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