Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - July 14th
Day 89: Sunday 14th July Hat Creek Rim – Baum Lake
It was still 68ºF at dawn. By the time I stopped for my first break at the Lookout
after 7 miles I was already soaked in sweat and stripped off to dry out. The Fire
Lookout Station was burnt down in the 1987 fire and has been replaced by a microwave
relay station for communications. There were plenty of hummingbirds along the Rim
and also the first Mourning Doves I had seen since Walker Pass. Shortly after crossing
dirt road 22 I came upon a water cache, left by “Trail Angels”, with magnificent views
across Hat Creek to Shasta. The cache had been replenished on Saturday and as well
as 60 gallons of water there was a cooler with iced water and fresh fruit. Since I wasn’t
expecting anyone to come through for a few hours, I stripped off again and relaxed on
a dilapidated garden lounger, while rehydrating on grapes, strawberries and apples as
well as a few pints of tea,
Ben arrived at the water cache about an hour later and we spent another couple of
hours resting before continuing along the trail together. Ben was a Political Science
Post-Grad student. He had spent 2 years teaching in Japan and was now studying the
electoral system around the world for his Ph.D. He had been assisting a group of 20
Professors and 3 authors from Sweden, Austria and San Diego on a book on
Parliamentary Systems in Europe (The UK was the only one with the parties sitting
facing each other in an antagonistic way!) He was in charge of data for the project. The
PCT was to be his last long break before following his career path to a Professorship at
a top University. He had started at the kick-off party and did the 550 miles to
Tehachapi in 3 weeks, before having to return to San Diego to help complete the book,
which was behind schedule. He restarted from Tehachapi after a 3-week break and left
Kennedy Meadows on “Ray Day”, June 15th, and was doing high mileages. He did not
walk as fast as some of the youngsters, but he was better disciplined and walked long
hours and didn’t take rest days. He left me when I stopped for dinner. After dinner I
continued until I found a water pipeline, where I had a shower in water squirting from
a leak in the pipe. There was nowhere to camp so I continued, catching up with Ben,
who was just finishing his dinner and then we went on together to Baum Lake where
we arrived and camped, as it was getting dark.
Day 89: 23.1 miles 8.31 hours Camp: Baum Lake
It was still 68ºF at dawn. By the time I stopped for my first break at the Lookout
after 7 miles I was already soaked in sweat and stripped off to dry out. The Fire
Lookout Station was burnt down in the 1987 fire and has been replaced by a microwave
relay station for communications. There were plenty of hummingbirds along the Rim
and also the first Mourning Doves I had seen since Walker Pass. Shortly after crossing
dirt road 22 I came upon a water cache, left by “Trail Angels”, with magnificent views
across Hat Creek to Shasta. The cache had been replenished on Saturday and as well
as 60 gallons of water there was a cooler with iced water and fresh fruit. Since I wasn’t
expecting anyone to come through for a few hours, I stripped off again and relaxed on
a dilapidated garden lounger, while rehydrating on grapes, strawberries and apples as
well as a few pints of tea,
Ben arrived at the water cache about an hour later and we spent another couple of
hours resting before continuing along the trail together. Ben was a Political Science
Post-Grad student. He had spent 2 years teaching in Japan and was now studying the
electoral system around the world for his Ph.D. He had been assisting a group of 20
Professors and 3 authors from Sweden, Austria and San Diego on a book on
Parliamentary Systems in Europe (The UK was the only one with the parties sitting
facing each other in an antagonistic way!) He was in charge of data for the project. The
PCT was to be his last long break before following his career path to a Professorship at
a top University. He had started at the kick-off party and did the 550 miles to
Tehachapi in 3 weeks, before having to return to San Diego to help complete the book,
which was behind schedule. He restarted from Tehachapi after a 3-week break and left
Kennedy Meadows on “Ray Day”, June 15th, and was doing high mileages. He did not
walk as fast as some of the youngsters, but he was better disciplined and walked long
hours and didn’t take rest days. He left me when I stopped for dinner. After dinner I
continued until I found a water pipeline, where I had a shower in water squirting from
a leak in the pipe. There was nowhere to camp so I continued, catching up with Ben,
who was just finishing his dinner and then we went on together to Baum Lake where
we arrived and camped, as it was getting dark.
Day 89: 23.1 miles 8.31 hours Camp: Baum Lake
Cinder Cone from
Hat Creek Rim
Hat Creek Rim
Ancient Brit at Road
22 water cache
22 water cache
Ben
Ancient Brit resting
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