August 23rd, 2018
Mm 1660.5 to Grider Creek campground mm 1649.5, via Seiad Valley.
Distance: 11 miles
0600-1830
Today was one of the best, easiest days. I packed very early and was in town by 0730 am. On the way, I walked with Dahn on a short road section and we reminisced about all the road walking on the TA. Good memories, all. Dahn is the first person to say that the TA has been his favorite, even over the AT and PCT. I concur, but the PCT has been pretty special, too.
The town of Seiad consisted of the post office, general store, and a greasy-spoon cafe. The ‘trail’ passes right through it all. The ‘State of Jefferson’ was displayed proudly everywhere. People in this part of CA would like to form their own state, which they feel would better represent their interests. But I’ll spare you the politics of that.
I had my heart set on a tip about lemon cream french toast, but when I got to the cafe, I changed my mind to an omelet. I figured it would be better for me. I should have gotten both.
A bunch of SOBOs that I knew were there, so it was nice having a relaxed, communal breakfast. I was in no hurry since I had an Amazon package at the PO, which didn’t open until noon. I bought a little more food at the store and published a few blogs. For once, the WIFI was good, but I had no signal otherwise.
Finally, I was able to get my new bungee laces for my shoes. It sounds trivial, but I love not having to tie shoe laces. Ashland stores were sold out, so thank goodness for 2 day shipping.
The Kid, Flowers and I went back to the cafe for lunch and I had a BLT and huge blackberry milkshake. I have lost some weight, so I need to pound the calories when I can. A short day and 2 huge meals is a start.
I also tried to get the Kid a new hat but they didn’t have any for sale. His old hat was falling apart and with his 18th birthday coming up, I thought a new one would make a good gift. On the way out of town, he happened to find a perfectly good Colombia sun hat on the road. It was a gift from the trail. Funny how that works.
Flowers, the Kid and I left the store around 3 pm and had an easy 6 mile walk on roads. I think this is the longest roadwalk on the PCT and I loved it. We got chased by dogs and picked lots of blackberries. Funny thing, after the hundreds of miles of roadwalking in NZ, I never once was chased by dogs. But I was charged by a cow, so there’s that.
Along the way, we passed the 1000 miles mark. We didn’t do anything special to celebrate, just kept walking. Only 1,652 miles to go.
We stopped at a campground complete with pit toilets and picnic tables. Most importantly, the stream hide a nice hole for dunking. I got to take a shower and do laundry at the same time! It was very hot out, so the cold water felt good to soak in. Then I warmed up quickly, even in wet clothes.
Some of my SOBO friends hanging in the creek.
We had a great night hanging out. Three other SOBO thru-hikers were there, Suehenga and the German twins, Hans and Frans (those are their trail names). The twins are hilarious when they finish each others sentences, especially with their accent. Later, Twist showed up, so we were 7 strong. I am very much enjoying this SOBO bubble. Despite the noise of a generator from a nearby RV, I slept very soundly.