PCT: Squaw Valley Creek to Soda Springs Road and Interstate Five

PCT Trail Mile 1484.6 - 1501.2

Last day on the trail for this section hike.  Boohoo.  I love, love, love living the simple life on the trail.  I love, love, love moving my body across the land.   The connection to nature that we humans have is deepened by spending all our time interwoven with it.  No concrete or wood underfoot, just earth.  It’s wonderful and grounding.  

We pack up and leave our camp early as it is a five hour drive to home.  There is a six mile climb out of the valley, but like all of the PCT, it is gradual and evenly graded.  The weather is brisk and helps to make the climb easy.  We get to the top of the ridge faster than expected and realize we could break our speed record.  Haha.  We walk down the other side as speedily as we can and enjoy going through all the ecological levels again.  We especially enjoy seeing Mount Shasta.  Wow!  What a mountain.  

I take less photos than usual and we stop only two times.  Once to talk briefly with a bicyclist and once to go to the bathroom and have a bite to eat, but not at the same time.  Haha.  We drink about a liter of water in the 16 miles and arrive at our car at 1:30 pm, about 6 hours of walking.  This section of trail has been easier than others we’ve hiked on the PCT or it could be that our last hike was on the southern section of the Arizona Trail. That trail it is so steep in a few places that I was actually on all fours a couple times.  Haha.  Whatever the case, we’ve really found this hike pleasant.  

Today’s flowers:

And these strange plants were all along the trail since Burney Falls.   I hope to come back through these posts once I’m home and figure out what they are.