at 5:00 am. All went as planned and we were hiking by headlamp at 5:00 am. The trail took us alongside Britton Lake and then down across the dam that forms the lake before beginning its 3000’ ascent. We stopped for breakfast after three miles at Rock Creek. Derek had a bowl of cereal, I munched a nut bar. Another mile and we passed Phil sleeping in a half erected tent, just inches off the trail. As the morning progressed we walked through magnificent stands of Doug fir, many soaring 80 feet before their first limb, each tree surrounded at the base by verdant shrubbery. It was a magnificent forest. The trail also took us under high tension power lines. Eventually, we made it to Clark Spring where we took a break. We had covered 17.5 miles. I arrived about ten minutes after the “kids” (Derek, Double D, Logan and Bailey). The spring was down a side trail about 0.2 miles away. I headed down with my bottles to fill. I also took my food bag and a towel. Derek told me there was a good pool for soaking feet. He was right. First I filled my bottles from the trickle of water coming out of a culvert. Bailey and Logan showed up. As I was already straddling the puddle below the culvert I had them hand me their bottles to fill. When finished, I removed my shoes and socks and submerged my feet into the cold water, splashing water up into my shins and calf to remove the solid sheet of dirt that coats my legs after an hour or two pounding down this dusty trail. I try to do this soaking and washing ritual whenever possible, but the opportunity does not come too often. Most water sources are little trickles without a pool to soak in or the yellow jackets are so thick near the water I fear I will get stung on my bare feet, a disaster of epic proportions. I swell considerably when stung, particularly by yellow jackets. A sting on the foot would render me unable to get my shoe on. And, the swelling lasts for two or three days.

I had told myself I was not going to do big miles anymore. Just 3.5 miles from this water source was a campsite, giving me 21 for the day. I left our lunch break before the rest and hiked the distance, feeling surprisingly well for miles 17.5 to 21 for the day. The spot I was headed for was another side trail to another spring. When I got there, I sat on a log, removed my shoes and rested, waiting for the others. They arrived shortly, asked if I was going to stay here and moved on. I answered no, I was moving on with them. I reasoned the last 3.5 didn't feel too bad. If I just split these last seven miles into two - 3.5 mile romps, how bad could it be? Bad. The last 3.5 mile “romp” was tough. To add misery to the misery, we needed to add another 0.4 mile on to the end to get to an open campsite. 28.63 miles for the day. I was beat. So was Derek. Fitting our four tents into the available spots on this sloping piece of ground proved to be a tight fit. A Japanese man was there when we arrived. He spoke no English so communication was impossible. He quickly went into his tent to sleep. I cooked Quinoe for dinner. I was sitting on the hill, bent over eating and talking with the group (we have been together enough we are becoming what is known as a “trail family”) when I felt it. A sense of dread overtook me. I straightened up and twisted my torso back and forth, but to no avail. I had food stuck in my esophagus right where it enters my stomach. It is uncomfortable, but more importantly, I cannot swallow food nor drink as long as the blockage is there. I walked away from the group and back down the trail a bit, out of sight and tried my only known technique that works to dislodge the stuck food-jump up and land with knees locked, jolting the food into a new position and hopefully into my stomach. I tried this a dozen times. No change. I twisted and torqued. No change. It persisted for about ten minutes, enough to make me worry it would never free itself. After another ten minutes and more jumping, I felt the obstruction drop into my stomach. Phew! Of course, this delayed me getting to bed by nearly half an hour and I still had to finish dinner. I was the last to bed. I wanted to write my blog, but I was too tired.

The air was cool, a very welcome condition, but the smoke was still ever present, blocking the scenery and easily smelled with every breath. At times it could be tasted in my mouth as I breathed. It is so thick that all scenery is obscured by it. The sun rises and sets as a glowing red ball and during the middle of the day I feel like I am in Washington. The sky is slate grey with no direct sunlight. It is like a cloud cover, except it is smoke from the Carr fire near Redding. It has helped to make the hiking in the afternoons cooler as we are not beneath the direct sun, but it also makes it impossible to see anything beyond about a mile radius. I don't expect this to change for the rest of the hike. Too many fires.