From mile 1794.5 to Mazama Village / Crater Lake mile 1819.2 Pictured above, left to right:  me, Totes, Viking, Cola, Bones. Last night from my campsite on the ridge near Devils Peak I noticed an odd cloud to the north.  Just before dark 10 Read More

From Fish Lake mile 1770.9 to 1794.5 Sam gave me a ride back to the trail at 7.  The first half of the day was pleasant walking even though it climbed about 1500 feet.  Had a nice lunch break with Totes, 3 section hikers Read More

From Klum Landing mile 1747.9 to Fish Lake mile 1770.9 Oregon had been so nice and gentle to me.  Nice soft footpath, shaded by tall pines, very gentle and pleasant hiking. Oregon continued to be nice this morning.  I got a very late start Read More

From mile 1725.6 to Klum Landing Camp mile 1747.9 The trail today was gently rolling through pines and meadows mostly at 4500 to 5000 feet.  It passed Hyatt Lake and then Howard Prairie Lake, which I am camped near. The trail circles around this Read More

From Ashland / I5 mile 1716.7 to mile 1725.6 Had a lovely evening in a comfortable bed last night and slept in this morning.  After a late breakfast I headed out to the road to hitch back to the trail. I got a ride Read More

No miles today!    Man do I feel good.  I am clean, wearing new briefs, new shirt, new socks, new boots and sporting a fresh haircut and beard trim. My gear is now clean and dry.  I have all new ziplocks (yes, that is a Read More

From mile 1702.2 to Interstate 5 mile 1716.7 (Ashland) When we lived in Austin we had one neighbor and they made and hung these huge wind chimes.  Windy days were noisy and I hated them.  I dreamed about them last night. I started walking Read More

From mile 1676.8 to mile 1702.2 25.4 miles today and my feet feel it.  It was a most pleasant day with elevation changes limited to 800 feet up or down at a time.  There were many meadows but the open stretches were short, most Read More

From Seiad Valley mile 1653.4 to mile 1676.8 Seiad Valley is at 1500 elevation so, unless you head to the ocean, there is no where to go but up from there.  I ended the day at about 6200 feet or up about 4700 feet. Read More

From mile 1629.9 to Seiad Valley mile 1653.4 At 4:30 this morning I felt a few drops.  I looked up and realized I could no longer see stars.  Wow.  I have not had rain in so long it took a minute to sink in.  Read More

From Shelly Meadow mile 1607.9 to mile 1629.9 Most of the day was in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, within the Klamath National Forest.  Part of the Klamath Mountains which are part of the southern Cascade range. The Marble Mountains are rocky, what a shocker.  Read More

From Etna Summit mile 1597.2 to Shelly Meadows mile 1607.9 Last night in the Hiker Hut I studied the maps, mileages, and towns near the trail where I could meet Gayle when she comes to visit.  She is flying in on the 14th and Read More

Zero.  As in no miles today.  Wonderful lazy day. The Alderbrook B&B looks like a nice place but I have not been inside it.  They also operate the  Hiker Hut.  This small building, pictured above, has 4 bunks, a bathroom with shower, and a Read More

From mile 1575.6 to Sawyers Bar Road mile 1597.2 (Road to Etna) 21.6 miles today.  Beautiful mountains.  Very rocky, especially at the tops.  Down a little lower sections of dense pine alternating with rocky scrub areas. I was driven to get to Etna today Read More

From mile 1553.4 to mile 1575.6 Today was a bit tougher than yesterday.  A bit more climbs.  Much more rocky footpath.  By 4pm I had gone only 17 miles so I had to hike till 7. The trail entered the Klamath National Forest and Read More

From Porcupine Lake mile 1528.8 to mile 1553.4 I made breakfast in bed this morning.  Still in my bag, I made coffee and oatmeal just outside my tent.  After breakfast I had to get up and hurry out into the woods away from the Read More

From Disappearing Creek mile 1508.6 to Porcupine Lake mile 1528.8 The morning started with a climb of about 3,000 feet (about 4,000 for the day).  Thankfully most of it was not in direct sun as the next mountain blocked the sun for a period Read More

From Mt Shasta / Interstate 5 mile 1498.7 to Disappearing Creek mile 1508.6 I woke up this morning in a soft comfortable bed.  I lounged in bed until 7, took a long shower and finally packed up. I went to the Bears Den Diner Read More

From West Trough Creek mile 1479.4 to Interstate 5 / Castella / Mt Shasta mile 1499.2 Bugs were out this morning so I skipped breakfast and hiked about 3 miles to Squaw Valley Creek and ate there.  Next was a 2000 foot climb then Read More

From Cold Creek 1455.6 to West Trough Creek mile 1479.4 I walked through 23.8 miles of beautiful mountains here in the Shasta Trinity National Forest today. I slept in and did not start walking until 7:00.  I was surprised to find that Switchback (Anke, Read More

From Clark Spring mile 1434.5 to Gold Creek mile 1455.6 Today had a split personality.  The first half of the day was in pines, shaded and really pleasant.   I was not soaked in sweat for a change.  I took lunch at 11:30 and had Read More

From Burney Falls mile 1416.5 to Clark Spring mile 1434.5 I was almost out of camp early, but didn’t make  it.  One of the other hikers, I can’t recall her name, offered me hardboiled eggs for breakfast.  I had my pack on already but Read More

From Burney Guest Ranch mile 1406.2 to Burney Falls State Park mile 1416.5 It was really hard to leave the ranch today.  There was a nice breakfast of biscuits and gravy, eggs, and waffles.  All you could eat. After that another shower with no Read More

From Lost Creek mile 1383 to Burney Guest Ranch mile 1407.2 Hiked 24 hot miles today.  Left camp at 6 and arrived at the Burney Guest Ranch at 5.  The Hat Creek Rim section follows on the ridge above the valley where Hat Creek Read More

From Hat Creek mile 1367.1 to Lost Creek mile 1383 Today was all about getting supplies in Old Station.  It was a lazy morning.  Since the post office was only 4 miles away and not open until 11 there was no reason to hurry. Read More

From Warner Valley Camp mile 1347.8 to Hat Creek mile 1367.1 Today was an easy 19.3 miles with very little elevation change.  Started walking at 7 and had perhaps a 1000 foot climb to start and that was the biggest of the day.  There Read More

From Hwy 36 mile 1328.8 to Warner Valley Camp mile 1347.8 Yesterday we took a zero in Chester.  I soaked my feet and spent much of the day in the hotel treating my feet to cool dry air.  Today we hitched back to the Read More

From Cold Spring mile 1302.9 to Hwy 36 (to Chester) mile 1328.8 Big mileage day today, almost 26 miles.  The elevation changes were gentle and we hit very little snow.  Started walking at 6:40 and got to Hwy 36 at about 6. We started Read More

Belden/Feather River/Hwy 70, mile 1284.3 to Cold Spring mile 1302.9 I spent yesterday in Belden babying my feet.  My thigh is sore but my feet are what worry me.  The red sores are not normal blisters, this is something different.  It almost looks like Read More

From mile 1229.6 to Quincy Laporte Road then off trail to Belden My left thigh and left knee were screaming at me this morning.  I cleaned the scrapes on my legs and took as much ibuprofen as I could but I hurt. It seems Read More

From Summit Lake mile 1209.4 to mile 1229.6 We started walking at 6am and hit snow almost immediately.  We bypassed one section of very steep traverses by instead going up to the very top of the ridge.  Then we had a steep climb down Read More

From Sierra City mile 1195.4 to Summit Lake mile 1209.4 Had a great nights sleep in a real bed last night.  I had to ship a package and Randy had to get one so we had to wait for the post office to open Read More

From Mule Ears Creek mile 1179.3 to Sierra City mile 1195.4 After we camped last night a southbound hiker arrived and camped near us.  This morning we learned from him that the trail is snow free from here north into Sierra City.  We did Read More

From North Creek mile 1164.4 to Mule Ears Creek mile 1179.3 Randy and I started hiking just before 7 am.  It got down to the low 40’s overnight so the snow was fairly hard.   There was no trail to be seen, only snow.  We Read More

Donner Pass mile 1153.4 to North Creek mile 1164.4 The first 3 miles today were so nice.  Dry trail, good views.  The trail crosses Interstate 80 via a tunnel but since there was a foot of water running through it I opted for running Read More

Gayle drove me to the airport this morning for an 8am flight to Reno via Chicago.  From Reno an uber to the greyhound station then a bus to Truckee, CA.  Quick stops for stove fuel and tacos then a hitch to the trail at Read More

Pictured above is “hiker stew”.  This is what happens when a hiker stays at a hotel with no guest laundry facilities. I hiked the last 8 miles or so back to Cottonwood Pass, then down a side trail to Horseshoe Meadows.  There is a Read More

Hiked with Ned and crew back towards Cottonwood Pass and the trail out to Lone Pine.   Easy day today.  We are now only 8 miles from road.  I camped on a large rock to avoid the cold snow.  My sleeping pad is not really Read More