PCT Day 3 – Not The Best Start

Last night, not long after the driver returned to the white car near my campsite, there was a voice outside my tent. “David, are you there? Do you still need a ride to town?”

“Yes. I am here,” I reply. “And I would like a ride if you are going that way.” “I am,” he said. I said, “Can you give me 15 minutes to break down my camp?” He said he would wait. I broke that camp down in record time and in the dark too.

A ride to relief

The man was a National Park employee. I won’t tell you his name because he said he might get in trouble for giving me a ride. He was out here looking for owls. Before the fires, they were quite common in Lassen, but they have not been seen since. I explain my situation and he fully understood my caution. He would take me to Chester – the town I was to reach in two days on the trail.

It was a difficult decision because it meant skipping 19 miles of trail – trail I will not be able to return to because the road to the campground is officially closed and locked. I will second guess this decision for years probably. But I think if Pete Schmid were here he would agree with the decision. Pete and I hiked the Appalachian trail in Virginia a few years ago and he is a very prudent hiker. It’s not worth the risk, he would say.

Chester

It was a few minutes before 10pm when I arrived in Chester. The stores were closed. The hotels were full. I made a reservation at the Antlers Motel for today. The manager told me about a park down the road where hikers could crash for the night. On the way I buy some ice cream and a Gatorade from the gas station.

The park was an abandoned softball field. I found a place in right field against the fence. I had heard that hikers should seek out the dead grass in the park because the green grass is hit by sprinklers in early morning. I decided to go without a tent because bugs are rarely a problem in town. Boy was I wrong about that! At 1:15am I had had enough biting insects and I put up my tent! The night was hot and I slept fitfully.

Recovery

In the morning, as soon as the sun hit the tent I jump up and break camp. I call Patti first to tell her what is going on. Then I go straight to the diner for breakfast. Oddly, I am still not super hungry.

My room is not ready yet so I go to the grocery store to see what might help me rehydrate. Patti mentions Pedialyte – an electrolyte drink developed for kids. I also find some electrolyte powders to add to my water, too. It is flavored to help me want to drink more. An hour after drinking that I start feeling better. I buy two more Pedialytes, one for later and one for tomorrow morning.

I sit on the ground outside the grocery store and talk to some hikers. A couple walk up and plug their electronics into the nearby outlet. I can’t help notice what a big pack this tiny woman is carrying.

Anyway, my room opens up and I get a shower. The best part of the room is the bedspreads. I spend the rest of the day blogging and going back and forth to the store for stuff I need. Then I binge watch some Harry Potter and put my feet up.

Decisions

By the end of the day I feel more normal. My stomach is still a little squinchy but it is better and my urine is finally clear again. I have decided to return to the trail tomorrow. I will still be in the Dixie Fire burn area, but the forecast is for highs in the mid 80s, not the mid nineties. I have a big climb first thing and then a 12-mile stretch with no water, but if I drink a lot and take my time there are places to camp that are close to that last water source.

This trip to town was not what I had planned or hoped for, but it was for the best. After today I hope to find a more normal groove. My next town stop is Quincy, four days from today.

• July 31
• Starting marker: off trail, Chester
• Ending marker: off trail, Chester