Throughout this hike, we have been shown kindness by people of many different backgrounds and beliefs. After feeling a bit of pressure that we stick around for a sermon afterwards, I wondered what, if anything, could be said about those who show kindness with no strings attached, versus those who do so with an ulterior … Read more
The day was forecast to be a scorcher. This was especially bad because it coincided with a tremendous, 15 mile burn section. At points, the day felt eerily similar to NorCal. Fortunately, we came across some trail magic again. Cold watermelon and electrolyte mix packets go a long way in the heat. After the distractions … Read more
We followed the road for a short while to Mazama Village. We were one of the first tables to be seated at Annie Creek Restaurant, but the burger I ate was mediocre. There was a camping store that most hikers had to choose between shipping a package or relying on the small selection of snacks … Read more
The blowdowns were less frequent during the remainder of the descent in Seiad Valley. We made good time hiking through the woods, crossing quite a few footbridges over Grider Creek along the way. After several miles, the trail intersected a dirt road and we began a seven mile road walk into Seiad Valley. The sides … Read more
Water was becoming scarce once again too. Today involved two dry stretches of seven and ten miles respectively. The streams we did pass by were often off the trail a short ways. Peak hiker laziness has kicked in. I groaned about having to follow a 100ft side trail to fill up water. Given the choice, … Read more
Belden was a town whose personality far exceeded its size. Essentially just a campground, a few cabins, and a “resort”, it was equal parts trashy and artsy. A crew was setting up for a festival when we arrived. Had we attended said festival, I probably would have more to say about the quirky town. The … Read more
Spout has been reading about Tara Dower and felt heavily inspired. Of course she did. Last year, Tara smashed the fastest known time of hiking the entire AT in just 40 days. “If Tara can hike 55 miles a day”, Spout proclaimed, “then I can hike 25”. We are attempting a challenge in the month … Read more
As we enter Northern California, I have decided to begin a new segment called Man vs. Mosquito. Each day, man will face off against mosquito in a fight to submission, striving to answer the question: who is the dominant lifeform? If mosquitos prevent us from doing basic things like swimming in lakes, eating lunch, or … Read more
This was Carebear’s last day before leaping ahead on trail (he was just section hiking), so it meant we were saying goodbye. Even though it had only been a week since we met him, going through the Sierra together was a bonding experience like no other. Noon rolled around and we took the town trolley … Read more
Hitching back to the trail was surprisingly difficult. Bishop Family Fun Day was happening at the local park, so maybe the parents were scared of stinky hitchhikers. Eventually, a young woman from the Big Pine Paiute tribe scooped us up. She went out of her way to drop us off at Independence, CA. From here, … Read more