Exciting Events of NorCal – August 4-21

We’ve fallen a tad-bit behind on our blogs so it’s been decided that we’ll squeeze all of NorCal into one post. We’ll touch on all of the exciting points from these 18 days and just add a crapload of photos. In looking at the mileage from this section we found that we did five days of 30+ miles and 12 days of 25+ miles. Our average for these 18 days was a 25.65 and we were generally getting to bed around 9 or 10 o’clock at night… not leaving us a ton of time for blog writing! Thanks for understanding!

Day 74

Mileage: 1,198.7 – 1,226.6 (27.9 miles)

Hit 1,200 miles. Hiked up the Sierra Buttes and also hiked with friends all day. Ate some Skittles with a view. Realized just how dirty we were.

Day 75

Mileage: 1,226.6 – 1,254.6 (28 miles)

Saw our first NorCal rattlesnake. Crossed a really high bridge and ate dinner down by the Feather River.

Day 76

Mileage: 1,254.6 – 1,274.8 (20.2 miles)

Sat on a really cool elephant tree. Hitched into the town of Quincy where we resupplied and did other chores. Ate breakfast with friends. Bought peaches from a farm stand. Hiked out eight miles and saw an amazing sunset.

Day 77

Mileage: 1,274.8 – 1,301.0 (26.2 miles)

Hiked down into and through the town of Belden, had lunch, and then hiked up hill the rest of the day. Saw a rattlesnake. Hit 1,300 miles!

Day 78

Mileage: 1,301.0 – 1,331.3 (30.3 miles)

Decided to go for our biggest day so far; a 30! Had lunch and were bombarded by meat bees trying to steal our pepperoni. Hit the halfway point and had a celebratory beer. Hitched into Chester and had pizza for dinner.

Day 79

Mileage: 1,331.3 – 1,350.1 (18.8 miles)

Left Chester after a delicious breakfast and hiked all day with friends new and old. Hiked to a geyser and enjoyed Lassen National Park. Got to Drakesbad Guest Ranch and had a hot meal and then a swim in their hot spring fed swimming pool.

Day 80

Mileage: 1,350.1 – 1,375.3 (25.2)

Woke up to have a wonderful buffet breakfast at Drakesbad. Got to watch a trail crew down a tree. We were hailed on multiple times and rained on for the majority of the day. Saw a bazillion butterflies.

Day 81

Mileage: 1,375.3 – 1,406.9 (31.6 miles)

Woke up cold and damp. Got everything dried out at lunch, though. Pretty hiking all day between the newly snow-covered Mount Lassen and our first views of Mount Shasta. Hit 1,400 miles!

Day 82

Mileage: 1,406.9 – 1,427.8 (20.9 miles)

Stopped in at Burney Guest Ranch where we played with Duke the Great Pyrenees, swam in a pool, and ate delish breakfast burritos. Then we hiked to Burney Falls, where we all took a dip in the frigid water. Then hiked on to a dam where we found and collected TONS of blackberries.

Day 83

Mileage: 1,427.8 – 1,454.1 (26.3 miles)

Cody was sick during the night so we took it slow with lots of breaks for napping. He made friends with a deer.

Day 84

Mileage: 1,454.1 – 1,486.7 (32.6 miles)

Saw a GIANT fallen tree, had a lunchtime swim, and trail magic sodas. Saw our first banana slug.

Day 85

Mileage: 1,486.7 – 1,501.2 (14.5 miles)

Hit 1,500 miles! Stayed at the Crossroads hostel with Kellyfish as our host and rode bikes all over the town of Dunsmuir. Bought WAY too much food from the Dollar General.

Day 86

Mileage: 1,501.2 – 1,518.9 (17.8 miles)

Left Dunsmuir and had A LOT of uphill through Castle Crags. Saw California pitcher plants, a carnivorous plant much like a Venus fly trap! Camped on an awesome ridge.

Day 87

Mileage: 1,518.9 -1,551.9 (33 miles)

Beautiful sunrise from the ridge. Ate lunch at a lake, got trail magic watermelon and Gatorade!

Day 88

Mileage: 1,551.9 – 1,581.3 (29.4 miles)

Heard the tinkling of cow bells on the hillsides and hiked through the gorgeous Trinity Alps Wilderness. A doe and fawn almost joined us for lunch but decided against it at the last minute. Camped on yet another beauteous ridge.

Day 89

Mileage: 1,581.3 – 1,603.4 (22.1 miles)

We hit 1,600 miles! Walked through the Russian Wilderness, passed some beautiful lakes, and got a hitch into Etna in a giant van with a bunch of kids. Saw an awesome sunset and starry sky.

Day 90

Mileage: 1,603.4 – 1,634.5 (31.1 miles)

Cody almost petted a deer, we saw a very chunky chipmunk, and passed the Kelsey Trail. We tented under a giant beautiful tree and in the night a deer stole Kelsey’s trekking poles and chewed and sucked on the straps for all of the sweat and salt. They also licked up urine.

Day 91

Mileage: 1,634.5 – 1,660.5 (26 miles)

We were practically running to get into Seiad Valley this day. We had about 22 miles to get into town and six of it was road walking. I saw more blackberries than I’ve ever seen in my life! Seiad Valley has a population of 350 and is part of the State of Jefferson (NorCal and Southern Oregon want to split and become their own state). It is a town of one cafe, one general store/post office, and one tavern. That’s it!