Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - July 30th
Day 105: Tuesday 30th July
Condrey Mountain – Long John Saddle
A man and two young children passed while I was still having my breakfast in bed.
It was still very smoky, even at first light. It was easy walking along the undulating
ridge of Siskiyou Mountain, through woodland and across open gravely “pasture” with
hardly a tuft of grass, before dropping down to Bearground Springs, which were running
well.
By mid-morning I reached the California/Oregon Border. It had taken almost four
months to walk the 1,700 miles through California and there was still 962 miles to the
Canadian border.
I was surprised to find, from the trail register, that John and Julia had already
passed through ahead of me. Somehow they had done 37 miles in a day and then passed
me without me seeing them! I later learnt from “Mighty Mouse” that they had got a lift
up to the Cook and Green Pass from Seiad Valley, saving 16 miles and 5,000ft of ascent.
Earlier they had told me they had no qualms about getting a lift from the trailhead to
town and then getting a lift to another trailhead on leaving, but this seemed to be taking
it to the extreme.
Kitchen Creek was dry so I went on to Sheep Camp Spring, which was running well
out of a pipe. I had a towel bath and washed clothing and had a late lunch while drying
everything in the sun. There were a couple of tents at the springs, together with an
invitation to use their very comfortable camp chairs. “Mighty Mouse” came through. He
had expected to meet mother and sister coming south from Ashland, well before now and
was getting concerned about them.
The smoke cleared a bit in the afternoon as I continued through undulating
woodland before camping at Long John Saddle. I almost camped right below a wasp’s
nest, but fortunately spotted it in time.
Day 105: 22.4 miles 8.47 hours Camp: Long John Saddle
Condrey Mountain – Long John Saddle
A man and two young children passed while I was still having my breakfast in bed.
It was still very smoky, even at first light. It was easy walking along the undulating
ridge of Siskiyou Mountain, through woodland and across open gravely “pasture” with
hardly a tuft of grass, before dropping down to Bearground Springs, which were running
well.
By mid-morning I reached the California/Oregon Border. It had taken almost four
months to walk the 1,700 miles through California and there was still 962 miles to the
Canadian border.
I was surprised to find, from the trail register, that John and Julia had already
passed through ahead of me. Somehow they had done 37 miles in a day and then passed
me without me seeing them! I later learnt from “Mighty Mouse” that they had got a lift
up to the Cook and Green Pass from Seiad Valley, saving 16 miles and 5,000ft of ascent.
Earlier they had told me they had no qualms about getting a lift from the trailhead to
town and then getting a lift to another trailhead on leaving, but this seemed to be taking
it to the extreme.
Kitchen Creek was dry so I went on to Sheep Camp Spring, which was running well
out of a pipe. I had a towel bath and washed clothing and had a late lunch while drying
everything in the sun. There were a couple of tents at the springs, together with an
invitation to use their very comfortable camp chairs. “Mighty Mouse” came through. He
had expected to meet mother and sister coming south from Ashland, well before now and
was getting concerned about them.
The smoke cleared a bit in the afternoon as I continued through undulating
woodland before camping at Long John Saddle. I almost camped right below a wasp’s
nest, but fortunately spotted it in time.
Day 105: 22.4 miles 8.47 hours Camp: Long John Saddle
Trail art
California/Oregon border
Mighty Mouse at
Sheep Camp Spring
Sheep Camp Spring
Ancient Brit at
Sheep Camp Spring
Sheep Camp Spring
Wasp's nest
Camp Long John Saddle
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