Today was not as spectacular as previous days but still very beautiful nonetheless. The first half of the day continued along high mountains and there were a few small snow drifts to go over.

Then we started descending along a path that was very overgrown in parts with many fallen trees to pass over, under or around. Also lots of poison oak near the track to avoid.

As we descended we encountered new species of wildflowers that we had not seen before. Overall the amount of wildflowers, and new growth in general, is amazing. We also saw a few more deer.

Today was another ‘tenner’, and we did 25 miles altogether.

One of the staff from the motel in Etna gave us a ride back to the trail, and we were underway about 9am.

The trail in the morning was fairly level but in the afternoon we had steeper grades and rougher stoney track.

Still, the scenery was magnificent and the weather perfect. Due to the late start we only did 19 miles.

After more than ninety miles is was time to resupply and launder and shower. So we left the beautiful campsite by the lake and walked about 6 miles to where the PCT intersected a road.

Some guide notes told us “you probably won’t see a car for 45 minutes but when you do, you will almost certainly get a ride”. Sure enough, about 45 minutes later an elderly couple in a small car stopped and crammed us and our packs into the back.

A short while later we were in the small town of Etna, where we were lucky to get the last room in the only motel. A few high calorie meals have been consumed, clothes and bodies have been washed and food has been bought. Tomorrow we are back on the trail heading north.

Having completed over 28 miles yesterday, we were not in a hurry to get going this morning but were still packed and starting before 6:30.

We have all remarked on how spectacular and varied the scenery has been on this section of the PCT and today’s trail did not disappoint.

At about 8:30 this morning we came across a camped group of forestry workers getting ready to work on trail maintenance. We had noticed a lot of debris – mainly dead fall from the winter and it was good to know that the trail is being maintained.

In the afternoon we found the hiking tough going with steep long ascents and long sections of loose rock on the path.

Early this afternoon, according to the sign, we headed into the Russian Wilderness. We wondered if it was so named because of the predominantly white rocky terrain – maybe it looks like snowy Siberia.

Each new saddle or ridge gave views onto different vegetation, sometimes with rolling hills and grassy meadows, sometimes pine forests and the this afternoon more rocky ground and burnt areas of forest. Finally we reached the last saddle and commenced the descent to the Paynes Lake where we planned to camp. The lake, completely hidden from the track is peaceful and the water is clear and cool.

Despite hiking 10 1/2 hours, we completed just 21.7 miles of more challenging terrain and hope to sleep well. The plan is to get an early start so we get into the town of Etna in time for breakfast!

What’s a “tenner”? I hear you say. A tenner is when you hike 10 miles before 10am. Which we did today (actually 10.4 miles).

The hiking in this section has been fantastic. Beautiful weather and scenery to match.

We had been warned about some lingering snow which we negotiated today without problem.

We should be snow free for the rest of Northern California.

6:45pm saw us reach a lovely campsite at 7293′, having done 28.1 miles. Tired, but another great day.

We had spectacular views from our campsite last night and enjoyed a good sleep despite the cold temperatures. It is hard to get out of our warm sleeping bags when the air is so cold but we still managed to be on the trail before 6am.The whole day we were hiking above 6000 ft and the air remained cool and pleasant as long as we kept moving.It was time to celebrate midmorning when we passed 1000 miles on the PCT (that is 1000 miles we have hiked altogether in different sections from our calculations).Celebrating 1000 miles with an orange. The photo above shows earth tunnels built by rodents under the snow. After the snow melts the tunnels are exposed.The early start meant that we had already hiked 14+ miles before lunch and we were able to have a few breaks in the afternoon and chat to other thru hikers we met or passed as we walked.We camped at 6pm having done 25 miles – another pretty campsite with wildflowers and a view over a lake.

After a continental breakfast at the motel we started walking out of Dunsmuir hoping for a lift back to where we had left the PCT. Unfortunately no lift, so we ended up walking several miles along the highway.It was nice to move onto the trail and into the forest.We wound up the mountain around the impressive Castle Crags. The temperature dropped noticeably as we gained elevation.We met several southbound hikers who assured us that the snowy sections ahead should pose no problems.Our campsite tonight is at 6300′ on the side of the mountain with a fantastic view of the crags.

Well, after an easy 5ish miles we arrived at the interstate and quickly caught a hitch into the town of Dunsmuir where we had booked a motel for the night. Despite starting late for us, we arrived too early for check-in so wandered down to a Cafe which we had recommended to us for a second breakfast. There was a bit of a wait for the food but we all agreed afterwards that it was well worth the wait. There was an older couple sitting nearby that were very interested in the story of our hike and we whiled away some time chatting with them.The motel proprietress was not very helpful and we were disappointed to learn that not only did they have no laundry facilities but there was also no laundromat in the town! This meant that we had to catch an infrequent bus to the next town to use a laundromat and then wait another 2 1/2 hours before we could get the bus back. We didn’t get back until 5:45 but w did manage to do our shopping for resupply. We also met our hiking friend, Downhill, who was having a bit of a break from the trail.All clean like new we headed out to dinner at a nearby Cafe. I was able to celebrate my 56th birthday in true PCT style with a themed birthday cake! (a Clif energy bar)Now to bed and we are off back to the PCT in the morning.P. S. As we left town the next day we saw this notice in the council chambers window – seems at odd with the tourist sign above.

With ongoing fine weather we were up early again and hiking by 6 o’clock.

The deer that had kept us company overnight had also enjoyed licking OG’s hiking pole straps. He was not impressed and cut the straps off with a knife!

We passed many hikers today, sat with a group of other north-bounders at morning tea and lunch and then this afternoon and this evening we have passed a large group who are all heading south. All those we asked have reported that the snow ahead of us is not too bad so we feel encouraged by that news.

Our big excitement happened this afternoon as we commenced a descent on a path winding around the side of a mountain. I heard a loud crashing of some large animal down the hill from us and strained to see if maybe an elk or deer was moving there but the undergrowth was very dense and I couldn’t see through it. Then there was a scraping in a tree not too far down the hill and I caught a glimpse of black fur. I called to the others and watched as two little bear cubs climbed, racing each other up the tree right in front of us. Rob snatched a photo as one sneaked a last peek at us before disappearing to the other side of the tree. We watched just a minute more then moved on, realising that the loud noise I first heard would have been the mother bear and that she was probably still watching out for the cubs at the base of the tree.

26 miles today so just a few miles to the highway, where we hope to get a lift into Dunsmuir.

Last night we camped just before the snow section and unfortunately the ground, although flat, was covered with stones making it both difficult to secure the tent and uncomfortable for sleeping. In addition there were dozens of bumble bees which were attracted to Robert’s pack and one very unkindly stung him so we didn’t stay up late to chat but moved to the safety of the tent.The morning sky was clear and we were up to greet the dawn, leaving quietly so as not to disturb the other lady who was at our campground.As we had been informed by hikers we met, the snow was not bad and it was easy to find the path without having to resort to GPS. We are again among a community of hikers. When we meet someone on the trail, the first question is usually ‘are you a thru-hiker?’ followed by ‘are you northbound or southbound’ then quickly it is followed up with ‘how is the snow up ahead?’Now that the snow is melting we want to hurry north. A high snow year is usually followed by a high risk of wild fires and we want to get through Washington before they start so we can avoid detours as much as possible.This afternoon we had a long steady descent to McCloud river and saw 2 deer on the trail. One kindly agreed to be photographed! The air was hot and hearing that there was a lovely river beside the campground ahead, we hurried on with the anticipation of a cool dip when we got there. It only took a few minutes to shed our outer clothes and hurry down the path despite needing to avoid the poison oak which lined the way. Although the water looked clear and inviting, after wading in to mid calf depth in the icy cold rushing water, we abandoned the idea of a swim and opted just for a sponge down instead! After all we have no towels and only our dirty clothes to dry us off!When we went to bed, we heard some noises in the bushes beside our tent. When we opened the flap we saw a deer who turned and looked at us and then continued munching! I assume that the same deer continued to graze around the tent through the night but wasn’t game to check with visions of a mountain lion in my head!