Pacific Crest Trail 2009 Part 22

Stacey and I seemed to have gotten some sort of stomach flu for twenty four hours.  We both had a rough night and our spirits were diminished.

The next day we ran into Jim who ended up with the same 24 hour bug.  Perhaps we all caught the same strain in Castella a few days earlier.

We trudged ahead sluggishly and slowly both gained our momentum and strength.  However, our thighs and hips were sore for two days.

It made me wonder if one has to adapt energetically to serpentine soils where the ph of the environment is higher. 

Mount Shasta receded more and more into the distance, but we would be seeing her for more than a weeks time to come on our approach to Crater Lake in Oregon.  We were basicly making a giant U-turn around her.

The Trinity Alps Wilderness radiated seemingly enhanced beauty that recharged our inner batteries.  To the west of us we could see some towering glaciated peaks.

Interestingly, cows graze up here at 7000 feet.

After Carter Meadows Summit we entered the Russian Wilderness.

The contrast between the geology and the vegetation brightened and widened our eyes and views.

The Russian Creek Drainage showed evidence of horses from the Backcountry Horsemen Association that rides into the deep wilderness to cut and remove downed trees that keeps the trails in tip top shape.

In the drier valley below we could see the vicinity of Etna which was to become our next resupply station.

At Etna Summit, the rides were few in the early morning hours.  However, Tigger from Florida arrived with three hikers from Etna with the famous PCT van.  We saw her and Chuck Norris last in Kennedy Meadows well over a month ago. The van has the signatures of all the Pacific Crest Trail Hikers that enjoyed the presence of these road and trail angels.

Although Etna was only seven miles away, it took almost 45 minutes to drive into town because of the windy nature of the mountain roads.  We then ate breakfast with Tigger who is now hiking the Florida Trail with Chuck Norris.  We then resupplied and received a generous ride from a local who went out of his way to drive us back up to the summit.

We rose back up into the Marble Mountain Wilderness on route to Seiad Valley on the Klamath River 56 miles to the north.  And so the life affirming journey continued........

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