Half Way

The morning of our third leg began with a deeply welcome thunderstorm, even if we didn't have any rain gear. 

The drought in California right now is the worst since records began (163 years), and is exacerbated by a record low snowfall last winter.  Normally white peaks are clear.  Normally flowing springs are dry.

For hikers, this has meant carrying more water - we often haul more than 10 pounds of H2O on our backs.

While we were happy to see the rain, I had foolishly sent all our rain gear, except our tent cover, back to my dad after our 5-day stretch in the desert.  So to avoid being soaked wet, and possibly hypothermic, we were forced to apply a little Williamson Innovation Technique (or wit, for short).

The trash bags were wonderfully effective, and a lot cheaper than all the rain gear we'd bought.  

Doh!

The rain clouds were low and lent the entire trail a different experience.  Visibility was limited without limiting the vista.

The third leg found us joining the Lower Sierras, and higher elevations.  Several peaks began to be treeless, with wider panoramic views.

As a whole, our excursion could be viewed as a micro-PCT.  The complete Mexico-Canada route starts in the desert (for a month!!) and winds it's way through the Sierras up to the Cascade Range and massive Mt Rainier.  Similarly, we spent a week in arid Hat Creek Rim (from which my feet have still not fully recovered), and will finish in normally glacial peaks.  

Our first visit to these summits was Lookout Rock, which happened to be within about a mile of the half way point of our trek.  So we tarried there a bit longer than we might otherwise have done, and were blessed to witness the storm dissipate from a thick soup,

into a celestial sweep.

An interesting sub-plot to our adventure is how the people we meet marvel at Ben being willing/able to hike 300 miles, how they sometimes ask me quietly whether I coerced him to do this, and how our reality on the trail boils down to my struggle to keep up with him.

We've worked out we both hike a reasonably quick natural pace.  I'm generally about 3mph across most terrain, but Ben is more like 3.2.  He's had no blisters and only required his sometimes problematic knee to be wrapped once.  

So each day, we spend about half the time hiking separately.  Although some friends have voiced a concern with this, we both have a GPS map of the trail, so I know he can't get lost.  The reality is he's a young buck, needs to be able to stretch his legs, and it's a great feeling to be stronger than your dad at something.

The other half the time, he follows my pace, and we share.  He's taught me loads about 1066, the founding kings of England, and various battles, especially with the Scots - all far more interesting than I had appreciated.  Side note - it seems English schools teach mostly battles when the Scots defeated the English, which must reveal some sort of guilt or political agenda.  Or both.

It also seems that English schools don't spend much time focused on US History (shock, horror..!), so I've done my best to share the history of America, from the Native American tragedies, to the founding fathers and the Constitutuon, slavery, the civil war, and favourite Presidents.

All while the landscape changes and unfolds before us, from river crossings,

to sweeping panoramas.

The last day of this leg had a small share of unexpected drama.  During our first 10 days on the trail, we were both surprised at our lack of appetite - despite our daily exertions, for a time we were eating about 2000 calories a day!  I knew this wasn't sustainable, even if I have enjoyed moving three holes on my belt.  So we carried more food than we were eating, but tried not to carry TOO much extra. 

Toward the end of this last leg, our hunger returned.  So that just as we began the difficult ascent around the Sierra Buttes, for short periods a nearly 40% climb,

we were having to ration our food.  I even resorted to some horrible tasting Gu packs that are full of calories; to his credit Ben retained his standards and went without.

Then, on the descent down the other side, the precipice of which is poorly captured here, as the potential peril of a poorly placed step was pretty severe,

we were stopped in our tracks by a rattlesnake.  It hissed and rattled and recoiled as rattlers do, and my mind was not firmly focused on photographic opportunities.  Due to the narrow trail, and the angle on either side of it, we had to shimmy past him like some sort of vertical limbo, probably just a foot or so outside his striking distance.  Of course, we know logically he was probably petrified, and striking us the last thing he wanted to do, but at that moment it all felt pretty lively.

From there we descended, watching every step quite carefully, and hitched a ride with an artist whose name I forget... (sorry!), a really nice pastel painter from the Bay Area,

into charming Sierra City.   

It's a tiny mountain village, without a stop light or sign, but with plenty of character.

It has a dozen little businesses, mostly cafés and rooms, and a welcoming little country store.  Larry and Kathy clearly take a lot of pride in making guests feel welcome, not least by anticipating the ravenous hunger their visitors might have.

Our previous rationing made this burger one heckuva meal.

We now have another day off.  An off-shoot of Ben's impressive tempo is that we've been averaging 20-25 miles per day.  We had originally planned on 14-16 miles per day, so we're getting to enjoy a few more of these than expected.

Behind Sierra City there's a minor mountain river with a large eddy beneath some rapids that serves as the local swimming pool.  Something tells me that's where we'll be later today.

The Grind

Within anything great, there is always the grind - those details you don't always enjoy as much, but are actually the foundation of the highlights.  

Camping - Ben's department, unless the weather's bad, when I help.

Cooking - my department (mostly it's just heating up the water, but don't tell Ben - these old bones need some sitting time after a day of hiking!)

Injuries - did you know it was possible to get a blister beneath a callous??

While Ben has been happily bouncing around the trail, my back, knees and shoulders have all groaned, and my left Achilles sometimes makes a noise (!?) when I flex it.

Cards - some very competitive card playing is taking place before we fall asleep each evening.