Ashland

Ashland was a realise after the road walk, especially when we discover by surprise that we don’t have to walk all the way up to town as the PCT cross the Highway south of Ashland. The main hostel was full so we have to go to a camping two miles of town. It is a spa – hippie camping. We refresh in the afternoon in the pool and head into town for the night. It seems like there was a kind of PCT conference in town because of the fires. We saw Rock ocean after a long time without know about him. I also saw at night Mr J T and Smiley , the two Israel guys, after months without see them and a few more people. Danger spoon also is back on the trail. All good news.

Something that surprise from Ashland is how many young people is asking for money in the street, not sure if is for drinks, for need or for what or if it is like this in the rest of the country. I learnt i knew expression “spear oner”.

Second day we move to the hostel, better location, I have to do all the tedious resupply for Oregon, 4 , 5 boxes, some in regular post and 1 by UPS, I am jealous of the people that have that angel that send boxes to them and don’t have to worry about. Sometimes your zero it is just work and work. I tidy up my bear; yes I think I will keep it. Fix some gear problems, new platypus bottle and new tips for the trekking poles as I cannot set the tarptent properly plus new cascadia, don't like much the color, but cheap.

The night before depart, we went out 3D, danger, CJ, Gigant, Ashland has almost two microbreweries, perfect place to start, went to a mini club. We have a really good night we finished in one gypsy concert and at this point there is not more gypsy than us......Back on the hostel I found a mantis religious in my neck....Ready to be back on the trail.

My plan is to do Oregon in around 18 days, an average of 25 miles a day. Nothing crazy here. It supposes to be much flatter. People do here over the 30. With all the push that I did in northern California I start to be back on target to be able to finish around the end of September, but not yet.  Now I am completely refuelled, rested and with the next 456 miles shorted of resupplies. 

The Road Walk - Dinsmuir to the Oregon Border

Ok, this would be a real odyssey with more than one detour. 100 miles of road from Dinsmuir up to Ashland, 4 days with a forecast of 25 miles a day. Cracker Jack ( CJ ) and me doing team work, for this type of road walk better stick together , it could be very mental challenging and too much crazy people, this is ‘Merica.

We figured out the route with  app Navigator, I will regret and hate so many times this application during the next 4 days.....  The first 10 miles easy to Mt Shasta , we stopped in the cinema to watch Lucy, average, in the evening we put another 10. We had road magic, people stop us asking if we need anything, they invite us to their house to check the closures of the trail. It was getting dark and there is not really place to camp, everywhere looks fenced and the dirty roads and fields have to trespassing signs. We don’t want get shoot, this is ‘Merica. We had to develop a new skill , the stealth camping.

no insoles man

It was getting dark and the electric storm forecasted was getting in top of us. I was starting to get worry, a lot of noise, is getting F close. We found a bridge where to hike if get worst and a small flat area hidden from the road, ok camp area for tonight. We just finish dinner surrounded by ants and the rain started. I am here as usually in a thunder storm, thinking what I am doing hidden under a metal pole facing the skies.....good night.

The second day was the Road Magic Day, we got into the old Highway 99, full of horrible long straights. You get bored , we listen to all our music, we do walk dance, air guitar... We are greeting all the cars that pass by. The first car pass and offered us some fruit. We told we that we are going to the next town ( 6 miles ) to have coffee and breakfast. He informed us that Gazelle town doesn’t have bar services....... One hour later we were having a break in the side of the road when a woman stop and say “ I heard that 2 PCTers hikers need some coffee ? “ are you kidding ? It was the wife of the guy who stops earlier. Coffee, toast, marmalade and honey. Road service.

Road breakfast magic !!

One hour later another car stop by, do you want a soda ? yes please. CJ is from germany and me from Spain. This hospitality doesn’t happen in Europe. Americans are crazy and we love them.....They are so hospitality. After a few stops I told CJ that we can do  the rest of the walk road without resupply , just road magic.....The only bad point was the licor store that gave us some chocolate to leave the store as soon as possible as we are not good for their business.

The legs were hurting more than usually, this road, CJ without insoles in his Cascadia......we changed the route to Ykera to get some insoles. The Navigator app send us to a road that after we discover it was closed. Way back.

We reach Yreka around 19.00 and we went to a Walmart for something for dinner. It was the first time in a Walmart after hear for months about it. When we were talking about get a hotel or head back to the woods a car stop in front of us :

-       “ hey guys , we just see you this morning walking along the road, we thought if we see you again would be nice to invite you for dinner. We are in the feria, You can there and have a shower “

-       Plan

They really liked our new balloons that float over our heads, just to get more attention and some more fun, road get bore. We have to hide in the back of his pickup truck, apparently is illegal in California.

When we go into their RV a spider monkey start to jump around, WTF. I did not expect to have a monkey in the PCT. They have a exposition of exotic animal in this Feria, they collect them from rich people that cannot handle and they take care of them. They show us the snakes, scorpions ......We have dinner and beer . We really enjoy the hospitality of those guys!!!

Lili the spider monkey. PCT

The third day was the hardest, we stopped for a small breakfast at the outskirts of Yreka, old fashion place , butter bread pudding with coffee, balloons help to start conversation with a family, and the end the father approach to us and say, by the way your breakfast is paid......good luck. The balloons are already paid off.

Ballons 

The highway head into the mountains, we can see the Shasta river around, We got into a bigger river and we thought in stop for a swim in the next spot but the river was so polluted that we have to skip, I will don’t drink from that river even with the filter, no way. We have to stop in the rest area of the interstate. We continue throw a dirty road, we meet really red necks in this area, especially this man with his white Van......California. The app Navigator direct us throw a shortcut 2 miles shorter that google maps. When we reached this bridge, there were not bridges, the bridge has gone time ago, just his skeleton was left. 

no bridge left.....

Next bridges would be Railway Bridge, no problem, after we still have to walk a mile by the railway, CJ nearly get a hard attack when a Bull snake surprise him . We asked in the house for water. They have not water in the houses. This is real red neck territory and we are going to be shot, we were laughing.

Getting dark and not a place where to camp. We were really fuck up today. We sneaky in the side of the road near a ranch or something like that. CJ did not want to do dinner as we had not much water, Do dinner I promised I will bring water from the ranch. Road is hard. We thought in just 4 days, it is going to be 5.

Day 4 we are 37 from Ashland. After 5 minutes walking I a saw CJ already seating. What’s happen? CJ – we have 15 miles by the mountain road or just 7 straight by the interstate 5. I remain him that is illegal. CJ – In this entrance doesn’t say Prohibited Pedestrian. Fuck it we go, if they stop us we play the foreigners game. It was quite safe, it was a big shoulder. The road we have to take after was private shit!, now what? A car just stop and say the Oregon border is just a mile down and in Oregon is legal to walk the interstate, ok, he gave us a ride. He was surprised when I asked him to stop where the sign is. I did not walk all California to don’t take this picture........

great team work

We did it, we just walk California. Deserts , mountains and now ready for Oregon !
thanks CJ for the pictures

Burney Fall to Castella

I reached the Burney state Park in the morning. I went to the shop to pick up my resupply box that I sent over here. As guides says , staff here is super unfriendly, super, super. No hello, no nothing. Super unfriendly and just thought F off !.On the way back to the trail I check out the fall, very pretty but my target of the day was Rock creek, a nice spot for lunch with different pools connected between them . Chill over there during the heat of the day and do the climb in the afternoon.

This Rock creek was fantastic , I did not went down to the big pools but just by the bridge I was able to cool down. Really hot. Have a nice lunch and relax the legs in the pools. I am finding that a the legs really appreciated a cold bath , I fell more relaxed and I sleep better. In the afternoon I camped by what here call a pound , a small water pool near a death end of a dirt road.

In this area there is water but It is quite difficult to find and is located in very weird places. One day I really mess up with the water. I try to go always with no more than a 1 Litre of water. I miss a creek and after I have to come back half mile after I did not take enough water as the afternoon was a big climb in the heat and without  tree cover. When you realize that you can start to be short of water is when you start to be more thirsty. Luckily I found a sign on the ground with the sign of H20 point down of the Valley, there you go, lose another hour just looking for water, I don't want to take risks in this area.

I saw up to 3 wild fires around me, big ones, but far enough from me to fell safe. North California and his auto - combustion problem. I camped by a dirt road in a ridge. I was having dinner at night and I could see now all the orange flames closer, wow. A little worry, I am a valley away from the fire.......Check the wind direction , I think I am ok for tonight.........

Wake up in the morning  and an easy descent into MC Cloud river, nice place but not the best place for a swim in the crossing point. I checked on the map a possible swimming spots 2 miles further, Take the risk but really pay off, maybe the best swimming spot of the PCT ( 300 m away) just whem the PCT turn right up to the mountains. I found this  little trail that was going down....Time for lunch put some air in the Theremarest and jump in to the water, love the PCT.  On my way back I found Blister, CJ and Blister sleeping Siesta, F hot it is, isn't it ?

I camped that evening with String Cheese,  we ere talking about why doing the PCT, etc....I quite enjoy. I couldnt find a really flat spot so I just sleep in the trail. The headlamp is playing games, it just turn off in the middle of the dinner, thanks I was not alone.......

The way down to Castella was very graded. At the beginning I thought it was a weird morning fog but after I realize, this is not fog , it is ash from the fires , all around. When I reached the road I met more hikers and gave the news, ok, many areas are shut down, fires are without control and more lighting is coming in the next days. People is getting rides, road walk and some people are trying to stay in the trail. I went to  Dismuir to resupply, check the news and take a decision for the next section, what to do?

I meet with Cracker Jack in the local Brewery, after last report we decide to walk road ( 100 miles ) no, just skip, we are still walking from Mexico to Canada....We got a super cheap hotel room in one of those nice  50 American hotels but without air -con. Worst night in the PCT, I thought a few times about hike out in the middle of the night.  We were set , Road walk starts tomorrow.