Day 4 – Burney to Rock Creek

Sleep did not come easily last night. I made the mistake of camping on the lawn in front of the lodge. The location was a comforting reminder that people were nearby. Gentle spotlights on the porch illuminated the grounds. Well, as darkness fell, the spotlights began to interrupt my sleep. Was Bob actually gonna keep these things on all night. Yep. Eventually, I had to move my bed to a place partly shielded from the light. Under my quilt I was sweating, but I had to stay covered because of the mosquitoes. Ugh. Time passed; I did sleep eventually.

My scaredy-cat mind, however, does not sleep. It kept going back to The Shining. What would I do if I woke to find nice Bob standing over me with an axe? Pitiful I am. An imagination untethered by reality is a curse.

Burney Mountain Guest Ranch

In the morning I give myself a small tour of the ranch. Out back is a giant metal cross and a beautiful view of Mt. Burney.

Dang! A humming bird just hovered over my shoulder, but it got away before I could switch to my camera. This morning I also see 4 jackrabbits disappearing into the distance. With those big ears they are impossible to sneak up on. I also see two partridges/quail. They are like bantam chicken on speed. Why are all the animals in such a hurry? Here is what I do not want to see.

Most places that accept hikers try to accommodate their unique needs. For instance, what do you wear while your clothes are in the washing machine? Answer: loaner clothes. The image at the top of this post shows the boxes of loaner clothes available here. The stylish shirt and pants laid out in the lower left are what I wore. If only I had gone into town yesterday wearing those! Well maybe it wouldn’t be so unusual for me.

Special supply

“Daytripper Dave” is arriving soon to take me to the sporting goods store for new poles. I am just chilling at the picnic table waiting for him. This extra rest is good for me: I need to get my body systems back to normal before the trail rises to higher altitude in two days. Beyond that are four more days of hiking before I reach Dunsmuir where I will get off the trail for the night (June 11, hopefully).

The trip to town goes quickly. The store has two types of poles. One of them will work! You can see the old and new poles here. I add duct tape and my name on the new ones. Poles are always being left behind by folks. I feel bad for my old poles though. They served me well.

As Daytripper Dave and I return to the ranch, he tells me a little about himself. He says, “My parents believed that your initials should mean something. Mine are D A M. Still not sure what to make of that.” I don’t know what to say either. Best leave that one alone. At the ranch, I say goodbye to Daytripper Dave.

I then say goodbye to Bob and his chocolate lab. The dog is named after a beer style. For 10 points and the win guess the beer style of the chocolate lab (the answer is at the bottom).

Back on the trail

How strange this is: walking all day, following this path, trusting its decisions. You might think it offers freedom. I suppose it offers a kind of freedom from a normal life with all its responsibilities and commitments. But it is also quite restricting. Your options fall within a narrow range. It takes some getting used to, but I am gradually accepting it, embracing it.

The trail parallels a couple rivers today. Each has remarkable features. Of course, there is the famous Burney Falls (which I do not visit for lack of time). But there is also the dam at Britton Lake.

Since I did not start hiking until 10am, I keep my head down and treat hiking like a job. It’s sad but although I love the journey, I also have to honor the destination by making progress. Occasionally I do look around though. The beautiful vistas are returning again. Looking forward to more of these.

Upwards to camp

From the dam the trail climbs to Rock Creek where I plan to camp tonight. As I turn toward that climb, I see a strangely marked pole by the trail. It reads “50” with an arrow pointing along the trail. What could this mean? Of course, with my energy dropping, my thoughts turn to the normal subjects: fate, mortality, destiny. Eventually, I conclude that the pole is clearly some kind of life marker.

About two miles before I reach camp, my left knee gives a sharp twinge and then another. I pull up fearing the worse. I had just finished the “50” climb. I slow down and walked more purposefully, making sure my foot and lower leg are under control. The pain subsides. I walk cautiously into camp. I expect inflammation in my knee is starting to irritate a nerve, like a tired 3-year-old in the grocery cart begging to be let down. Another good reason to take it slow until my body adapts. Unfortunately I have a 10-mile climb tomorrow ascending from 2900 feet to 5600 feet. Gonna hit that one early so I can take my time. Tomorrow will be a 16-mile day if everything goes ok

I have camp all to myself. I set my quilt down on a small ledge above the creek which is roaring below. It’s like right out of the official PCT thru-hiker brochure. I’m optimistic.

• June 5
• Starting mile: 1408
• Ending mile: 1423
• Daily miles: 15
• Total miles: 51
• Notable animals: Chocolate lab named Porter, 2 deer (1 dead), several meteoric gray balls of insanity (squirrels), one hummingbird