The night was quiet. I camped a mile or so above Highway 49 that runs through Sierra City. There is also a creek down there that generated a certain amount of white noise. The swelling of my wasp stings has gone down. There is no residual soreness.
Down to the city
I love trips into town like this. My pack is light. There is no pressure to make any kind of mileage goals. Nothing will be open before 8am anyway. I see some equipment by the trail. Looks like power crews have been out clearing the line. The yellow tank are Indian fire pumps!?
The road is quiet when I reach it.
A local third grader has a message for all of us.
Oh, and for my southern friends, these are not jet skis. This area gets a lot of snow. The pitch of the roofs tells you that. These are snowmobiles.
Sierra City
Ok I don’t want to be the tourist bureau, but there are a few buildings I like. The library, where everything on the porch is for sale. Just leave the money in the box.
And this is the county Democratic Party headquarters. Are the Republicans nearby? Do they graffiti each other’s buildings at night?
I stop in at the grocery store and who walks up behind me? It’s Bob from Beldon Town. The same Bob whose table I crashed at the resort and who thanked me by doing my laundry! I am delighted to see him. He arrived here yesterday and is spending another night before heading back to the trail. We get some breakfast at the restaurant down the road.
We left Beldon Town on the same morning but did not cross paths during the day. Unknowingly we camped only a few hundred yards from each other near the place where I saw the bear. He went on ahead and I hitched into Quincy. I ask if we can go back to the trail together in the morning and he consents. It will be fun hiking with someone for a while.
Town chores
I grab the last cottage at The Buttes Resort where Bob is staying. Then I head to the grocery store for supplies and the post office for some packages. I know this may sound weird, but hiking has completely changed my perception of post office workers. They are dedicated, hard working and helpful. This clerk can’t understand what all the fuss is about. You can tell by the look on her face that she is suspicious of my request for this photo.
But I have a Swiss Army knife again. I love this small size and the scissors are so handy.
My room is awesome and cozy.
The owner’s wife only charges me $5 instead of the usual $10 to do my laundry because the load is so small. I shower organize my food and put my feet up. It takes 6 hours to polish and upload 5 blog posts and then Bob is at the door ready to go to dinner.
Bob
Bob is a very experience hiker, having thru-hiked it once and done several section hikes. He gives me some good advice about hiking, gear selection and timing. I am so glad we got to know each other better.
What’s funny is that Bob found the section I loved yesterday to be grueling and dangerous. He said it was hot and exposed and the trail was too narrow. There was a possibility for falling off the trail. Bob was involved with trail rescue for a while, so he is extra sensitive to what can go wrong. Me? Oblivious, I guess.
The way ahead
Bob and I will leave for the trail at 6:15am. We estimate that we will reach the next trail stop in two and a half days. Our destinations are different. He needs to pick up a box and equipment at the Donner Ski Ranch. I have to hitch into Truckee. I don’t know how much we will hike together along the way, but I feel like I have made my first real friend this year.
- August 9
- Starting marker: 1196.7
- Ending marker: 1195.4
- Total Miles hiked today: 1!
- Total PCT miles hiked: 159
- Best reunions: Bob and knife
I’m glad you found a friend, especially one who gives helpful advice, and that your Swiss army knife is replaced.