PCT: Somewhere to Grider Creek Campground

Stats:

We hiked more miles than usual, but with all the descent it wasn’t too hard. 

We left our ridge line camp and continued along a ridge with big views off both sides.    It was quite lovely.  Soon, we entered another burn scar, but all the multitude of flowers made up for the destruction.    Even having to go over more blow downs didn’t lessen my joy because of all the flowers.   Here’s a new one for me. It looked like little pink crowns.  

This sleeping giant was adorned with flowers too.

We met APB (anal pavement beater) running up the trail.   He was an angel of optimism and we were blessed by our conversation.  He hasn’t missed a day of running since some specific day ( I forgot) in 1983.   He’s run 68 marathons and has two more scheduled for this year. Todays run was a 19 miler.  

Many of the hikers we met going northbound suggested we take a forest road down to Seiad Valley, as they said the trail was overgrown and full of more blow downs.  We went for it and enjoyed it.   There was even a little waterfall called Pony Tail Falls to splash in.  We met a hiker at the waterfall, named Pancake and learned all about the group we saw a few days ago called Field Trip.  Pancake had hiked with the group for one thousand miles and then he got sick and they continued on.  You could tell he missed them a lot. 

As for the group called Field Trip- it’s a family!  (The mother looked too young to have birthed those strapping lads). They hiked the AT last year and enjoyed it, so came out west to do the PCT this year.    The CDT is on their radar for next year.  Dad stays home and works, while mom and the boys hike.  Her trail name is Ms. Frizzle and the youngest boy is 12, weighs 80 lbs. and carries a 20 lb. pack; one fourth his body weight!   His name is Hermes.  His older brother is called Unbreakable,  because he hiked 700 miles on the AT with a hairline fractured femur.   They are quite the hiking family and you can find them on YouTube by typing in Fieldtrip and PCT.  

The 11 mile road walk we took was pleasant, but a bit boring.  Although, did you know Coors grows on trees?  

It was full.  

We also saw a bear, deer and. turkeys on our road walk.  The wild animals apparently like roads better than blowdowns and burn scar too.   Lol!

We ate lunch and bought a bit more food at the Seiad Valley store ( longest running business along the PCT at 40 years going).  We chatted with hikers while waiting for the temperature to cool.   It was a very warm day.  One hiker named CornDog says he likes thru hiking to see what his body is capable of doing.  He’s also a wild land  fire fighter.   Another young fellow said he’s doing this hike because he’s had a lot of failures and wants a success.   He also said he hasn’t slept in a bed since he’s started the hike because he’s low on money.  Boy, that in itself, is quite the accomplishment! 

In the evening, we hiked the six plus road miles, that is the trail here, to Grider Creek Campground.  The campground was full of thru hikers.  Tents were everywhere.  We found a flat spot near the creek and who should walk into camp-  KZed from Australia that we had met last week by Castle Crags.   Lovely chat and we exchanged digits, as he and his wife will be traveling around the US after he finishes his thru hike and they might be in our neck of the woods.