Belden, CA to Mt. Shasta City, CA

Day 24 -- 30 miles (Mosley Flat Camp to Butt Mountain)

We finished the climb out of belden the first thing in the morning. water is tough to come by so we filled our bottles up at the pleasant sounding "Poison Spring".

It was fun hiking and talking with Journey (Cheryl). She is from Minnesota and will attend her daughter's wedding in september. Unforuntately she has a bad foot problem that doesn't look like its getting better any time soon. Due to a mail mishap, she also was missing maps for the section, so she needed to hike with someone else.

We got a little bit of rain for the first time in over three weeks of hiking. It was nice and cut the dust on the trail a little bit.

Lassen Peak came into view for the first time today. At 10,200 feet it stands far above other peaks in the area. As I looked at the summit off in the distance I recalled my climbing it with David Guldmann some six years ago. We got hit by a little snow at the top, making it a noteworthy trip.

We had a dry stretch of 15 miles today. That doesn't faze me anymore but it makes me appreciate the availability of water that I have enjoyed in previous expeditions. All of this will prepare me for my future hike in the desert section of the PCT.

Journey and I decided to put in a long day since it was cool due to the overcast clouds. We were tired but knew that the heat would likely be full bore tomorrow. The last task of the day was a fairly steep climb over Butt Mountain (yes that is the name).

We camped off trail after descending off of the mountain. Unbeknowst to us at the time: we were sleeping fifty feet from the official halfway point of the entire PCT!

Day 25 -- 26 miles (Butt Mountain to Drakesbad Guest Ranch)

Just as we started we hit the PCT halfway marker. Journey and another hiker named Retro asked to have their pictures taken. SInce I am section hiking the trail one piece at a time this milestone wasn't as important to me.

All the other PCT hikers were excited to get into the town of Chester today, but I had other plans. I had heard through the grapevine that the Drakesbad Guest Ranch was a great place to stop, and was located right on the trail.

Unfortunately, in my excitement to make dinner at Drakesbad, I hiked too fast and bonked en route to the resort. By the time I got there I was dying for food and drink. A cold lemonade from a waitress hit the spot.

Since dinner was a couple of hours away, I decided to hit the shower. Very nice. I met a hiker named Slowwalker who was also planning to feast along with his family visiting from Fairbanks, Alaska.

Diesel and Hammer, the guys I met at South Lake Tahoe, also showed up for dinner. They had decided not to quit the trail after all. It was fun catching up with those guys.

Dinner at the Drakesbad was fantastic: spinach salad with kiwi and blueberries, roast duck breast with plum sauce over a bed of wild grains, and a heaping bowl of ice cream and berries for dessert. Did I mention that in addition they brought out extra platters of all leftover food including some corn dogs? All for $8!!!!!

After dinner, Diesel and I sat around the group campfire trading stories with the regular guests of the ranch. I learned that Diesel himself had served with the Navy Special Forces and was affiliated with the Seals. He told some incredible stories about the things he experienced in that capacity

Tonight I slept on top of a picnic table for the first time ever. It was a smart move on two fronts: it was pretty comfortable and it kept me pretty warm on a very cold night in the valley.

Day 26 -- 24 miles (Drakesbad Guest Ranch to Old Station, CA)

As with dinner, breakfast was incredible: homeade pancakes with chicken dumplings, accompanied by an organic fruit and a nice cereal bar.

I decided to hike with Diesel and Hammer today. i was amazed how how many miles these guys cover going such a relaxed pace. My legs and feet were grateful that i was slowing down after running the day before.

The landscape through lassen was flat as a pancake, with great views of the stratovolcano that is Lassen Peak. I was good having people to chat with while hiking. It was also nice to find someone stocked with a certain herbal remedy that goes well with hiking.

The three of us arrived at Old Station at 7:45pm, just as Diesel had predicted hours before. We called the Heitman's, who are trail angels who help out hikers, to get a ride to their house. While waiting for them we stocked up on snacks and sandwiches at the town general store.

The Heitman's house proved to be a hiker's dream. The property was huge and well-kept. A bunch of other hikers were already there and lounging. I saw Chris, who had teamed up again with Coyote and Jasper after a hiatus. I also saw Ken and Marsha from Livermore.

A pre-pitched tent in the back of the yard made a nice shelter for the evening.

Day 27 -- 14 miles (Old Station, CA to the Hat Creek Rim)

Georgi, the unberwoman of the house, made us french toast, sausage, and watermelon for breakfast. She then briefed us about water supply strategies for the upcoming dreaded Hat Creek Rim, where we will not see good natural water source for a span of 31 miles. In addition we will not enjoy very much shade on the Hat Ceek Rim, and as luck would have it record high temperatures had gripped the area.

We embarked about 4pm so that we could beat the heat on the Hat Creek Rim. About seven miles into the trail, at the Hat Creek lookout, we met a couple of vacationers that gave us beer and watermelon before we entered the no-water-zone. They were eager to hear our trail stories.

Night hiking proved to be a lot of fun. Before the trip I was smart to buy a good headlamp that was good for such things. Around 11pm we got tired enough to stop and cowboy camp.

Day 28 -- 18 miles (Hat Creek Rim to Burney Falls State Park)

Our 4:30am start was tough but necessary, given what would await us later in the day. The moment the sun rose it was strong, I knew we were in for a tough one.

After a few hours we made it to a water cache that was generously stocked by some local trail angels. There was still a few gallons of water left but I hoped that more was coming in soon, given how many hikers were right behind us.

After hours of sweating, we finally dropped below the rim, only to be welcomed by a pointless trail that meandered all through a desert wasteland. When we finally made it to the highway, I figured that the ridiculous trail had forced us to go an extra two miles out of the way.

Eventually we made it to the fish hatchery, the first source of good water, in many miles. There we met Journey and Retro, who were lounging in a nice shady picnic area. We did a few more miles that night and camped right by the trail.

Day 29 -- 10 miles (Fish Hatchery to Burney Falls State Park)

We hiked the few miles to the highway to get into the town of Burney for a much needed break. Our hitch couldn't have been easier, as we were picked up by a pickup truck driver just two minutes after meeting the road.

Breakfast in town was satisfying but not outstanding. I had two porkchops with scrambled eggs and three pancakes. Three large glasses of root beer washed it down.

Deisel, Hammer, and I walked the town for groceries and other errands. It was a hot day and the asphault provided no relief.

For lunch I hit a mediocre pizza buffett. At least there were free refills on drinks.

Rather than hang out at the pizza place all day we opted to go to a bowling alley across the street to kill a little time and avoid the heat. The ladies running the bowling alley couldn't have been more aloof or unfriendly. I guess when you run a second-rate cowtown bowling alley that is totally empty during the day it gives you license to act like queen bitch to friendly hikers looking to give you money.

We decided to get out of town after this and other experiences that convinced us that Burney was not a welcome place. Its weird how some towns open up to hikers and others do not.

The hitch to the trail was tough but we eventually got one from a lady who lived next to the trail and understood our mission. She actually drove past the trailhead in order to get us a bit further down the trail as a favor. I of course had to run back to the trailhead after getting dropped off to ensure my walking line was unbroken. Not all hikers are as anal about this as I am, but to me its important not to have any gaps.

We happened upon a nice campground for the night and each had a picnic table to sleep on.

Day 30 -- 25 miles (Burney Falls State Park to Random Gully)

As we were getting ready in the morning, Diesel decided to start early with the idea that we meet at the Burney Falls State Park general store. When Hammer and I arrived later on at the store we found delicious Belgian waffles, but no Diesel. We correctly figured he had missed the trail junction to the store.

We found Diesel a couple of towers down the trail, and he wasn't to happy he had missed a Belgian waffle breakfast. The trail was fairly uneventful and rolling today. Due to our delayed start we hiked into the night and made a hasty campsite selection that would come back to bite us in the ass.


Day 31 -- 26 miles (Random Gully to Random Trail Bend)

We were hammered by a big storm most of the night. Fortunately I had pitched my tarp before getting to bed. I only got up to make sure the stakes were in deep, due to the escalating winds.

Diesel and Hammer were not as lucky. Each got thoroughly soaked that night. Both were surprised to learn that I was dry in the morning. They half-heartedly told me how happy they were for me, as they got an early start.

I emerged from the tarp in driving rain and wind. Hiking was flat out miserable. I was very cold and couldn't stop to take a break as a result. Five hours after starting I caught them both. We all looked pretty crappy as we munched some food and theorized about how long the storm would last.

A little sun later in the day gave Diesel and Hammer a small and inadequate window to dry their soggy gear. As evening approached, we could hear thunder off in the distance. A simple hand count told me that the storm was fourteen miles away and closing. We camped directly on a flat section of trail in an effort to stay dry.

Day 32 -- 22 miles (Random Trail Bend to Sacramento River Valley)

While Hammer and I were able to stay dry in our own shelters, Diesel got soaked again. He became so frustrated that he just sat in the rain for a while trying to figure out what to do. At 5am he decided to hike out to keep up body warmth.

I caught Diesel down the trail later in the Morning. We eventually came to a dry, sunny swimming hole that provided a perfect place to break and dry out. The water was cold but the bath was much needed. Hammer rolled in a little later since he had slept in to make up for the sleep deficit accrued the night before.

There was a big but steady climb out of the valley. As we got free of the trees, Mt. Shasta revealed herself to us for the first time in days. Massive. Beautiful. Beckoning. I started to go crazy with anticipation thinking about the prospect of getting to the summit, as I had planned to do with my good friend Jeff Hotchkiss in a couple of days.

A little bit of research revealed that we could take a shortcut to bypass a pointlessly long section of trail. We camped early that night since we all were weary and Diesel hadn't slept in a few nights.


Day 33 -- 6 miles (Sacramento River Valley to Mt. Shasta City, CA)

We were excited to get going with the anticipation of meeting Jeff at Interstate 5.
Off course the PCT treated us to a tortuous descent whereby we took ridiculously long switchbacks to drop negligible altitude. Just when my patience had run out we arrived at a road near the Sacramento River. I called Jeff to find out he was only twenty minutes away from us.

We hiked swiftly to the highway. We literally waited sixty seconds when Jeff pulled up in his shiny Jeep. Was he ever a sight for sore eyes. As he hopped out of the car he wisely greeted us with Febreze and anti-bacterial handi-wipes. The three dirty hikers were able to clean up enough to take the edge off.

Those who know Jeff know that he has limitless supply of humor and enthusiasm. To three hikers who hadn't seen a town in days were kind of shell-shocked. Needless to say we welcomed the change of pace and were in need of the many good laughs that Jeff provided.

We pulled in for breakfast at the Black Bear Diner. All of us hadn't eaten all day since we had run out of food the night before. I ordered a feast: portugese omelette with sausage, cheese, veggies with hashbrowns and biscuits. To top it all off I got a full order of french toast rolled in corn flakes and then pan fried and loaded down with syrup.

After breakfast Jeff wisely recommended that we check in with the ranger to station to get climbing permits and to check in on the weather forecast. The rangers gave us the lowdown on climbing conditions: inclement weather was scheduled to leave the area by tomorrow with sun to follow.

Our climb might be a close call given the weather, but Jeff and I decided to go for it. We headed to the gear store afterwards to get needed equipment. We then went to find a hotel for Diesel and Hammer who, due to the need of a well-deserved break from hiking, decided not to climb Shasta with us.

Jeff and I drove to the trailhead some time later so that we could acclimate as much as possible for the high elevation we would see the next day. Upon our arrival we met a fellow climber Matt who, being solo, asked if he could join us on our summit bid the next morning. We obliged and set a schedule and plan of attack.

In the early evening, a Lexus pulled up to the trailhead and three dudes hopped out. While looking for a campsite they walked close to Jeff and I, whereby Jeff politely informed them that we were leaving pretty early in the morning and they might want to camp away from us so as to avoid being woken up. One snooty bastard shot back that they in fact were waking up an hour earlier, as if this implied they were somehow better prepared for the climb. Whatev.


Day 34 -- 13 miles (Mt. Shasta Summit -- Bagged It!)

Jeff, Matt and I (aka "Team Methane") hit the 6,300 foot Clear Creek Trailhead at 3:16am. Matt set a swift and comfortable place that got us to just about treeline at 8,500 feet by 4:45am. We loaded up on water at the last spring we would see and then proceed to do a little wayfinding up the mountain.

As the sun rose our headlamps were packed away and we found the trail with a little searching. The trail began to steepen considerably and we were forced to stop every hour to catch our breath and get some calories down.

As we neared 10,000 feet the wind became brutal. I threw on some extra layers and tried to keep my mind off of the discomfort. A short while later Team Methane huddled behind the protection of a rock, and discussed the weather. The heavy wind, combined with big clouds obscuring the summit, cast a doubt as to whether we should proceed.

A short while later the sky opened up and we proceeded to climb again. The osft scree made it tough work, as our feet would routinely slide back as we stepped up. Another guided group of older folks who we dubbed "gray team" was hiking in the vincinity.

As we approached 13,000 feet our climb became far more difficult. Rather than trail, we were greeted with a confusing very steep face full of snow and loose rocks. Since no one on Team Methane had taken this route before, we were unsure where to go. Jeff and I followed Gray Team up the steep, frozen, precarious labyrinth. After a lot of hard work we found ourselved on the crater, with the summit in sight!

Jeff led me up the final switchbacks of the summit. At 11am sharp we made it, 14,162 feet!!! There were a few other teams resting on top.

The vista from the summit was truly a sight to behold. I sighed with pride as I looked over the same country to the south that I had traversed over so many days and so many miles. I will never forget that feeling.

Shortly thereafter, Matt, who had followed another group up an alternate route, joined us. We snapped some pictures, signed our names in the registry, and began our descent.

After fidgeting with my crampons I was finally able to get them into acceptable shape for the precarious descent down snow and rock. I felt glad to have Jeff and Matt with me as we went down as it was tiring and slow going on the steep section. We finally made it to the bottom and ate a much needed snack.

The remaining descent from 12,000 feet was very easy on the legs. The same ash-laden scree that had made our ascent so tough gave us ample cushion on the decline. We made great time going down, and were able to enjoy the many outstanding views that the mountain offered to us.

As we got to about 9,000 feet on the mountain, Matt got word from his father at the trailhead via walkie-talkie that one of the members of Team Jackass (the snooty "1am group") was missing. A search and rescue was being assembled to find him.

Team Methane pulled of the trail at 4pm. After some beers and Woodford Reserve Whiskey Team Methane breathed a collective sigh of satisfaction. A job done well and swiftly at that. Our rate of 1,000 feet climbed in an hour was very respectable by mountaineering standards.

A short time later the lost member of Team Jackass showed up. Due to a misunderstanding he had left his two other clueless team members. In the process of fucking up every aspect of their trip, we learned that Team Jackass had actually summited the wrong mountain, some 8,000 foot kiddie peak nearby. I guess being a jackass is a full-time job!

Jeff and I rolled back into town, got some showers at our hotel, the Cold Creek Inn, and picked up Hammer and Diesel en route to the Piedmont Italian Restaurant for dinner. Matt and his dad showed up a short time later.

For dinner I had four bowls of minestrone soup, heaping plates of salad, filet mignon, and pasta. Unfortunately, I ate myslef into nausea. Given how little sleep I had and how exhausted I was from the many days of hiking without a break I think my body started to get a little revenge. Seeing that I had an upset stomach, Jeff took me back to the hotel to sleep and headed out with Hammer and Diesel on the town.

I slept like a rock.


Day 35 -- 0 miles (Mt. Shasta City)

Jeff welcomed me with fresh coffee in the morning. We made trip to the laundromat and then to a great breakfast at a local place. It was obvious to the other guys at breakfast that I was still pretty tired, and they convinced me to take a day off in town.

Jeff drove us to the grocery store and then me back to the Cold Creek Inn to get a room for the night. I said goodbye to all of them. Jeff was driving Diesel back to the PCT trailhead, Hammer to Redding to catch a bus to Portland, and himself back to the city.

I collapsed on the bed after they drove away and proceed to indulge in an uninterrupted 10-hour session of napping, eating, and tv watching before I retired for the night.

Day 36 -- (Mt. Shasta City, CA to ...)

I'm typing this blog at the Chad Hunt Computer Store in town. I enjoyed a triple burger, large friesm and large drink at a local eatery and am now preparing to hitch back to the PCT trailhead.

I should finish in Ashland, OR a week from Friday!