PCT Day 1 – Old Station

Sleeping on the trail is never great. But last night was mostly fine. With temps in the mid eighties at 9pm it was too hot to get under my quilt. Mercifully there were no mosquitoes. Ants crawled on me all night, but the ants here are friendly and don’t bite. At 3:30 a beetle got under my quilt and started flying back and forth between my legs. When I realized he wouldn’t stop I had to toss him out.

My friend, the night sky, did not acknowledge my presence. She wants us to be alone before revealing her true glory. And yet, even with the lights from the nearby store illuminating the area, the stars were clear and crisp. I put my glasses on at 2am for a better view and was rewarded immediately by two shooting stars. By morning, temps had dropped into the low 60s, and I slept well for the last two hours.

When the Old Station Fill Up opens at 7am, I am there to retrieve my food bag, to buy a new hat and to get something for breakfast. I start hiking at 7:45. I am with this late start. Today will be hot and I will ascend 2000 ft. Last year I faced a similar task and the hike very nearly knocked me off the trail from dehydration. This year I am going to drink more, take more rests and be smart about how far I go.

On the trail

Not long after starting, I can’t help but look back at Hat Creek Rim. In the picture it is the large plateau in the distance.

The rim is where I was surprised by a hummingbird and where I met a family that invited me to listen as they read a Louis L’Amour western. What will the trail hold for me today? My ubiquitous traveling companion is curious too.

The early trail is beautiful in that NorCal way.

For me the three most prominent aspects of the trail are: 1) Mt Lassen, 2) Hat Creek and 3) the burn. Mt. Lassen dominates the southern skyline when you can get high enough to look that way. It still has snow on it. The trail goes to the east of Lassen. Here is an early view.

Hat Creek is probably one of those ancient western waterways. It cuts are large canyon through the area and it, along with its tributaries is the source of all surface water for hikers. I will take water from it twice today.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time showing the burn areas. The devastation is depressing and it leads to difficult discussions about global warming and forest management. I have my own feelings about that, but maybe this is not the right place for those. I encourage you to read up on it though.

The fires have had a clear impact on my hiking experience. But I don’t want to dwell on that too much. Fires are natural and burns are a part of hiking. Here is a burned area where the impact may in the long term be beneficial.

Flowers, of course

Spring is long past, but the flowers of summer remain. Not sure what the one gone to seed was. But it looks good now, too.

An abundance of hikers

In the morning I am amazed by all the hikers I pass going north. For fun I count them. By lunch I have passed 42! Most are young and hard from 1300 miles of hiking. A few older ones are sprinkled in The male/female ratio is probably 65/35.

And then as the temperatures reach toward 100, I see no more hikers. Are they off the trail waiting for the heat to ease? Maybe I should do the same? There are some clouds gathering in the distance. I hope they are heading my way. I am really flagging now.

At 2:45 I go off trail to what is supposed to be a side trail. The trail peters out after about 100 feet. Do I press on? Yes. This side trail leads to Hat Creek again and I desperately need to rest and drink some cold water. The terrain is open enough that I should not lose my bearings. My destination is an old horse camp by the river. I step on a piece of rusty barb wire and it bends up and cuts my leg. Not badly though. Eventually I find the camp and drink. The water is colder than what I am carrying, so I am happy. I hide out here until I feel better and can return to the trail for a few more miles.

A bad decision

I head back to the trail carry four liters of water – one for tonight and three for tomorrow. The hiking is hard and I am really laboring. I talk to one hiker who says there are no more green areas ahead for 15 miles. It’s all burn. I believe I can find a safe spot in the burn so I plunge ahead.

I finally find a spot 2.5 miles beyond the horse camp. It doesn’t seem that far, but my body was really done before I started these last few miles. I find an open spot in the burn – all cinder and ash. I throw up my tent badly. My heart is pounding and I am lightheaded. I throw my ground pad in the narrow shade of my tent. I feel like throwing up.

I think about my first day last year and realize I have done the same damn thing this year and given myself a case of dehydration sickness caused by overheating and dehydration. I lay there taking the tiniest sips of water every 15 minutes. The water is warm like bath water.

After laying here for two hours, the first evening breeze blows by. The sun will be down in 45 mins. I feel slightly better, but I can’t eat or drink. Last year I felt better after sleeping a while. I slowly arrange my tent and cram as much uneaten food as possible in my bear canister. I take water in the tent with me to sip on through the night. Let’s see how this goes.

• July 28
• Starting marker: 1377
• Ending marker: 1363
• Total miles today: 14 (felt like 30)
• Northbound hikers passed: 59