Unbelievably, once asleep last night, I didn’t sleep too bad. But still, it was a short night and I needed more rest after an unexpectedly long 23-mile day.
I inspect my equipment for any damage. That cursed rat chewed a hole in my bag and almost chewed completely through an anchor point near the hole. I had left my food bag next to my pack, hoping the rat would chew that first. But, no, let’s chew a hole in the empty pack for no good earthly reason. I try to repair the damage with some tent fabric and some duct tape. I hope the tear doesn’t get bigger under hiking loads.
Am I really that fascinating?
Another deer shows up – twenty feet away, head low, staring at me. In normal times, this might seem cute or, at least, non-threatening. But I lose it. I jump up grab the nearest stick and throw it. It bounces off the tree right next to the deer. The deer runs down the hill. I am tired of holding this hill by myself. I need reinforcements.
The deer returns in a few minutes, but I am almost packed up so I take her picture instead. She tries to act indifferent. The whole thing seems hilarious now. I start laughing. It feels good. The deer seems confused. I should have tried this last night.
On to the McCloud
I spend the morning trying to relax more and expunge the stressful events of last night from my head. The trail follows a series of creeks and rivers ending up at a crossing at the majestic McCloud River.
On my way to the bridge over the McCloud, I pass through a giant tree that has been cut to allow people to pass through it. On a whim, I count the rings. I stop when outer rings get too small to count. I have counted 350. I guess the tree had been about 380 years old when it fell. Sobering.
There are a lot of fallen trees crossing the trail in this section. They are called blowdowns. Trail crews will eventually remove them. But early in the hiking season you just have to go under, over or around them. They can be pretty tricky.
I finally reach the McCloud River. Spellbinding. The sound of the water rushing under me has a cleansing effect on my polluted psyche.
On the bridge over the river I see a fisherwoman on a rock in the river engrossed in her craft. She is really working that fly! It feels good to see a human. We wave at each other.
A measurable achievement
Not long after that, I reach a milestone…my 100th mile! I celebrate with some jalapeño Cheezits and a very unruly poop. (Pooping on the trail is larger than life, get used to it!) 100 miles is a small victory, true, but that is what this hike must be like. To think about Mexico or even Canada at this stage is too daunting and too abstract. I am focusing on Dunsmuir, Aetna and then Ashland. That is plenty for now.
But about the recent past. So much has happened in just a few days. It has been a real roller coaster ride! So frustrating and so wonderful. This really has been an adventure. And so, so much still lies ahead.
I zone out for a while as I hike, thinking about all kinds of random stuff, like how satisfying the last season of Game of Thrones was. (OK, I know there are some haters out there who don’t agree.) I am brought back to reality, when this handsome little guy crosses my path. It can’t be a coral snake, right? I say the rhyme to myself. “Red touches yellow, kill a fellow; red touches black, friend of Jack”
Mr. Paranoia
I meet the first hikers I have seen in two days. It is husband, wife, mother-in-law trio. They are heading to Old Station! I tell them to avoid the place I stayed last night. Their eyes widen. For a moment it looks like the husband wants to go back. In retrospect, this was bad on my part. Spreading fear on the trail is very bad behavior and can really ruin the experience for folks. I really don’t know that my experience will ever be repeated. I hope not, for sure. But even if it is, people react in all different ways. I need to keep these negative feelings to myself. I am not helping anyone by sharing them.
I have been evaluating various “Florida Man” situations. When I see these enormous pine cones, I imagine the news report: “A Florida man was killed today when he fell down the mountain after. Investigators on the scene think the man may have been knocked unconscious by a bloody pine cone found near the body.”
Ready for a rest
At this pace, I will reach town tomorrow night. The 23-mile dash through the woods last night improved my overall pace. In town, I should have cell service which means I can cal home and upload some blog posts. It would be nice to find others to camp with tonight. We could regale each other with our epic tales. We could raise a water bottles high in a toast to our quest. We could defend each other against all assailants. Tonight. Tonight.
- June 8
- Starting mile: 1463
- Ending mile: 1483
- Daily miles: 20
- Total miles: 111
- Notable animals: another snoopy deer, a king snake
amazing river shot and wowza on the mutant pinecones! Thank you for sharing the moment you had with the 350+ year old tree – very sobering indeed!