Day 16 – Etna Zero

I wake often during the night, stuck in one of those recursive dreams that keep replaying over and over. I finally just get up and go to the bathroom in an attempt to clear my mind. Try as I do, I cannot sleep past 6:30! Oh well, there is much tasty food and hours of blogging ahead. I don’t mind though. Both activities are a real pleasure

The Collier Hotel

I am staying at the quaint Collier Hotel. Stan says that in a previous life it was a “house of ill repute.” A Russian couple that arrived a few days before me, refused to stay here after an initial inspection, claiming that the place was haunted. That was news to Stan and to Cassie, the proprietor! It didn’t bother me though. I once heard a self-proclaimed medium say that most ghosts were did not harbor ill intent. Most. Uh huh.

The place is very hiker friendly. Honestly, though, I think Cassie is friendly to everyone.

Dotty’s

The ladies and I are meeting for lunch at Dotty’s down Collier Street. I walk there with J Ditty (not J Diddy as I said before.) The name J Ditty comes from ditty bags she has fastened to the handles of her trekking poles. On bag is “clean” and the other contain her potty supplies. Here are the items in her Ditty bags:

On the left are knife, tweezers, reading glasses, etc. on the right are toilet trowel, food bag cord, tent stakes, etc. The things she needs most are very handy this way and she doesn’t have to go digging through her pack for them. The ditty bags are lashed top and bottom to her pole with Velcro. The down side of this approach might be that her poles weigh more, but this does not seem to be an issue for her.

When J Ditty and I arrive at Dotty’s, the Wander Women are already there. I order the taco salad and a large Dr. Pepper and have a nice lunch. Annette sings a duet of Old Clementine with a young girl in the restaurant. When the girl and her mom leave, the song is blasting from their car as they pull away.

The Wander Women sold their home and gave up conventional living in 2014. They bought an RV and have been on the road since then in all parts of the country. Their mail is delivered to their RV club in Texas and forwarded to them as necessary. They have discovered the utility of the Walmart parking lot when an RV park is not close by! If we stay together, I hope to hear more stories of life on the road.

The Road to Oregon

The immediate challenges are 1) getting back to the trailhead in the morning and 2) surviving the looming heat wave through which we will be hiking on the trail to Seiad Valley, three days away. Heat is my biggest nemesis, as I learned anew on the Hat Creek rim. I am shopping for electrolytes, but the ultimate solution may be that I refrain from hiking during mid-day. We shall see. The heat is no joke. A female hiker died a few days ago on the trail in Southern California. They suspect heat stroke.

Tomorrow begins a difficult segment through the Marble Mountains with few good campsites. On my way I intend to stay one night in a campground at Seiad Valley. Then it’s a mad dash to Oregon and Ashland. The whole thing should take 6 1/2 days. I have my mind set on this and I have a plan. My body is rested. What will the trail show me?

• June 17
• Starting mile: 1599
• Ending mile: 1599
• Daily PCT miles: 0
• Total PCT miles: 227