IG: @tylerhikes
You can see Mount Shasta for hundreds upon hundreds of miles along the PCT. Allegedly, at least. I saw Shasta for the first time in the Soda Mountain Wilderness of southern Oregon. That was the first time I knew I was looking at California from the trail!
Standing at 14,179ft., Mount Shasta is the second-tallest mountain in the Cascade Range (behind Mount Rainier), and it's the fifth-tallest mountain in California. Despite its formidable size, I couldn't see the volcano half of the time...
The culprit? Northern California's forest fires! Lightning strikes in late-July ignited most of the wildfires across Humboldt and Trinity Counties. Without much rain in the forecast, combined with severe drought conditions, these fires continued to spread. By early August, 6-million acres of forest — a size equivalent to the entire Adirondack Park — already burned across the United States... and the fire season isn't over.
Smoke fills the valleys as I march southbound in California.
The right-center peak is Mount Shasta, as seen from Oregon.
The Appalachian Trail is nicknamed The Long Green Tunnel. Everything is so lush back east. We typically don't worry about forest fires, and there never seems to be a shortage of water (or snow). Coping with intense and long-lasting wildfires is the new normal out west. The Pacific Crest Trail suddenly transformed into a Long White Tunnel.
The smoke-smuggered sunset.
A shrouded Marble Mountain, namesake of the Marble Mountain Wilderness.
The Russian Wilderness.
Terrible air quality in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.
On the day that I hitched into the small village of Etna, CA, things were getting pretty bad. As I waited for a ride on top of Etna Summit, I looked west at the spreading white veil. "Who on earth would travel in that direction?" I thought. I wasn't sure if anyone would be driving through such thick smoke. Surprisingly, some weekenders were passing through and graciously took me downhill and eastward into Etna.
While I was in town I met up with other hikers who were intending to hitch out of the smoke. They were willingly bypassing huge sections of trail just to get back into the clear skies with unobstructed views! I want my thru-hike to be a journey of continuous footsteps from Canada to Mexico, so the next day I hitched back uphill to Etna Summit. Back into the Long White Tunnel.
The Russian Wilderness, Trinity Alps Wilderness, Castle Crags Wilderness... they were all beautiful. I know the smoke robbed me of vistas, but I guess I can say I had an authentic PCT wildfire experience! One day in the Trinity Alps was so bad that I could actually taste the fire with every inhale. What a strange sensation!
I increased my daily mileage as the trail headed east. I was told by a few northbound hikers that there wasn't any smoke in Burney, CA. That propelled me forward.
When you're hiking, you spend a majority of your time staring at the trail itself (I often trip when gazing upon the views while walking). This is especially true when your views are shrouded by smoke. You'll notice lots of little lizards in Northern California. I saw plenty of northern fickers near the trail, too. They always fly away quickly, revealing their signature white rumps as they go. But on this day I saw a track that I did not expect...
"What was that?!" I questioned aloud. I actually stopped and retraced my steps. I looked at the impression in the sandy trail. One huge front footpad, five soft dimples representing toes. I studied it intently for a few seconds, and moved on to find another one. And another...
It sprinted faster than my own adrenaline could signal my fright. In a flash, the black bear around the very next corner took off! I was totally caught off-guard. I never dreamed that I would be tracking a bear that was only 50 feet in front of me!
Well, it only took 1,200 miles, but I finally saw my first bear on trail. I'm still eagerly awaiting my first mountain lion sighting.
The bear now a few miles behind me, I came to an open ridge with another immaculate view that I wasn't expecting to see — Mount Shasta! I had escaped the 400-mile Long White Tunnel! I decided to eat dinner at that very spot so I could watch the sunset. It was stunning. A top-5 sunset while on the PCT! Shasta, you were worth the wait.
Freshly out of water after cooking, I reasoned that I should hike downhill and camp near the next water source... Or! I could stay and enjoy the views of the mountain that had eluded me since August 13th.
My cowboy campsite, with Mount Shasta to my northwest.
I stayed put for the night.
The big bend in the Pacific Crest Trail around Mount Shasta had been completed. Now I'm heading in a predominantly southerly course towards Mexico, with clear skies overhead!
Every now and again I turn around to appreciate the views behind me. I could spot Shasta from the notoriously dry Hat Creek Rim, potentially for the last time...
My sights were set on the PCT mid-point, which I reached on August 27th, exactly two months to the day of leaving the Canadian border.
The PCT midpoint. I made it half-way!
Wow! What a journey so far! I couldn't believe that only two months have elapsed on trail. The days are so packed, that it has felt more like half a year!
As I crested a hill at the end of the day, I looked back. I could see the ridge where the PCT midpoint marker was located. I could see the lakes near Chester, CA where I rested for a day. I could even see Lassen Volcanic National Park that I cruised through the day before that...
...and in the fading light I caught a glimpse of an old friend. Towering amongst the clouds was the snow-capped summit of Mount Shasta. It looked so far away. I'm sure this speck on the horizon would go unnoticed by 99% of northbound hikers.
I think the long white tunnel made me cherish this view a bit more.
Congrats on making it halfway on the PCT!
ReplyDelete