On My Way to Scott Mountain Summit

             A flutterby
July 20
Got up late today to the rising sun beating down on me like a loaf of dough in a furnace. I got going and decided I'd take a break at every spring and read a chapter of my book. I had 12 miles to do today and there were 6 springs. Do the math. Except I think I threw in a few bonus chapters because I felt lazy today. Also I have a good book. I'm a sucker for history and memoirs, and Memoirs of a Geisha is a good book. It's a little different, but it's very well written, and overall, I'm addicted to it. So, basically the hiking today was great as usual but the reading today was excellent. Oh, ya. Then I met up with Mom and ate and read a bit more. 300 pages down and 200 left. It's a pretty heavy book so I don't want to carry it for long. 

Gumboot Trailhead to Scott Mountain Summit

   Shaded walking pretty much all day.
July 19
Pacmom made a big and great breakfast that seemed to fuel me all day. She took me to the trailhead where we met Dora. Lightening Rod and Walkie Talkie came rolling in right away and got a bagel and also a breakfast beer. We got going and about 10 miles in there was a nice lake with a few people at it. It was too nice to pass, so I took an extended siesta there. The second half of the day I met quite a few weekend and day hikers. There were a lot of families and it brought back memories of when we came here as very young kids. I had 10 miles till water which was suppose to be a creek where I could set camp. I went past a seep of water and thought it couldn't be the thing labeled as a creek. Sure enough, I started to climb which meant it was the creek. So I saw a lake not too far off, so if I need water in the morning, I guess I can just go to it. Tomorrow is 9 miles till water, then another 6 to water, food, beer, and soda. Aka Pacmom. Thanks Mom. 

 

Castle Crags and Gumboot Lake

                                          Gumboot Lake

                                   July 17
Zero day with Pacmom! I woke up to a great breakfast, then we did some driving around. Lots of driving actually. As long as I'm not walking too much, all is good. She brought me a book that I've been wanting to read, so that was nice. Then, a great dinner and off to bed. Thanks Pacmom!

Castle Crags

Mt Shasta from Castle Crags
July 18th
Momma took me to the trail (Castle Crags at Soda Creek) and I got going with a few bagels and a pack that weighed about 6 lbs. Dora was at the trailhead and we chased down my Mom's car to drop off her pack, but just missed her. We took off and since I was about 30 lbs lighter than Dora, I took off. I got into the climb and it wasn't all that bad since I was light, but it was still pretty hot. I ended up making good time and passing Dusty and Opa. I did my 26 miles to the parking lot (Gumboot TH) where my Mom was waiting with sodas and snacks. Opa pulled in, then Dusty and they got their sodas and snacks and were pleased, then Momma and I took off to the lake (Gumboot) where it was a bit nicer. All in all a great day. I slept in and finished up the hiking at about 4pm and still got 26 miles in. Thanks, Pacmom. What I did today is called "slack packing" in PCT lingo. So, I pretty much just carry snacks for the day and day essentials. Very nice!!!

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25240
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5058742.pdf

Hiker Pictures Near Gumboot Lake, Scotts Mountain, and Carter Meadows

7-18-13

    Dusty, Pacman, and Opa

                                Opa

       Dora, Lightening Rod, Walkie Talkie, Pacman

                 Pacman at Gumboot Lake with Pacmom. Best place ever!

      Gumboot Lake with the moon reflection at the water's edge.

Pacman, Gabby and Eli (or Scabby and Tea Bag), and Gavin

Eeyore (Sobo) and Eeyore's Wife, resting. (Pacman did not meet him.)
Photos by Mom

Dunsmuir, McCloud, and Shasta City

      Doug at McCloud Middle Falls
July 16
Dunsmuir
Got going with Jest Jeff this morning down to Castle Crags State Park. We had some cool views of the Castle of Crag, or whatever. It looks like very jagged peaks. Maybe I can camp in the Castle one of these knights... We got down to the road and crossed the Sacramento River. There was a pretty good jumping hole and it looked like it was plenty deep to jump off the bridge. We didn't though as we were very hungry. We got to a cafe for some Internet and the owner made us a breakfast sandwich that they didn't let us pay for. Then, we rolled over to the grocery store and I ate some more to get ready for lunch. Then, lunch and some guy we were talking with bought us another beer. I gotta say we have been getting so much trail magic up here in northern Cali. It seems like it's at least once a day there's a trail surprise, and sometimes 2 or 3 times. After that, it was just schmucking around town picking berries, cherries, and eating apricots. Not a bad town and town visit. Thanks Dunsmir. Then Mommy arrived and swooped me away for a zero tomorrow. 

Doug reading on his zero day near Castle Crags.

California Section P and O, near Dunsmuir

Don't know what it is, but it's a big chunk of metal for being where it was.
July 15
Got going this morning along a nice ridge. It was cool and no PO while walking.  After the first water source, I met up with Just Jeff who didn't sleep too well because of a buck in our camp last night. He was up dealing with it for about an hour. Once we figured out it was a deer and not a bear, I fell right back asleep. He was cowboy camping, so it's a little more dangerous with deer around here. 
I have 2 deer stories.
First, was Robocop, who was getting charged by a buck around this area. I guess word on the street is that the bucks here are more territorial, and sometimes charge. Second, is that some hiker was cowboy camping and a deer came up and licked his face for the salt, in the middle of the night.
So, back to hiking, we did good miles to the second creek where we had a good lunch break. There's a bit of PO around this part, so all of us hikers who gathered at that water (8 of us) were sitting on the trail making a road block. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. I did all of my miles with Just Jeff. He is a very funny guy. We did 32 miles, so not bad. I'm camped about 6 miles out of Hwy 5, and I can hear it. I'm above the PO line, so that's all that matters. I'm gonna sleep great knowing that I'm not sleeping in a PO mega bush. We saw a lot of it today and should be seeing it for the next 100-300 miles. I think this and the next section is the worst of it. On my maps, it is CA section P and O. Go figure. 

Burney Falls Mile 1423

July 14 
Burney Falls. If you go there, I suggest drinking out of the river. It's great spring water. All the smaller falls are coming out of earth, and the earth makes some darn good water.

After Burney Falls, CA
What a great trail magic and fun thing Chief and Chief's Wife did for us. I had a great time last night. First thing in the morning, 8am or so, I had a coffee. Then I lazied around for a bit, then took off to see Burney Falls. From what I now know, the falls are one of the coolest places. So, this is the second biggest spring in the U.S. The river that makes Burney Falls is dry about a quarter mile upstream. Then, it turns into a gushing river in an instant, then there is an amazing waterfall. So, technically, it's a spring, a big one. So, I had a drink of fresh spring water from the river. I'm pretty sure it's a spring that supplies some bottled water like Crystal Geyser, or something, maybe. The falls were also very evident of this because you could see separate springs all over it that wasn't coming from the river flow water. She was a doozie. We made it to a creek where a good hiker box had breakfast and filled me up. Dehydrated eggs and bacon bits, I think, and a non-soy protein drink (labeled for 2 people). It was delicious. There was a decent swimming hole that I took a cold dip in. The rest of the day was good hiking, and I turned in early because we stayed up late last night. In the tent by 7pm. We still did 20 miles today even though most of us were pretty tired. Good day to you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burney_Falls