Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - August 8th
Day 107: Thursday 8th August
Callahan’s Restaurant– above Keene Creek
Meg got up earlier than normal and gave me a cooked breakfast before giving me a
lift back to the trailhead, which I left at 8.35am. It was another sunny day and it was
already getting hot, despite the haze from the smoke.
When the PCT was inaugurated it followed the Oregon Skyline Trail (OST) through
Oregon, but this took the trail through too many popular or environmentally sensitive
areas. The PCT now mainly followed a separate route, which was less interesting and I
intended to follow many sections of the old route OST instead of the PCT. The OST has
now been disbanded as a through route and instead forms sections of many shorter trails.
This first section through low hills wasn’t much walked. It was the final section of
the long detour round Mount Shasta and was taking me back to the main chain of the
Cascade Mountains. At my first break I was passed by “Sumara”, aged 43, from
Washington. He had started at the kick-off party. His trail name was a combination of
the names of his daughters: Summer and Sara. One of whom had married 5 days before
he left and he had had to take 5 days off at Lone Pine to attend the Graduation of the
other. He was being supported by his wife and was slackpacking today, while staying
with the daughter who lived at Ashland. He had sold a beer and wine business a couple of
years ago and would need to find work again at the end of this trip.
I learnt from “Sumara” that another Brit, Andy, had fallen while taking a shower
in Yreka, breaking ribs and puncturing a lung. It seems to be safer in the wilderness.
“Purboy”, “Flutterby” and “Fancy”, and “Restless Wind” were only a few hours ahead of
me.
I stopped for lunch at the first spring of the day, where I met Lane and Lovell who
were taking a couple of weeks horse-riding a section of the trail. Lane was carrying a
handgun, an item without which many Americans would feel undressed. I had been
pleasantly surprised how few riders I had seen so far on the trail. The horses not only
pollute the water supplies and the campsites, but also kick up a lot of dust and hikers
are expected to get off the trail for them.
I had intended to camp at the Little Hyatt Reservoir, but decided it would be dark
before I got there so I camped in the forest at 7.30 after an easy day. Shortly after I
arrived I was a little concerned when shots were fired very near my camp, but I didn’t
see the culprits. While I was putting up the tent “Bug”, from London came through
travelling very light. He had acquired the name “British Bed Bug”, when he had hiked
the AT, because he was usually a late starter in the morning. I later learnt that he had
missed out a sizable chunk of the Sierra Nevada because he was hiking in walking
sandals and carrying neither ice axe nor walking poles and not surprisingly found the
conditions too dangerous.
Day 107: 17.6 miles 7.22 hours Camp: above Keene Creek
Callahan’s Restaurant– above Keene Creek
Meg got up earlier than normal and gave me a cooked breakfast before giving me a
lift back to the trailhead, which I left at 8.35am. It was another sunny day and it was
already getting hot, despite the haze from the smoke.
When the PCT was inaugurated it followed the Oregon Skyline Trail (OST) through
Oregon, but this took the trail through too many popular or environmentally sensitive
areas. The PCT now mainly followed a separate route, which was less interesting and I
intended to follow many sections of the old route OST instead of the PCT. The OST has
now been disbanded as a through route and instead forms sections of many shorter trails.
This first section through low hills wasn’t much walked. It was the final section of
the long detour round Mount Shasta and was taking me back to the main chain of the
Cascade Mountains. At my first break I was passed by “Sumara”, aged 43, from
Washington. He had started at the kick-off party. His trail name was a combination of
the names of his daughters: Summer and Sara. One of whom had married 5 days before
he left and he had had to take 5 days off at Lone Pine to attend the Graduation of the
other. He was being supported by his wife and was slackpacking today, while staying
with the daughter who lived at Ashland. He had sold a beer and wine business a couple of
years ago and would need to find work again at the end of this trip.
I learnt from “Sumara” that another Brit, Andy, had fallen while taking a shower
in Yreka, breaking ribs and puncturing a lung. It seems to be safer in the wilderness.
“Purboy”, “Flutterby” and “Fancy”, and “Restless Wind” were only a few hours ahead of
me.
I stopped for lunch at the first spring of the day, where I met Lane and Lovell who
were taking a couple of weeks horse-riding a section of the trail. Lane was carrying a
handgun, an item without which many Americans would feel undressed. I had been
pleasantly surprised how few riders I had seen so far on the trail. The horses not only
pollute the water supplies and the campsites, but also kick up a lot of dust and hikers
are expected to get off the trail for them.
I had intended to camp at the Little Hyatt Reservoir, but decided it would be dark
before I got there so I camped in the forest at 7.30 after an easy day. Shortly after I
arrived I was a little concerned when shots were fired very near my camp, but I didn’t
see the culprits. While I was putting up the tent “Bug”, from London came through
travelling very light. He had acquired the name “British Bed Bug”, when he had hiked
the AT, because he was usually a late starter in the morning. I later learnt that he had
missed out a sizable chunk of the Sierra Nevada because he was hiking in walking
sandals and carrying neither ice axe nor walking poles and not surprisingly found the
conditions too dangerous.
Day 107: 17.6 miles 7.22 hours Camp: above Keene Creek
Thistles
Pilot Rock
Sumara
Ancient Brit
Lane and Lovell
Bug
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