Happy blue sky day to you all!

It’s been super hot, muggy, and buggy these past few days in Maine. Finally it rained the other day and gave us some reprieve. Now it’s a blissful sunny and breezy 65ºF! Despite the oppresive bugs and weather we’ve had, it was a great weekend here at Little Lyford. The lodge was full of energy!
There were fly fishing lessons, lots of cookies, windmill demonstrations, more cookies, volunteers in the garden, and swarms of hummingbirds. Did you know a group of hummingbirds can be called a glittering, shimmer, bouquet, hover, or tune? I’m not sure how many hummingbirds constitute a glittering, but I’ve seen more hummingbirds together this weekend than I’ve ever seen before. A tune perch in the tree by the bathhouse and zip over to get a drink from the feeders we have hanging on our front porch. Hummingbirds can be quite territorial, so generally one only gets a few sips before another comes and shoes it away. It’s one of the most aggressive bouquets you’ll ever see. I stand still by the feeder to watch them up close, and I’ll hear what sounds like a mini-helicopter as one flits by my shoulder. Watching the hummingbirds has become my new favorite pastime. A close second is learning the names for groups of birds (a worm of robins, a gross of grosbeaks, a murder of crows!).

This dessert got everything started off on a good note Friday, even our youngest guest (at nine months!) enjoyed it! I knew I wanted to make a cream pie, but with about 20 mouths to feed I was wavering over how many pies were needed to go around. Heaven forbid somebody get a puny piece of pie! I also have not had the best of luck blind baking crusts, so to save any potential frustration I made mini-cream pies in ramekins and forewent the crust (thus making these “cups”).For a casual supper, you could even make it in a pie dish and scoop it into bowls when you’re ready to serve. It’s cool, it’s breezy, it pretty much matches the mood around here. All that’s left to do is find a hover of hummingbirds and watch the time go pie by!

Good morning!

We had rain off and on all weekend here in the woods and there was something very calming about the weather. It was one of those rains that when it started on Saturday before the birds even started chirping (and they start chirping around here before 4am!) you knew it was going to rain for quite awhile. Everyone once in awhile the sky would peak between the clouds, a quick reminder that there was hope for sunny weather again. I was pretty content with the rain, it was a nice excuse to stay inside for a bit. I think my body needed a break from all of the exploring I’ve been doing. Another creature that has been doing a lot of exploring is this snapping turtle that ventured up to camp on Friday.

At first I thought it was a large rock in the middle of the driveway. You might not be able to tell from the pictures, but the turtle was easily two feet from snapper to tail. While she was here she covered some ground, too! I’d look out the window and see her slowly moving from the bunkhouse, to the bathhouse, to the shed, down the driveway, and back again. No sign of the turtle (or her mate) the rest of the weekend, so I hope that means they’ve laid their eggs and that one day I’ll be surprised by a line of baby snapping turtles. If I do see the turtle again I doubt she’ll tell where her nest is; she looks to have a pretty serious poker face.There was also, of course, time spent in the kitchen!  While I bake, and post, a lot of sweet things here like this flaky blueberry pie…

or this attempt at Mimi’s cookies (which she calls Grandma D cookies, who she learned them from)…

I also cook a lot of vegetables. Pound for pound, I probably cook more vegetables than sweets. And while it is easy to like sweets, most people don’t find it as easy to like vegetables. I have really never understood this. If you know me; you know that I love me some vegetables. A big crunchy green salad is one of my favorite things to munch, but I understand that others need some convincing. This kale is a good way to convince them.

It’s also really simple and delicious. It involves a few ingredients, and can be on your table quickly. I sauteed a bit of red onion in olive oil until translucent, then added a very healthy dose of chopped garlic (2-3 large cloves) and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Next went a couple handfuls of kalamata olives and a bunch of roughly chopped kale (minus the stems). I added a bit of water to create some steam and covered the pan for about 5 minutes, to help soften the kale up. Once the kale looked cooked, but not limp, I removed the cover and let the residual liquid cook off. Out of the pan it went and into a serving bowl to be seasoned up with salt and pepper, and some Parmesan cheese to taste.

You don’t even have to use these ingredients. Swap the Parmesan for feta or goat cheese. Like anchovies? Then skip the olives and before adding the garlic, melt a few chopped anchovies in the oil. If you’re shopping the farmers markets in the northeast right now, there is a good chance that there are a lot of leafy greens. This would work with any sturdy, leafy green. The most important thing is that you like it. During the meal someone was overheard saying, “I think I want to have some more kale. I don’t even like kale!” It was one of the best things this cook has heard all season.

Wishing you much kale and many outdoor discoveries!

-Amy

Hello from my little kitchen in the woods,

This past week has been quite full. Full of rhubarb grown from our garden, piles of pancakes, and loaves of bread; endless blue skies, exploration, and the promise of more of these days to come. I’ve felt very inspired. Inspired by long walks; bridges to places known and otherwise; thinking I’m lost then realizing I knew where I was all along; finding small things in vast landscapes and big things in the seemingly tiny curves of nature.

I’m inspired by the smell of garlic on my fingertips, woodsmoke in the air, and pine resin warming in the sun; the buzz of dragonflies in my ears instead of cars, going for long walks and seeing moose tracks instead of sidewalk cracks, and waking to the call of the phoebe instead of an alarm. The old remains of this chimney still inspire me a month after I first saw it and after countless walks by it I still see something new.

Sometimes I’m so inspired I find myself standing dumbstruck, in awe of it all. Other times, I make jam. I wasn’t quite sure what the long stalks of rhubarb would turn into when I put them on the cutting board, and wanted to highlight them in a new way. Pavlova jumped into my head, as I had this image of a billowy white meringue, topped with a bright red rhubarb. What better way to celebrate rhubarb then putting it on such a pedestal?

Things didn’t quite work out the way I had hoped. As the rhubarb simmered away with honey and red wine, and a cinnamon stick and vanilla bean for company, it turned a dark plum color. When I tasted it, the trademark tartness of rhubarb was in the background but it was cloyingly sweet. Lemon juice jumped into my head, and a few spritzes of it saved my jammy effort. I lightened the ruby mess with some whipped cream, and atop a chocolate drizzled pavlova it went. There was plenty of jam left over, and over the week it served as a tart accompaniment to brioche french toast, was tucked some into hand pies, and finally the last of it was thinned out a bit and used as a sidecar to some mustard spiked gingerbread. The jam may not have been what I expected it to be, but it was better than what I originally imaged.

Much inspiration and unexpected discoveries to you!

-Amy

I can’t believe we’re nearly half way through July up here! I know I’ve been a bit behind in posting, but the true start of summer took me by surprise- a lot has been happening around here! The very least is that I made perhaps my most Maine-iest breakfast yet, homemade maple glazed donuts, brook trout a guest caught that morning, and bacon from a local farm. All mornings should start like this!Now for the big stuff, we got a new crew member here in the kitchen- Steve! Steve joined me in the kitchen in the middle of June, and we’re quite happy to have him around here. He brings in our food from town on Tuesdays and then cooks through Friday breakfast, when I come in and cook through the weekend to Tuesday breakfast, and then we switch again. We’ve gotten into our groove here, and he’s brought some of his specialties to the kitchen- key lime pie, an heirloom Sicilian tomato sauce recipe, and a carrot cake that always gets gobbled up before I return from my days off.  Soon after Steve started, I took a week long Italian vacation with my family to Umbria! It was great to catch-up and best of all, share meals with them. We cooked few dinners in while we were there. I fell in love with those cranberry speckled borlotti beans above (can one fall in love with a bean?) at the market, and brought them home to flush out a dinner of leftover eggplant parmasean. My Mom made pasta carbonara that would give most Italians a run for their euro, and one night we shared a simple dinner of a frittata made with sauteed zucchini and squash blossoms. It was hard to leave, but easy to return back into the swing of things here in the Maine- I missed my woodlands home! Now that I’ve been back I’ve been trying to get into the swing of things, and haven’t been sitting down much to type up my adventures. The most exciting thing happening here right now is that our garden, thanks to the hard work of our naturalist Lani and the rest of the crew, is taking off! I harvested several pounds of salad greens the other day, and there are plenty more on the way. I snipped some fresh dill and highlighted it in a dish of roasted eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic scapes. In the coming weeks we’ll have more; peas, our own zucchini, and swiss chard- to name a few. I can’t wait. We’ll supplement our bounty with organic produce from Jason at Green Ledges Farm, who has a farmstand in Greenville. Finally, my brother and one of his best friends, Matt, came up to visit me all the way from Pittsburgh! To celebrate their visit, I put some of the skills I learned in Italy to good use and made homemade pasta with sausage and lentils, served along side a fresh garden salad, and focaccia with artichokes and ricotta cheese. I took them up Indian Mountain one day, and the next over to Gorman Chairback to show them where I used work and hop in some kayaks. It was a great visit, that went by far too quickly. I sent a loaf of bread home with them to take a piece of  Maine back to my parents. They had a few pieces for toast the next morning, and it helped both of us bridge the gap between Pittsburgh and here. Oh, and while all that was happening, Little Lyford was on TV! There will be a special on native brook trout habitat coming up on Bill Green’s Maine sometime soon, but a sneak peak was aired on the evening news a few weeks ago. If you’d like to see what we’re up to in the kitchen around here, you can check it out here!

Much, much more to come!

Day 55: PCT mile 862.3 to VVR, 19.4 miles
Day 56: VVR to Edison Lake Campsite, 0 miles
Day 57: Edison Lake to PCT mile 893.6, 16.25 miles

Day 55, we broke down our tent site and ate breakfast quickly, as we were eager to hit the trail to get to our next resupply location in time for dinner. We were headed to Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR), 19.4 miles away. The hike started passing a few lakes, as we ascended the final 3.25 miles to Selden Pass. We had already gained most of the elevation to the pass the night before, and it was lower than the other passes (under 11000 ft), making it less snowy and much easier than the previous ones.The views were great, and we enjoyed a gentle downhill into the valley. 

We soon came to the next challenge of the day, fording Bear Creek- which has been described as the wildest of fords on the PCT. The water was swifter than Evolution Creek, but not quite as deep. To be safe, Garrett and I used the two person method as before, as the water was still up to my waist. After we were done with that, we had to ford the Hilgard Branch of the creek, so we hiked in our sandals and wet clothes for a couple miles. This ford was just as swift, but not nearly as deep, so I was able to cross unaided. 

Relieved that the challenging parts of the day were over, and that we were making good time, we stopped for lunch and enjoyed Bear Creek running by. Afterwards, we hot footed it towards VVR.

There is a ferry that leaves at 445pm to get to VVR, or you can choose to take the 7.2 mile Bear Ridge Trail that cuts off of the PCT about 5 miles before the ferry and leads to VVR. We didn’t want to chance missing the ferry, so we took the Bear Ridge Trail in, and per usual as we’re heading towards fresh snacks and a hot meal, we seemed to fly down the trail! We surprised ourselves by getting to VVR a     little after 4pm. We would have made it earlier, but about a mile before we passed a drive-in campsite with a bunch of campers who spend a few weeks up at Edison Lake each year. They offered us a cold beer, and we couldn’t pass it up. Once at VVR we picked-up our maildrop with food for the next four days, and ate some dinner. We also bought some additional food, as we nearly ran out by the time we made it to VVR, and don’t want to have to push ourselves through the beautiful Sierras.

The next day we woke up at VVR, and enjoyed a massive well-earned breakfast. We hung out at the “resort” which was pretty much just a campground, camp store, and small restaurant for the rest of the day- then caught the boat around 4pm back to the trail. It was such a pretty spot, we decided to camp and take a full zero day.

The next day we woke up rejuvenated, and quickly started our hike-up to Silver Pass. It was a relatively easy hike up, and we had a snack before heading down.

We took the rest of the day nice and easy, and camped at Purple Lake. We’re liking not racing through the Sierras!

Day 58: Purple Lake to Red’s Meadow, 13 miles

Day 59: Red’s Meadow to PCT mile 922, 15.2 miles

Day 60: PCT mile 922 to 936.3, 14.3 miles

Day 61: PCT mile 936.3 to Glen Aulin, 12 miles

We woke up to a chilly morning at the lake, and our cold granola seemed particularly cold. Good thing we were headed towards hot food again! Red’s Meadow Pack Station & Resort is just a third of a mile off of the PCT, and a popular place for hikers to stop. We had a nice easy hike in, and arrived in time for lunch (patty melt, hot dog, and a malted shake for Garrett, a garden burger and root beer float for me!). Afterwards, we sat outside at the picnic table, and drank a few beers with fellow hikers. It was a great way to pass an afternoon. We had dinner too, then hiked out just before dark a little ways before setting up camp.

The next day we hiked through Devil’s Postpile National Monument, and enjoyed a nice hike through the forest along a fork of the San Joaquin river. We crossed into the Ansel Adams Wilderness, and as you can expect, it was quite picturesque.

That evening we found a great camp spot by a waterfall, and decided to stop hiking a bit earlier than usual to enjoy the scenery and the sound of rushing water.

Day 60 we walked up towards Donahue Pass, past 1000 Island Lake. It was a relatively quick hike up to the pass, and at the top we entered the wilderness of Yosemite National Park. On the way down Garrett enjoyed a swim in a lake, and then we continued down into the beginning of Tuolumne Meadow. We camped under a tree by the Tuolumne River, and I went for a quick swim before dinner.

The next day we hiked out of the Yosemite wilderness, and into the part of Toulumne Meadows that visitors can drive to. We had a resupply package waiting for us at the post office there, and were looking forward to stopping at the general store and restaurant next door. When we arrived at 9am, trail angel Legend was in the parking lot making PCT hikers pancakes. We’ve run into him three times prior, although never in time for the”pancake festival.” He hiked the trail some years back, and now travels north along with the hiker wave in his RV & truck performing trail magic for hikers. 

We collected our boxes, and sat down to breakfast. We opened a care package from our good friend Diane, and were excited to find a can of funfetti frosting, Nutella & pretzels, and Jolly Ranchers. We quickly added the frosting to our pancake stacks, with syrup, and had a wonderful sugar-laden breakfast. We shared our frosting with other hikers and Legend, and we all agreed that frosting on pancakes is a good thing.

We spent the rest of the morning sorting through our food, and chatting with other hikers. We grabbed lunch at the restaurant, chatted some more, then hiked back out into the woods. We had an awesome afternoon hiking over granite and past rushing streams, and admired Toulumne Falls. We made it to Glen Aulin backpacker camp, had dinner, and crawled into the tent before the mosquitos got too bad!

Day 62: Glen Aulin to PCT mile 969.5, 21.2 miles

Day 63: PCT mile 969.5 to 987.5, 18 miles

Day 64: PCT mile 987.5 to 1010.2, 22.7 miles

Day 65: PCT mile 1010.2 to 1020.9, 10.7 miles

We awoke on day 62 of our hike excited to see what Yosemite had in store for us. After our gorgeous hike over smooth granite rock formations, and past gushing creeks and falls, we pictured a day filled of more of the same. We were surprised then to find that the day was not like that at all; instead, we quickly dipped into a forested canyon, forded a stream, then climbed back up again only to drop back into another canyon and repeat. The end of the day we topped out at Benson Pass and were rewarded with a stunning view as we enjoyed our dinner. We hiked a few more miles before camping. We would have camped earlier, but we passed a lake and the mosquitos were thick, so we pressed on hoping they’d thin out a bit away from water.

The next day we discovered that the mosquitos did not thin out, as we were perpetually close to some sort of water. After the desert and lack of water, it is sometimes cruel how much water is in the Sierras! There is sometimes so much water, that the trail is inundated with a mini-cascade. Despite the mosquitos, we still had a nice hike and covered up in long sleeves, pants, and headnets. We had a nice view from Seavey Pass, and forded one last creek before pitching our tent for the night.

Day 65 was a big day, as we exited Yosemite through Dorthy Lake Pass and entered the Hoover Wilderness. We also passed mile marker 1000 on the PCT. Only 1,650 miles left to go! 

After the pass the scenery changed dramatically. Gone were the snow crested craggy mountains, and instead we walked through a gently sloped forest. The mosquitos unfortunately remained the same, though! We assumed the trail would stay like this for awhile, but towards the end of he day we started a slow climb up to a surprisingly exposed ridge. We hiked for miles through a talus field, and it got windier the more we climbed. Our effort was rewarded with a sheltered campsite on the ridge behind some bushes, a memorable sunset, and no mosquitos!

The next day we made our way across the ridge through patches of snow and talus, and then climbed through a tight pass. Our jaws dropped when we saw that the scenery changed once again from small rocky mountain sides, to rolling green hills with red rocks and patches of trees. 

We made our way down to the road through Sonora Pass, and caught a ride 11 miles west to North Kennedy Meadows Resort to pick-up our resupply package. We made it in time for second breakfast, and I had the fluffiest pancake, ever (I asked- the secret is beer in the batter!). Garrett had his new favorite out of the woods lunch; a hot dog with fries and a cheeseburger with fries. Afterwards we sorted through our seven days worth of food, secured additional snacks, and then caught a ride back up to the trailhead. We hiked four miles to a quiet spot above a lake, had dinner, and called it a good day!

Day 66: PCT mile 1020.9 to 1040.4, 20.5 miles

Day 67: PCT mile 1040.4 to 1061.5, 21.1 miles 

Day 68: PCT mile 1061.5 to 1081.7, 20.2 miles

Day 69: PCT mile 1081.7 to Lake Aloha, 16.6 miles

We had another cold, yet beautiful morning on day 66. We quickly entered the Carson-Iceburg Wilderness, and enjoyed views of the neat rock formations that characterize the area. 

We made camp by a stream, and shared a campfire with another pair of hikers while we ate our dinner. 

Day 67 we hiked through another surprising landscape; meadows on the sides of crumbling mountains. We also decided that we really like pop-tarts. Unfortunately we also ran out of pop-tarts.

Day 68 we woke up to a beautiful view from our campsite. 

The trail was pretty, and we climbed through a wildflower speckled meadow. 

We made it about 8.5 miles when we came across Lost Lake. It looked like a beautiful place for a swim, so we did and took an early lunch. 

The rest of the day came easy, and we arrived at the Carson Pass Visitors Center late afternoon. The volunteer there asked us where we were coming from, and when I said “Mexico” she replied, “I’ll fix you a plate!” She disappeared, only to reappear with a plate of snacks for Garrett and I. It was awesome, and completely unexpected, and totally made our day!

Day 69 I woke up to the buzzing of mosquitos; which was strange, as they tend to be tolerable in the mornings. This morning they were up early, and ready for blood! We quickly broke down the tent, ate our breakfast, and got on our way. We had to hike five miles or so before they relented, and when they did we had a snack. About five miles later we arrived at Echo Lake, and were eager to have a hot lunch from the lake store there! We had panini, soda, and ice cream (a welcome change from trail mix & granola bars). We grabbed some more rations, and started back at the trail. We came upon Lake Aloha a few hours later, and decided to camp on the shore. We went for a swim, then ate a delicious picnic dinner from the store; hummus, baugette, grapes, and goat cheese. 

Day 70: Lake Aloha to PCT mile 1120.4, 22 miles 

Day 71: PCT mile 1120.4 to mile 1143.9, 23.5 miles

Day 72: PCT mile 1143.9 to I-80 rest stop, 13.7 miles

Day 73: I-80 rest stop to PCT mile 1172.3, 14.7 miles

We woke up on the shore of Lake Aloha, and enjoyed our breakfast by the water. We walked past many lakes in the Desolation Wilderness on our way up to the ridge. 

On the way down we ran into a day hiker who had a bag of Starburst candies for PCTers, and gave each of us a pack. We ate our candies on the way down like little kids, and continued on for a few more miles before lunch. After that, the trail became quite wooded and we lost all of our views, but it was pretty nonetheless. 

We ate dinner by Lake Richardson, and luckily it wasn’t too buggy. We continued on a few more miles, and set up camp near a small stream (and a lot of mosquitos).

The next day we managed to be free from the bugs as we broke down our camp and started the day. Soon after we started we heard a few loud noises, and were surprised to spot a bear and her cub through the trees. They were trying to break into a dead log, for what we assume was a bug breakfast. Garrett yelled, “look, there is a bear!” and then they ran off out of view. We climbed up to Barker Pass, and caught our first look of Lake Tahoe. 

We remained on a ridge, and kept spotting the lake throughout the day. Mid-afternoon we dropped into a valley, only to climb back up again to find ourselves under the ski lifts at Squaw Valley. We found a nice spot with a view of the lake for dinner, then continued on three miles to make camp.

We had an easy morning, as the trail was mostly downhill to Route 40. We had great views of the surrounding areas on the ridge, before descending to the road where we walked a tenth of a mile to Donner Ski Ranch. 

They give one free beer to PCTers; the bartender only had to take one look at us before pulling out two cold Sierra Nevada Nooners, cracking them open, and welcoming us in. It was 11:15am on a Sunday, perhaps a bit early for a Nooner or any beer, but it sure tasted good! We ordered lunch (my now usual garden burger & G’s burger, and we split mozzarella sticks), and enjoyed conversation with the other thru-hikers who filtered in. 

My friend Johannes lives in Truckee, which wasn’t far from The Ranch. He thought he’d be out of town when we passed by, so we had tentative plans to meet up in Sierra City a few days later. I texted him to let him know we where on schedule, and to my surprise he called right back and said he got back to town earlier than expected. We made plans to meet him at the I-80 rest stop 3.4 miles away. He brought us to the grocery store, and then to his home. I took my first shower in nearly 300 miles! Johannes made a great dinner, and we had a relaxing night chatting with his roommates and him in their backyard.

The next day he drove us back to the trailhead (with a quick stop for us to pick-up a coffee and bagel sandwich), and we started hiking a little after 9am. The day was easy, and the trail kept undulating between the ridge and the valley. We called it an early day, as Garrett’s feet were a bit tender from some blisters he is recovering from. We found a nice spot by a stream, started a campfire to try a keep the bugs away, and ended our day.

Day 74: PCT mile 1172.3 to 1191.6, 19.3 miles

Day 75: PCT mile 1191.6 to 1202.6, 11 miles

Day 76: PCT mile 1202.6 to 1224.1, 21.5 miles

Day 77: PCT mile 1224.1 to 1247.2, 23.1 miles

Day 74 started off a bit slow; I was feeling tired, and our hike quickly brought us up to a windy ridge. It took us awhile to find a sheltered spot to have second breakfast, and by the time we did I was definitely ready for a break. After the break, we headed downhill with hopes of reaching the river by lunch. A couple hours later I was surprised we hadn’t made it to the river yet, and started to get discouraged- but then, I saw two day hikers who offered me a cold Gatorade and said I should take another one when I hit the cooler they left by the river in about a mile. It totally boosted my spirits, and the last mile went quickly. They had left behind lawn chairs for hikers to sit in, so Garrett and I enjoyed our second Gatorades and lunch in comfy chairs for a change. 

The rest of the day came easy, and we camped next to Milton Creek in enough time to wash-up before dinner; always a treat! We also saw a big green slug (I think slugs are pretty neat!). I tried to take a picture with my hand for reference as to how big it was, and I accidentally touched the slug- I think both the slug and I screamed a bit.

Day 75 we headed a short 4.9 miles to Route 49, past a river gorge, where we started a 1.5 mile walk into the town of Sierra City. 

We walked but a minute before a pick-up truck stopped, and a friendly man asked if we needed a lift into town. We hopped in, and soon after we were seated at the Red Moose Cafe for second breakfast. When we were done, the general store opened, and we got our packages. My mom sent us a care package with a new water filter for me, Sarris candy, and my Mimi’s cookies; it was a welcome gift from home, and helped ease the distance between us. There wasn’t any cell phone service, but the wifi was fast enough for once that we could video chat my parents; which was really nice!

After lunch we hiked up Sierra Buttes; it was supposed to be a long climb, as we gained 3000ft elevation in 6 miles; but it came easy, and it was a beautiful hike (plus, we’re used to the White Mountains where we’re used to gaining the same elevation in half the distance)!

Day 76 was mostly rolling, and we had a nice view of many lakes brought it the day. We had dinner on the side of a trail, and a deer kept us company as she cautiously ate dinner herself 10 feet away. We walked a couple more miles before making camp by a creek.

On day 77 we lost all of the elevation we gained a few days before, and then some, as towards be end of the day we dropped way down into a canyon. As we descended down the forest changed dramatically from all large old softwoods (with huge pine cones!) to mixed forest, and finally mostly hardwoods. At the bottom we crossed a bridge over the middle fork of the Feather River, and camped nearby. We went swimming, rinsed normalize clothes, then crawled into our tent as the sun went down.

Day 78: PCT mile 1247.2 to 1272.2, 25 miles

Day 79: PCT mile 1272.2 to 1290.2, 18 miles

Day 80: PCT mile 1290.2 to 1313.3, 23.1 miles

Day 81: PCT mile 1313.3 to Chester, 15.5 miles

Day 78 had us wake to the sound of the Feather river. We usually have rehydrated  berries with granola and Carnation Instant Breakfast. It is pretty tasty, but for some reason I really did not want it this morning; so instead, I had a Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tart with peanut butter, and it was delicious. It gave me extra energy to power up our big climb out of the canyon. The switchbacks were gradual, and we moved quickly over 10 miles to climb back up to 6,000 feet. We were greeted with great views all day, and hiked our longest trail day yet. We accredited out miles to the fact that we both recently have been making an effort to consume calories (hence, the peanut butter on a Pop-Tart!), and the friendly day-hiking family who have us a soda at a trailhead.

The rest of the day was rolling, and we had wonderful views of pristine lakes and cliffs. We found a nice spot in some manzanita bushes, with a panoramic view of the surrounding area, and enjoyed the sunset.

The sunrise the following morning was also spectacular, as one can imagine! We packed-up camp by 7am and made our way towards Belden Town Resort, 12 mostly downhill miles away (4600 ft down to the valley floor). About 3 miles from Belden, we started hearing a dance beat. Belden is known for their music festivals, but being a Sunday morning we didn’t expect to land in one- let alone one of this kind. When we got down there was a full on rave going on at 11am! We had hoped to get lunch, but the restaurant was taking a break. Luckily they had a small store with sandwich fixings, chips, soda, and decent hiker supplies. We took it outside and sat with other hikers on the porch watching people go by. You know something strange is going on when the dirty hikers in a place aren’t attracting any attention. We finished our snacks and got on our way, having had our fill of the rowdy atmosphere and seeking the quiet of the woods. On the way out we passed concert-goers floating in rafts, that part looked like fun!

We quickly started a hot, exposed climb out of the valley. We hadn’t had heat like this since the desert, but fortunately unlike the desert there was plenty of water along the way. We chugged a liter every mile or so, but it didn’t seem to help. After a few miles we found a small oasis of shade, so we took a stop to wait for the heat to break. Thru-hiker “Bear Bait” came along and sat with us, and we chatted to pass the time. The shade started to leave us though, and it was time to venture on. We made it two more miles before calling it an early night, as we were exhausted from the heat!

The next day we finished the climb out of the valley, and enjoyed a gentley rolling hike for the rest of the day. 

Day 81 was more special than usual as it marked the half-way point of the PCT. It was nice to reminisce about the first half of our hike, and we cannot imagine what the rest of the trip will bring as we’ve been surprised each and every day so far! We are starting to notice a change as the Sierras gradually turn into the Cascades. We’ve been seeing Lassen Peak for the last few days from afar, and today we got some great views as well!

We had thought we may spend some time in Belden a few days earlier, but after the unexpected crowd, we decided to go into hiker-friendly Chester (7 miles east of the trail) for the night. At the road there was a cooler of soda and fresh fruit for hikers, and we easily hitched into town. We did laundry for the first time in 6 weeks, Garrett showered for the first time in a month, and we got a good meal. A nice break from the heat!

Day 82: Chester to PCT mile 1338.3, 9.5 miles 

Day 83: PCT mile 1338.3 to 1354.5, 16.2 miles

Day 84: PCT mile 1354.5 to 1379, 24.5 miles 

Day 85: PCT mile 1379 to 1401, 22 miles

Day 82 we were able to skip granola, and have our fill of the hotel’s breakfast buffet! Afterwards we walked around town trying to find a pair of hiking pants for Garrett, as his are starting to fall apart (and off!). We didn’t have any luck, so we’ll wait to look again when we’re hopefully in Ashland (Oregon, finally!!!) in a couple weeks. We grabbed a few snacks from the store, checked-out of the hotel, and grabbed lunch before getting back to the trail mid-afternoon. We had an easy hike down to the river, where we made camp for the day.

The next day we entered Lassen Volcano National  Park. We smelled sulphur, and saw steam rising from mudpots next to green Boiling Springs Lake.

We had a maildrop to pick-up half a mile off the trail at Drakesbad Guest Ranch, and made it there around 11. We had a soda while we sorted our food. We were particularly excited for this maildrop, as Garrett’s mom sent us a care package full of our favorite gummy candies, cookies, and a few surprises! We shared some with other thru-hikers, and packed the rest to get us through the next few days. It was like a big hug from Rhode Island in the mail!

the candy gave me the energy to cross this river!

At 5am the next morning we heard branches cracking again, but this time it sounded like a heavier animal. We grabbed our light, and Garrett hooted, and sure enough we saw the silhouette of a bear saunter by 20 feet from our tent. The bear didn’t seem scared, but it also didn’t seem interested in us. We decided being close to wake-up time anyway, it would be best to just go. We quickly packed-up our things, keeping an eye out, but the bear never returned. 

The rest of the day went through a burned area, and was very flat, enabling us to make nearly 16 miles by early-afternoon. We walked into the small town of Old Station along the trail, and passed a few hours. There was a heat wave, and we were headed towards the Hat Creek Rim- one of the driest and hottest parts of the PCT (remember the part in Wild where she runs out of water? It happened here). We started off into the woods again after the heat of the day, and managed a few miles on the rim before it got dark.

We woke-up early to try and make it as many miles as we could before noon on Hat Creek Rim, and hopefully to the water cache. At one point we thought there may be a bear up the trail a bit. Garrett hooted, and we heard a “moo,” and a black cow crossed the path. Hat Creek Rim is apparently also used as cow pasture, as we soon saw the rest of the heard. We saw more than cows too, and got our first views of Mt. Shasta. 

We made our goal, and found the cache full of water and hiker snacks. We passed the heat of the afternoon, and hiked out towards the next water source, a creek, 12 miles away. Without this cache, it would have been nearly 20 miles without water accessible from the trail. Trail angles are awesome!

We hiked down off the rim and ate dinner. When we were looking at the map, this part of the trail went through a section shaded red. I joked that it was red because it was lava, but then we looked at the map closer and it actually was labeled “lava.” 

It was an old lava field that is now overgrown with shrubs and some trees, and one can see pockets of piled up volcanic rock. We made camp, a first time for both of us camping in a lava field!

Day 86: PCT mile 1401 to PCT mile 1418.9, 17.9 miles
Day 87: PCT mile 1418.9 to 1440.5; 21.6 miles
Day 88: PCT mile 1440.5 to Butcherknife Creek, 24 miles 
Day 89: Butcherknife Creek to PCT mile 1487.9, 22.4 miles

Day 86 had us hiking into Burney Falls State Park to pick-up another resupply package. The day was full of a variety of water sources and views, which was a relief after our last two dry, hot days. 

The trail was pretty flat, and the 15 miles to the park went quickly, especially as we came upon some trail magic! A cold soda on a hot day is a wonderful thing!

The next day was rolling, and we caught some great views of Mt. Shasta. We even found a campsite on a ridge with the best view of the mountain all day. The following morning we awoke to the following view, not too shabby!

We hiked down to a spring for some much appreciated water. We’ve been in a dry stretch of trail these last 100 or so miles, and instead of having water every 3-5 miles, to now it being every 10-12 miles. Ah, how quickly we forget the desert; we were spoiled by the Sierras! We filled-up and made it to the next water by mid-afternoon. We really like carrying powdered Gatorade, so we really look forward to a spring or creek during the day so we can make cold Gatorade! 

Happily that night we were able to camp next to Butcherknife Creek in Centipede Gulch. Our feet were thankful for the cold soak! Garrett has been hiking in sandals as he has developed some terrible blisters. The sandals have helped, but he cannot hike to Canada in them. We ordered a new pair to out next food pick-up.

Being as we slept in a deep gulch, the sun didn’t seem to shine until about 8am, just as we were arriving in the bottom of Centipede Gulch. We walked along the McCloud River for a couple miles, before entering Fitzhugh Gulch, and then starting our climb out. We stopped for lunch near the top of the rise, and then dropped back down into Squaw Creek Valley. After looking at both a gulch and a valley in the same day, I can honestly say I have no idea what distinguishes the two! 

What goes down must go up on the PCT, and we again climbed up to the top of another rise. All and all we climbed 7000ft throughout the day (which is a lot!), and it felt great! We’ve been starting to consistently hike longer days, and our legs are staring to get the hang of it; which is good, as we need the energy to get us to Canada!

Day 90: PCT mile 1487 to PCT mile 1502, 15 miles
Day 91: PCT mile 1502 to Braden Spring, 17.4 miles
Day 92: Braden Spring to PCT mile 1541.7, 22.4 miles
Day 93: PCT mile 1541.7 to 1563.6, 21.9 miles 

Day 90 we awoke, and looked forward to a nice 11 mile downhill hike to Ammirati’s Market in Castella; two miles off the trail. We made it in before noon, and picked-up our maildrop of food. Garrett had been looking forward to the new pair of boots we had sent there for him! The heat of Hat Creek Rim the week before made his feet swell in his old boots, and all sorts of blisters resulted. It was hot again that afternoon, so we lazed in a small patch of shade by the store until late afternoon. We packed-up, and hiked 5 miles into the woods to camp by a creek. Along the way we passed 1500 miles!

Garrett showing off his new boots!

Day 92 was gentle and rolling, with mild temperatures, and lots of water; all qualities of a comfortable trail day! We had nice views of Mt. Shasta and Castle Crags along the way. That evening, we found a nice campsite on Cement Bluff (which is much more scenic than it sounds!).

As we fell asleep, we could hear and see a storm moving in the distance. We saw lightening, but it seemed like it would stay away. All the sudden the wind picked-up, and we realized that the storm was moving in our direction. Rain started falling hard, then hail stones a half-inch in diameter. In a matter of minutes, the ground was covered in a thick layer of hail, and the lightening was cracking above us. Our LL Bean tent held up well, and the storm started to pass as we dozed off.

The next morning we waited an extra hour while we let the tent set out. We entered the Trinity Alps Wilderness, and had an uneventful day (thankfully- no more hail!). Although, we did see a fawn and its mother as we were setting-up the tent.

We are getting closer to Oregon, less than a week! It’s hard to believe we’ve been in California for so long! While we’ve enjoyed this state so much, from the dessert all the way to the mountains, we’re looking forward to see what Oregon has in store for us!

Day 94: PCT mile 1563.6 to 1588.3, 24.7 miles
Day 95: PCT mile 1588.3 to 1610.9, 22.6 miles 
Day 96: PCT mile 1610.9 to 1634, 23.1 miles
Day 97: PCT mile 1634 to Seiad Valley, 19.4 miles
Day 98: Seiad Valley to Bear Dog Spring, 20.2 miles
Day 99: Bear Dog Spring to PCT mile 1697, 23.3 miles

On Day 94 the mountains changed again as we entered the Russian Wilderness. We were awed by the rock formations on the ridge, and the lush treed valleys.

The next day we entered yet another wilderness, the Marble Mountain Wilderness. As we were enjoying out lunch, a team of fire jumpers walked by. They had parachuted in a few days before to contain and stop a forest fire that had been initiated by lighting (the same storm that brought us the hail). Throughout the day we could see way down to the valleys below. It was a quiet day on the trail, we only saw a couple other hikers, and passed 1600 miles on the PCT!

Day 96 we hiked deeper into the Marble Mountain Wilderness; and it became apparent as to why it was named such. 

Day 97 was all downhill into Seiad Valley. We walked along Grider Creek, then along the road (which is the PCT for 7.2 miles), to reach the town.

 Seiad Valley, population 350 people, consists of a post office, cafe, general store, and RV park. There is also a movement there (including other towns in Northern Cali & Southern Oregon) to succeed from California, and become their own state- The State of Jefferson; needless to say, it was a quirky place. We made it into town mid-afternoon, and spent the rest of the day snacking and catching-up with other hikers. My Mom sent us new shirts to replace our threadbare ones, and some snacks (including root beer poptarts!). Our moms are the best trail angels!

Day 98 we tackled the feared climb out of Seiad Valley. We fueled-up for it at the cafe in town; nothing like 2 eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon, a biscuit, and a pot of coffee to power you 8 miles and 4500 feet of elevation gain! The climb wasn’t that bad, and we enjoyed great views throughout the day. 

Along with the usual deer, we also saw a rattlesnake and an owl. Despite all my adventures into the woods, I haven’t seen many owls- so the sighting was particularly special to me that evening.

And then… we finally made it to OREGON!!! After 1,689 miles of beautiful California, we crossed out first state border along the PCT! We’ve been anticipating this moment for the last couple of weeks, and it was starting to feel like it would never come. We had a bit of Canadian whiskey at the border to celebrate, and remind us we still have two more states and one country border to cross before we hopefully finish the whole trail. 

We’re feeling good and are still astounded each day by the beauty that surrounds us. We have high hopes for Oregon, and are feeling strong! Can’t wait to see what the rest of the trail brings!

Day 100: PCT mile 1697 to Ashland, 19.4 miles 

Days 101-102, 0 miles (town days!)

Day 103: Ashland to PCT mile 1734.5, 18.4 miles

Day 104: PCT mile 1734.5 to 1754.9, 20.4 miles

We woke-up on day 100 of our hike and eagerly broke down our camp, as we were both looking forward to getting into Ashland for dinner. The day was mostly rolling, and we saw a lot of day hikers. For our first full day in Oregon, the trail really didn’t seem that much different from California! It will soon change though we imagine.

A few miles from town I tripped on some thick roots and came down hard on my shin. Fortunately, nothing was broken, but I scraped my leg badly in multiple places. We were really close to a faucet on private property, whose owner allows hikers to use for water, so I was able to clean-it up and bandage it until we got into town (for those of you with your Wilderness First Aid training, I was able to irrigate the wound with the syringe we have to clean our water filter!). While I was doing that, a bee stung me! It was a bit of a rough walk to the road, but a free beer at Callahan’s and a delicious dinner made everything seem okay! After dinner we got a quick ride to our hotel in Ashland. We had two awesome days in town, where we bought some new clothes, ate some delicious food, and rested-up. Garrett’s feet are starting to feel better, and hopefully the trend continues!

Our first day out of town we got a bit of a later start, and made it back to the trail by 9:30am. The day was rolling, and we hiked closer to Pilot Rock which we could see the previous day. We also got our last views of Mt. Shasta.

The next day we entered the Rogue River National Forest, and were treated to rolling green hills for most of the day. I was pretty tired by the end of the day (too much time off?), so we ate dinner and decided to camp a bit early to rest-up for the rest of Oregon!

Day 105: PCT mile 1754.9 to 1777.4, 22.5 miles 

Day 106: PCT mile 1777.4 to 1800.7, 23.3 miles

Day 107: PCT mile 1800.7 to 1818.4, 17.7 miles 

A good night’s rest can cure a lot of things, and fortunately it was all I needed to feel back to normal! 

We walked a quick six miles to South Brown Mountain Shelter, and filled-up our water. There are only a few shelters along the PCT, so we were interested to see what it looked like. It had a wood stove, and we think it gets more use in the winter as a warmig hut for cross-country skiers as there wasn’t a lot of room for sleeping like there is in the shelters along the Appalachian Trail. Most interesting though was the four large coolers full of fresh fruit and cold drinks, a happy surprise!

Later that day we walked across lava rocks, and Oregon started to take on a character of its own compared to California.

One thing Oregon hasn’t had is a lot of water, which is surprising as it is so green! When we do get to water, a break is in order. We came to a creek late in the day, and caught up to about a dozen hikers- this most we’ve seen in one place for quite awhile. We cleaned-up, and hiked a bit more until calling it a day.

Day 106 was supposed to have easy terrain, but we were surprised by miles of blown down trees blocking the trail. We managed, getting quite the work-out climbing over large trunks and going around the ones we couldn’t manage.

Afterwards we started our ascent of Devil’s Peak, and it was well worth the climb. 

On the way down we hit our first water in nearly 15 miles, and eagerly drank the fresh, cold water. We had dinner, and filled-up to make it the 22.4 miles to the next water source at Crater Lake National Park! 

We grumbled a bit about having to carry so much water, but we had just a bit of food left as we were resupplying at Crater Lake and the terrain was beautiful and gentle- so our packs didn’t feel as heavy as we thought they would! On the way in we went through a old burn area which was strikingly beautiful with saplings as far as the eye could see. 

We made it in to the park late afternoon, and picked-up our packages; we had four! Two we sent to ourselves, one from my Mom, and one from Diane. Other thru-hikers jokingly asked if the boxes were our resupply to Canada. We went to dinner and called it a day- we’re looking forward to seeing the lake tomorrow! 

Day 108: Mazama Village to Grouse Hill Camp, 14.6 miles

Day 109: Grouse Hill Camp to Diamond Lake Resort, 8.7 miles

Day 110: Diamond Lake Resort to PCT mile 1864.2, 18.8 miles

Day 111: PCT mile 1864.2 to 1886.6, 22.2 miles

We went to dinner the night before at the restaurant next to the campground. Dinner was okay at best, but worst of all I felt really sick afterwards. I made it through the night without much incidence and felt better the next day; however, Garrett was feeling rough when we woke-up. He didn’t have much of an appetite, and his stomach was very upset. We soldiered on towards the Rim Trail that goes around Crater Lake. Garrett managed to eat lunch after the climb up, but his stomach remained unsettled. Despite not being in top shape, he managed to enjoy the beautiful views of the lake throughout the day. I us been there before, but Garrett hadn’t, and I was excited for him to see it. 

Crater Lake formed when 7,700 years the volcano Mount Mazama exploded; leaving a large cauldera. Over time, the cauldera filled with snowmelt and rainwater, forming Crater Lake. The lake is nearly 2,000 feet deep at its deepest point, making it the deepest lake in the United States.

We took our time that day, and meandered around the lake. We peeled off the Rim Trail after about nine miles, and made camp a few miles later at backcountry Grouse Hill Camp on the park grounds.

The next day Garrett felt even worse, and after we eked out barely nine miles we arrived at a state highway. He looked pale, and hadn’t been able to eat much that morning, so I made the call that we should go into Diamond Lake Resort, which lay 10 miles to the west, so that he could take the time to get better. He insisted that he could go on, and while he could have, I didn’t want to watch him try. We had cell service, so we called down the the resort and they were able to come pick us up. 

The stay was restorative, and the next day Garrett had his appetite back. We had breakfast, and decided it was time to get back to the trail. It was a cool day, and we had great views of Mt. Theilsen. 

We’ve been enjoying Oregon immensely; despite the surprising lack of water and illness. We’ve routinely had to carry water for over 20 miles at a time, which is surprising as Oregon is so green! Unfortunately on day 111 it was an actual problem. Despite all of our reports and guides telling us there was water in a pond, we arrived to find to stagnant stinky puddles instead.

We had to each filter a liter, and reminded ourselves that that would take any disease causing particles out of it. We marched on the Summit Lake, nine miles away, and camped on a peninsula. It was nice to be surrounde by water after our very dry day!

Day 112: PCT mile 1886.6 to Lower Rosary Lake, 21.6 miles
Day 113: Lower Rosary Lake to Stormy Lake, 24.5 miles
Day 114: Stormy Lake to PCT mile 1951.8, 20.5 miles 
Day 115: PCT Mile 1951.8 to 1973.7, 21.9 miles

We woke-up to a nice sunrise on Summit Lake, and made our way into Diamond Peak Wilderness. There was thankfully more water than the day before, and the miles came easily. Garrett was feeling much better, too! Which was well timed, as we ran into some thru-hikers who’s parents were out for the week meeting-up with them and BBQing. They invited us to join them, and we made it to the road in time for beer, cheese & crackers, and hot dogs. It was delicious, and it was very kind of them to include us in the feast! Afterwards, we hiked a few more miles to Lower Rosary Lake and made camp (we’re getting spoiled camping by water two nights in a row!).

The next two days were filled with lots of lakes; which again was so nice, after being through those past dry miles. 

On day 114 we hiked into Elk Lake Resort, located about a mile off trail, to pick-up a small food package we sent and get dinner. It was a nice spot, and hot food is always good! Afterwards, we hiked out a couple miles and made camp.

first view of the most southern Sister

We finished the day waking through a field of lava rocks, underneath the glaciers. It was one of the most unique days on the trail so far. We went to sleep under the stars, listening to the spring near by, in awe of our day.

Day 116: PCT mile 1973.7 to 1993, 19.3 miles
Day 117: PCT mile 1993 to 2014.5, 21.5 miles
Day 118: PCT mile 2014.5 to 2034.2, 19.7 miles
Day 119: PCT mile 2034.2 to Trooper Spring, 18.3 miles

Mt. Washington from the lava fields

The fuel was received just in time, and was a nice change from our usual energy/granola bars. The chocolates powered us up to the ridge and past the 2,000 mile mark the next day. We didn’t see many hikers, and spent a quiet afternoon heading closer to Mt. Jefferson. 

nothing like a box of chocolates to get you up a mountain!

That night it rained, and we awoke in a cloud. The day was raw, but beautiful, and despite the clouds we managed to get some good views of Mt. Jefferson.

Towards the evening the sky started to look threatening again, and we set-up the tent just before it started to rain. We decided to eat dinner in the tent to stay dry, which we never do- but it was nice to be cozy in my sleeping bag while eating cold rice! 

It rained into the morning, and Garrett let me sleep-in again because he didn’t want to get out of the tent. When I did awaken, we ate in the tent again to stay dry for as long as possible. When we were done, the rain had mostly stopped, but it was in the low 40s and windy- so we hustled to pack-up and get out. We stayed in the mist for most of the morning, and it started to clear around noon when we arrived at the Ollalie Lake Store. The store sits practically on the trail, so it is a popular spot for hikers. We spread out our wet tent and packs at the picnic ground near-by to let everything dry out. While it did we picked-up some more supplies (we found orange soda pop-tarts!), and ate lunch. It was a plesant stop, and we were there until about 3pm before taking off for some more miles. We made it 9 more miles to Trooper Spring, and just before we made it to camp it started to rain. We got our rain gear on and sat under a tree eating dinner, hoping the rain would stop. It didn’t, but it eased-up enough for us to find a dry spot under another tree. We got into the tent, and hoped for sun the next day.