Pushing for Oregon and Camp AmeriKids!!!!

With the second session of Camp AmeriKids in action, we would like to dedicate this blog to all the campers and all the wonderful people that make the camp possible! We hope you are all having a blast this week, and we will continue our walk across America for AmeriKids! We both look forward to attending the amazing camp in the future when the opportunity arises.

7/25

Catching a ride with Eggman back to the trail, we started walking again around 5 PM. We were anxious to meet our friends Lovebird and Raven for a birthday breakfast in Drakesbad the next morning, so we pushed a quick 10 miles to Domingo Springs Campground, leaving just 8 for the AM. Forest gave Adam his birthday gift (candy and then we stayed up late (10 PM) chatting with hiking partner, Jack Daniels.

10 PCT miles, 1346 S->N

7/26

Up at 5! We moved quickly today trying to reach Drakesbad Resort by 8:30. On the way, we entered beautiful Lassen Volcanic National Park, passing by Boiling Lake shortly thereafter. We just missed our friends, but made it just in time for breakfast. The burritos, granola, and coffee hit the spot. Borrowing loner clothes from the resort, we took a dip in the hot springs pool, relaxed in the sun on lawn chairs, and waited until lunch. Finishing lunch and after catching up with thru-hiking friends, Eggman, Sniper, and Picker, we hit the trail by 2 on a hot day for easy walking. This time our goal was Old Station, 24 miles away, but we fell 7 short as we found a comfortable pine needle flat for camp. All in all, a relaxing and rejuvenating birthday!

25 PCT miles, 1371 S->N

Boiling Lake

Birthday Boy by the Pool

Lassen Peak

7/27

Up at 5 AM again to attempt to beat the heat, we cruised the 7 miles to Old Station where we snacked and hydrated before taking off for a long, shadeless, HOT day on the Hat Creek Rim. Approaching the rim, we ran into a grumpy 13 yr old Diamondback rattler right on the trail. Due to the extreme temperatures and 30 mile waterless stretch on the rim, most hikers either night hike or leave early in the morning to beat the heat. By the time we reached the actual rim, it was already 11 AM. We pushed on into the heat of the day with views of Lassen Peak behind us and towering Mt. Shasta ahead of us. Mt. Shasta has been known to cause the “California Blues” because it is within site distance for about 300 miles of the PCT before exiting the massive state of California. After a short lunch under a lovely Ponderosa pine, we moved on with only 2 liters of water left and the closest definite water source still 20 miles away. Thanks to Georgi Heitman, we walked upon a glorious cache full of gallons of fresh water in the shade! Parched, we guzzled water for a half-hour and ate an early dinner before pushing on. Back on the rim for a beautiful evening with hazy skies around Shasta, we walked up on a Lynx watching the sunset from a small stone stoop. Thanks to the wind and the distraction of the evening sky, we walked within 10 yards before he/she looked over his/her shoulder and slowly headed for the manzanitas before taking a graceful bound into the thicket. We crossed paths with another small rattler and descended across sharp volcanic rocks before setting up camp at dusk.

37 PCT miles, 1408 S->N

Coiled Up!

7/28

A little slow after the long, hot day yesterday, we hit the trail around 7. 8 easy miles brought us to HWY 299, where we ran into Pine and Top Shelf hitching into Burney. Soon, we caught up to two of our favorite people, Raven and Lovebird. We rolled together to Burney Falls State Park and immediately hit the store for ice cream cones and Gatorade. It was by far one of the hottest days all summer. Lovebird, Bert, and Ernie hitched into Burney for some pizza, socks, and a few supplies, while Raven camped out in the shade outside of the General Store. We hitched a ride back to the trail with legendary trail angel, Georgi Heitman (the water cache lady), and slugged along for a short 6 miles to Rock Creek. From here, we rode a couple jet skis ¼ mile down a logging road to a car camping site, where we laughed and relaxed with Lovebird and Raven.

21 PCT miles, 1429 S->N

Bert and Lovebird Desperate for a Ride

Sweet Ride!

Not So Sweet....

7/29

We practically jumped out of bed as logging trucks came engine braking around the corner at 5 AM. Certainly not the start we wanted. The four of us climbed easily through a logging operation that reminded us of the horrific scene in Fern Gully, complete with oil spewing bulldozers. Luckily the bulldozers or the boulders they were accidentally sending down the slopes didn’t hit us. Lilies dotted our trail and ridge walking gave us incredible views of the now, not-so-distant, Mt. Shasta. The walking was easy, but the day was hot, so we decided to make dinner early after just 24 miles. Raven and Lovebird caught up with us just in time to say goodbye and to share the no-bake cheesecake we had been saving. We will miss those two! We got the itch to keep moving, so we pushed on another 7 miles, hitting some lingering snow-pack, and found camp in the buggy brush atop a ridge.

31 PCT miles, 1460 S->N

Mount Shasta

Layers and Layers of the Cascades

7/30

We started our day with heat and bugs at around 6 AM. A hazy, blazing hot ridge walk followed, and we took breaks often to escape the sun. The day drug on monotonously as we mostly descended through thick stands of poison oak across many gullies. We were surprised at lunch to find some day hikers near the McCloud River. After some brief chatting, they gave us fresh fruit, energy bars, and licorice! We must have looked worse than we thought! We climbed easily after lunch and reached the highpoint of the day at 4600 feet. After a quick dinner of potato/ramen/bacon bits, we cruised our last 3 miles to the Squaw Valley Creek trail head for an early camp.

30 PCT miles, 1490 S->N

7/31

We began our day with a quick 6 mile climb wrapping in and out of ridges and offering occasional spectacular views of snowy Mt. Shasta and her little sister, Shastina. 10 miles downhill in dense forest covered with poison oak brought us to the Sacramento River Bridge and Interstate 5 shortly thereafter. We immediately caught a hitch with a young guy, Chris, who was running into Mt. Shasta (the city) with his dog to pick up a friend. We hit up the Berryville Co-op for snacks and beverages before heading over to the KOA for a shower. Lacking shampoo and soap, the KOA gave us orange dish detergent and we called it good enough. Some phone calls, laundry, groceries, and a stop at the local coffee shop filled the afternoon. Chaos and inconvenience soon followed as result of a massive power outage spanning from Shasta all the way up to Ashland, OR. We spent an hour talking with our new friend Sharron, the local caretaker of Mt. Shasta, and the power was back on. We quickly picked up a fishing pole and ran over to grab a pizza. For the next 2 hours, we stood by the on-ramp to I-5 watching billowing thunderclouds roll by the sunset, swatting clouds of mosquitoes, getting a sore thumb, and not getting a ride. We were trapped in Shasta for the evening, which was bound to happen sometime considering our current lifestyle. To the KOA for another comfy night in the tent…

16 PCT miles, 1506 S->N.

Adam and Sharron--the Caretaker of Mount Shasta

Sunset from I-5

8/1

We woke fast at our stealth camping spot in the KOA campground at 5:30 and were out shortly thereafter. No harm done, and free lodging! After a huge breakfast at the Black Bear Diner, we took to the on-ramp again, this time trying for over an hour to hitch before deciding to try something different. While sitting by the food co-op, we were offered a ride by a nice lady! Perfect timing too, as we were afraid we would be stuck in Mt. Shasta another day. Back on the trail by 10, we started our 4,000 ft climb for the day. Climbing was long but well graded, so the miles flew by. We passed the towering granitic pinnacles of Castle Crags and entered the Klamath Mountains, making a wide westward arch around the ever looming, Mt. Shasta. We had dinner atop the Trinity Divide, which divides the watersheds of the Trinity and Sacramento Rivers. Rain drops falling on either side of the divide would enter the ocean 280 miles apart! We walked on easily for 3 more miles to a trail head parking lot, where we made camp next to yellow lupine.

25 PCT miles, 1531 S->N

Castle Crags

8/2

Definitely one of our most enjoyable days on the trail thus far, we were gifted with beautiful trail, weather, and sights from the Klamath Mountains all day. Just a couple miles into the morning, we ran into a Hansen’s Soda cache to add a little sugar to our Poptart breakfasts. After guzzling from a fresh, cold spring, we finished the gradual climb, passing glistening Porcupine Lake, to a 7600 foot gap with an amazing view of Castle Crags with Lassen Peak towering in the haze about 100 miles South. Hungry, of course, we tossed down a peanut butter/chocolate peanut butter sandwich and granola bar before cruising down to Deadfall Lakes, where we took a few casts and ran into an Outward Bound group on a 5 day trip. Our stomachs growling, we stopped for lunch just a few miles beyond the lake at a trail head. Fueled up, we cruised 6 miles with unlimited views of the Trinity Alps and of course, Mt. Shasta, to trickling Chilcoot Creek. We pushed on with fast, easy terrain to a gorgeous, ice cold spring surrounded, by azaleas, lilies, and ferns for dinner. 4 miles later, we were in awe with a brilliant sunset from a rocky ridge where we relaxed and made camp. Our second favorite campsite of the entire trip!

33 PCT miles, 1564 S->N

Castle Crags with Lassen Peak Hiding in the Haze

Bull Lake and Looming Shasta

Sunset from Rocky Ridge in Klamath NF

8/3

We both heard the alarm, but our comfortable little nest atop the ridge was too nice to leave. Finally rolling out of bed at 6 and leaving by 6:45, we descended hard and entered the Trinity Alps Wilderness at a roadside trail head. Climbing now for 1200 ft, with steeper, rockier trail than yesterday, we got extremely hungry! For the rest of the day, we stopped every 4-5 miles to eat something. We topped out at 7400 ft after 12 miles. The rest of the day we spent eating, ascending and descending steeply, entering the Russian Wilderness late, and passing by Statue Rock. Today, we pushed hard, covering 31 miles by 6:30, eating then, and pushing on for two more to camp along with section hiker, Bob, a cool cat from Eugene, OR. Forest’s feet smell like a combination of yak crap and baby vomit.

33 PCT miles, 1597 S->N

The Statue

8/4

Waking at 6, we easily descended our last 9 miles of this leg to Etna Summit, where we caught a quick ride in the back of a pickup for 15 miles down-canyon to the quaint, little town of Etna, CA. We are heading back to the trail after a stop at the PO, grocery store, and all the restaurants in town! Only 93 miles to the California/Oregon border and we are going to push hard!

New Wildflower in the Russian Wilderness



Sporting Our New T's in Etna!

Anticipated Itinerary:
Seiad Valley, CA--57 miles (8/6)
Ashland, OR--65 miles (8/9)
Crater Lake, OR--103 miles (8/14)
Sisters, OR--154 miles (8/18)
Cascade Locks, OR--166 miles (8/24)

Due to a tight schedule, any mail should be sent to Cascade Locks, OR.

We are looking forward to enjoying our last days in California, but we are also stoked to get to Oregon! Here's to Camp AmeriKids! Spread the word. Spread the love.

Much Love,
F+A