Twig Adventures

August 31st, 2018 Butcherknife Creek mm 1467 to Peavine Creek mm 1432.5 Distance: 34.5 miles 0600-1900 It was a long day, my longest distance in a day yet, I think. I walked the trail by moonlight for the first 15 minutes. It isn’t getting fully light until about 0630 now. And it was a tough climb out of the valley. Especially since near the top, the smoke was kind of thick and I didn’t enjoy breathing it. Once over the ridge, it cleared up some and the sun was shining. The trail was very dry and dusty, so I could see many animal prints. In one area, the vegetation was overgrown and I saw fresh mountain lion prints that made[…]

August 30th, 2018 Mm 1496.5 to Butcherknife Creek mm 1467 Distance: 29.5 miles 0620-1700 I slept surprisingly well but for obvious reasons, I was anxious to get moving in the morning. The smoke was pretty bad and the forest really quiet. I walked fast and by 8 am was past the closest point to the fire. I couldn’t see any flames or even a glow at night. It really wasn’t that close. The smoke shortly began to lift and I breathed a big sigh of relief. At 0930, I came to a gap at Squaw Valley where a bunch of fire fighters were staged on a road. I half expected one of them to yell at me or demand to[…]

August 29th, 2018 Mm 1521 to mm 1496.5 Distance: 24.5 miles 0620-2100 Today was another weird mix of trail and town. The town stops really throw off my normal schedule but make for interesting events. Plus, the extra food is a good thing. The morning was beautiful and put me in a very good mood. I could just see Mt Shasta as the sun rose, then awesome vistas of the Castle Crags rock formations. The trail wound down and underneath them. It was fairly clear as I started out but then a smoke bank rolled in and the crags suddenly became mystically obscured. The air smelled very strongly of smoke, much of which appears to be coming from the nearby[…]

August 28th, 2018 Mm 1552 to mm 1521 Distance: 31 miles 0620-1830 The trail stayed relatively level today, which meant that it had to meander along all the contours of the mountains. It has been doing a huge dogleg to the north, which kind of unsettled me. I hiked fast all morning just to get past the part that was going the wrong way. At least there were some really nice views on the long traverses. The wind had shifted and the smoke was mostly being blown to the SE. I came to a paved road around 11 am and got cell reception. Plants had texted me to warn of a new fire closure of the trail right after our[…]

August 27th, 2018 Scott River mm 1579 to mm 1552 Distance: 27 miles 0620-1800 The day dawned so clear, there was only a hint of smoke in the distance. Good thing too, as the views were great. I finally got to see Mt Shasta. The Kid and I were stopped at a spring in the morning when we both saw a bear walk across a meadow far below. It was the first bear I have seen from the trail. It’s the kind of sighting that is great for both you and the wildlife…at that distance, neither party is scared. Salamanders are fun close up but large carnivores are best viewed from afar. The trail traversed many open ridges and valleys.[…]

August 26th, 2018 Etna Road mm 1599.5 to Scott River mm 1579 Distance: 20.5 miles 0900-1800 It was tough getting out of bed after the late night. I of course woke up early but tried to sleep in a bit. It didn’t work so well. Watermelon and I arranged a ride back to the trailhead with the hostel’s proprietor. He shuttles hikers for $5 a person. Twist just happened to also be looking for a ride as we were leaving, so that worked out well. At the trailhead, we saw the German twins Hans and Frans I was reluctant to start climbing up the trail again but I walked with Twist and we chatted the day away. She is one[…]

August 25th, 2018 Marble Valley cabin mm 1623.5 to Etna Road mm 1599.5 Distance: 24 miles 0600-1500 Today was about the oddest of combination of events, a mix of great trail and town shenanigans. I was in the mood to have a little fun, but more about that later. The trail did not disappoint, with alpine lakes, switchbacks and a roller-coaster of a day. Perhaps one of the highlights was coming to Martin pond, which should have been named Salamander pond. It was choc-a-block with these red bellied salamanders, which I still haven’t positively identified. I caught one in Oregon and couldn’t resist catching (and then releasing) one from this pond. I discovered that I could lure them over to[…]

August 24th, 2018 Grider Creek campground mm 1649.5 to Marble Valley Cabin mm 1623.5 Distance: 26 miles 0600-1730 I woke early and found Flowers and the Kid also packing up. I wished the Kid happy birthday and gave him the only present I could…the best oatmeal bar from my food bag, a peach Bobo. He ate it on the spot. He’s a sweet guy, so I wished I had gotten him something better. His lack of age has been a fun topic for awhile. We have made lots of lewd comments and joked about how half the stuff we do in front of him would land us in jail. But not anymore, he is a man now (except that he[…]

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[…]

August 22nd, 2018 Donomore cabin mm 1691 to mm 1660.5 Distance: 30.5 miles 0700-1930 I was so comfortable on the cot that I slept soundly the whole night. I also slept on my inflated sleeping pad, because as I found out in the yurt on the Colorado Trail, it gets cold underneath. Unfortunately this made my normal movements in the night a bit noisy, which apparently kept poor Plants up all night. He said I was also talking in my sleep, which I don’t doubt. He made sure to remind me of his lack of sleep all day. Well, what can I say? Might I suggest some earplugs? I’ve got lots of experience sleeping in communal spaces, so I always[…]