Pacific Crest Trail 2009 Part 18

From 6000 feet in elevation we decended to the middle fork of the Feather River at 2,900 feet.  At these lower elevations, the latest fear that needed conquering for some hikers was the ever prevelant poison oak.  I never met anyone on the PCT who ever itched from its skin rash, but its presence screamed in some people's minds.

"Too Obtuse" enjoying the views of the Feather River Crossing.

We climbed back up to 5,000 feet through densely wooded forests.

I had to sew and repair my back pack on the trail a couple of times. 

Most packs don't last more than 3,000 miles. One often can send them back to the manufacturer in exchange for a replacement pack, since they have lifetime warranties.

It's amazing how one's gear wears out so easily, but the body just keeps on going and regenerating as many hikers are now walking 30 miles a day.

Our next stop is at Beldon Town at 2,310 feet which lies directly on the route of the PCT.  We were surprised to run into an outdoor rave in the center of the town.  They were playing techno music in three different areas, and their similar sounds overlapped to create a greater beat.

The whole scene reminded me of the Hotel California, where anytime of year you can find it here.  Everyone, including the staff, was wasted on just about any drug you can imagine.  The county sheriff poked its head into the Town and most of the bar emptied out within a minutes time.  This place was hopping. It turns out they have the same party every weekend for the entire summer.  People from all over the country and even Canada come up here to dance the days and nights away. 

In Beldon, we spent the night at a trail angels bunk house.  Laurie and Brenda were awesome hosts that picked us up from the raging party and delivered us to their safe haven.  In the morning they even cooked us all breakfast and swapped trail stories.  After resupplying at a local RV park, we ate breakfast again at Beldon Town before ascending into the Cascade Mountains.  The Sierra Nevada's were now a part of our history.

Mount Lassen was now the newest peak that we set our eyes upon. It's last eruption occured back in 1915.

On July 12th, we reached the Pacifc Crest Trail's halfway marker announcing to us that we have already hiked over 1,300 miles.

The next morning we hitched a ride with a Canadian seasonal bird biologist to Chester where we resupplied once again and had a wonderful small town breakfast next to Lake Almanor.  A PCT hiker's Mom that lives in Chester found us sticking our thumbs out and she graciously brought us back up to the trail where "Too Obtuse" replaced us in the vehicle to enjoy his turn in town.

We were now entering Lassen Volcanic National Park and the resort of Drakesbad was to provide us with a grand meal that we are certain to remember for the rest of our lives.  The support the local public provided us hikers was a wonderous Highlight for the entire Journey.

Part 19 ~ Enter Here

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