July 16, 2013
14 miles
mile1335

In my dream the rain came down. Sometimes dreams come true. A wet face at 4:40 AM is true. You can only wait so long until all that you own is soaked. But maybe it will stop. And your warmth and comfort will continue unabated. Perhaps even a return to dreams. The rain turns to hail. Oh hell. Out and up and full of foul temper. Set up the tent or pack? Decisions of a cotton brain. Things stop falling from the sky. Hunger makes a bid for attention. Oatmeal or horizontal? Okay, a quick oatmeal and then two more hours of sleep. Mix oatmeal and rain returns. To hell with it, I’m packing. Panic-throw everything in pack. Rain stops. Back to oatmeal. Rain starts. baseball analogy. Throw pack on and start walking in the dark. Rain stops never to return. Strangely happy as the sky lightens. Two bucks share the path with me. My pace is quick as all is cool. I climb to a summit. The sunrise climbs the other side. We meet at the top. Thanks rain.

Bombing along with no food or water in your pack is one of through hiking’s great pleasures. Your pack literally floats on your back. And so all was good as I rounded a bend and came upon a post that said the journey was half over. Sweet, signed the register and kept boogeying. Tried to come up with some deep Thoughts but failed. Really more interested in the possibility of an ice chest at the juncture of the PCT and the highway into Chester. Didn’t give up on deepness, just postponed it.

The sound of cars travels far in the forest, but as the loudest increased I knew I was closing in. At 9:30 AM I popped out of the forest with 14 miles under my belt. Magically, as is the nature of trail magic, the ice chests were there as was a trail Angel named Pipers Mom. In tow was also husband. They were loading Ole and Veggie into their minivan and I quickly joined the carpool, but not before the second breakfast of root beer and plum. The forest squeezed out Red Beard and Halfway just in time and we all were landed at the Copper Kettle for breakfast number three. There a spicy waitress full of comebacks kept the plates and shakes coming as the others drifted in. My gratitude and thanks to Pipers Mom who helped out her daughter’s hike in 2008 and never stopped helping.

The Seneca Hotel is the cheapest in town. Ironically the Seneca Hotel became hiker central. From there we fanned out to meet our needs. A new Dollar General had just opened and cut my resupply cost in half. I bought too much food for which I was soon to suffer the spine bending consequences. But that was tomorrow. Then to a local dentist/ hiker. Under a large “Welcome PCT Hikers” banner we entered his office. There he and his staff handed out cookies, dental supplies and a $20 certificate for Maria’s Mexican restaurant. In return we had our photo taken, signed a register and smelled up his office. My hat off to Dr. Webb and his crew.

The day passed in repose and work. The night dedicated to enchiladas and margaritas at Maria’s. The stuffed stroll home interrupted by the Mount Lassen pool hall and bar where orbit and I battled it out for the championship of said Hall. Then Chester turned out the lights and so did we. My back to a bed where no rain could fall.

Steve H