Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - July16th
Day 91: Tuesday 16th July Rock Creek – Peak 5,432
In the early morning the walking was through uninteresting viewless forest with
occasional clear-cut. It was cool enough for comfortable walking. I ate second
breakfast with a young couple from Oregon who were hiking from Ashland to
Kennedy Meadows. I learnt from them that Peavine Creek, 6 miles ahead, was
running, so I didn’t have ration water.
I almost missed Peavine Creek, which started as a small spring fed pool at a
multiple road junction. There was a lovely little grassy clearing by the creek and I
decided on an early lunch and took the opportunity to have a towel bath and wash
most of my clothes. I left with a heavy pack since it was likely to be 24 hours before
I found my next water.
Climbing through thick forest I heard what I assumed was a hiker pushing
through the brush heading towards me. When 5 yards away I saw a dark brown furry
back, with head hidden rooting under a fallen tree. I waited a few seconds and the
head of a big Black Bear appeared. It took one look at me and ran downhill through
the undergrowth and was soon lost from view. This is the reaction you would hope to
get from wild bears that have not become accustomed to man.
As I approached Red Mountain I broke out of the forest into clear-cut and got
magnificent views of Mount Shasta. I was soon bushwhacking along the badly
overgrown trail. Eventually I gave up on the PCT and started following a logging
road, which was heading in the right direction. This section has the reputation of
being impossible to follow. The PCTA website said it had been cleared, but there was
not much sign of it. When I camped on an open ridge, I’d only got 1½ litres of water
left for the night and 10 miles in the morning so I was going to have to ration. There
were Mountain Quail around my tent and a Grey Squirrel, which came within a
couple of yards of my tent.
Day 91: 18.3 miles 7.43 hours Camp: Peak 5,432
In the early morning the walking was through uninteresting viewless forest with
occasional clear-cut. It was cool enough for comfortable walking. I ate second
breakfast with a young couple from Oregon who were hiking from Ashland to
Kennedy Meadows. I learnt from them that Peavine Creek, 6 miles ahead, was
running, so I didn’t have ration water.
I almost missed Peavine Creek, which started as a small spring fed pool at a
multiple road junction. There was a lovely little grassy clearing by the creek and I
decided on an early lunch and took the opportunity to have a towel bath and wash
most of my clothes. I left with a heavy pack since it was likely to be 24 hours before
I found my next water.
Climbing through thick forest I heard what I assumed was a hiker pushing
through the brush heading towards me. When 5 yards away I saw a dark brown furry
back, with head hidden rooting under a fallen tree. I waited a few seconds and the
head of a big Black Bear appeared. It took one look at me and ran downhill through
the undergrowth and was soon lost from view. This is the reaction you would hope to
get from wild bears that have not become accustomed to man.
As I approached Red Mountain I broke out of the forest into clear-cut and got
magnificent views of Mount Shasta. I was soon bushwhacking along the badly
overgrown trail. Eventually I gave up on the PCT and started following a logging
road, which was heading in the right direction. This section has the reputation of
being impossible to follow. The PCTA website said it had been cleared, but there was
not much sign of it. When I camped on an open ridge, I’d only got 1½ litres of water
left for the night and 10 miles in the morning so I was going to have to ration. There
were Mountain Quail around my tent and a Grey Squirrel, which came within a
couple of yards of my tent.
Day 91: 18.3 miles 7.43 hours Camp: Peak 5,432
Ancient Brit at
Peavine Creek
Peavine Creek
Mount Shasta
Mule Deer
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