Day 113 – 13 Jul 19. Speed Record and Waterfall

Today 40.1 km (24.9 mi), Total Distance 2308.8 km (1434.6 mi) 9 hours (0830-1830 less 1 hr st Burney Falls)

I slept better last night and it was warm with the sleeping bag only needed in the early hours of the morning.

I woke up early and started quietly packing. At one point I heard someone walking and looked outside my tent to see a deer walking past.

As soon as the inside stuff was packed I headed over to charge my phone and get one more video uploading. Then I went back and finished packing everything up. I went to the Goat Shed to wash my hands and discovered Blue there. He said the mosquitos were too much for him and he retreated to the laundry to try and get some relief. He is very glad his tent is turning up today.

At 0630 I was ready and headed over to the lodge and Linda had the first part of breakfast ready which was scrambled eggs, potatoes and sausages. Like last night there was plenty of food. I grabbed a coffee and then she delivered a large waffle which was delicious.

As I was eating Ido and Sunny D arrived. I first met them at Little Jimmy, by Mt Baden-Powell. They had just come off trail for breakfast so we caught up. They had taken two weeks off before hitting the sierras which is why they were behind me. They said they had seen my name in the trail register and were happy too see they were catching me.

Then Blue arrived and we had a lively breakfast. I managed to squeeze in another half waffle and a couple of coffees.

I paid my bill with Linda and she was happy to use my absent credit card so I could save the small amount of cash I have.

After a little more fluffing around I was finally on my way. I was heading for Burney Falls which was just under 10 miles away.

I was feeling good, and the trail was in great condition, so I pushed the pace. I felt great. I alternated between just walking fast and walking fast with my hiking poles adding extra push and managed to maintain a good pace all the way to the falls.

The trail was largely flat with only a couple of small ups and downs. As I came to the edge of a steep hill leading down to a lake I caught up to a female section hiker and flew past with a brief chat only and then caught up t her partner who was surprised to see I was not the girl and even more surprised when I greeted him by name. The trail flattened out again after that.

Just short of the road I caught up to another hiker who I had passed before Old Station. He did not stop at the Burney Guest Ranch which is how he got in front again.

Just before the turnoff to the falls I caught up with Tractor who had left the lodge much earlier than me. As I said, I was flying along.

I turned off to the Burney Falls track which dropped slightly joining the Falls Loop Track, on a bridge over the Burney River, up past the visitors centre and then down a concrete path with steps to the base of the waterfalls.

They were very impressive waterfalls. The main falls alone would have been impressive but what impressed me the most was the smaller falls on either side of the main falls that were coming out of the rock. There was a beautiful deep blue pool at the base of the falls. Definitely well worth the side trip.

Back up the top I headed for the general store where Tractor was. He watched my pack while I went in grabbing a lovely lime ice block and an iced coffee. He was repacking his pack and had heaps of noodles. I think this is the only thing he has for his main meal. They were Korean Noodles and he gave me one to try. He also showed me the amazing video he took of a Porcupine in Lassen Volcanic National Park. I am so jealous that he got to see one, but happy for him.

I filled up my water at the drinking fountain to the amusement of the people in line to use the toilet. Then I headed back to the trail and continued, at a much more sedate pace. It was really hot so I kept the speed down to avoid overheating.

5 minutes on a southbounder asked how far to go. He was looking very hot and bothered.

The trail stayed in a flat area for a while then went on the edge of a drop-off down to the lake. It then dropped via zig zag down to cross the Lake Britton Dam.

Just on the other side I was reading an information board when a car drove past, stopped and reversed back to where I was. I thought they were about to ask directions but they asked where the trail came out. I pointed it out and then they offered me a cold drink to which I enthusiastically said “yes!”. As I downed the deliciously cold coke we chatted. XXX had down the PCT in 2007 and they had booth done 900 miles in 2012. They were on holiday and doing some bike touring. Before they left they also gave me a peach and a bottle of cold water. It was amazing impromptu trail magic from a lovely couple. To think if I had taken a rest, or had not stopped to go to the toilet before the dam, I would have missed this fantastic trail magic.

With my spirits high, and better refreshed and cooled I climbed up the trail while eating the peach. I didn’t even notice the steep little hill as I focused on how good the juicy peach was.

The trail crossed the road and then headed back into the forest.
The trail steadily climbed and then came into an open bit, dropping slightly before continuing to climb again along the side of a steep hill going above a stream way below.

The trail maintained height until reaching the stream and crossing on a bridge. There was a few hundred meters more of open and the relief of being back in the shade of the forest. It was starting to get really hot.

Shortly after I caught up to an older hiker. We did not chat, just exchanging greetings as I flew past. While I was going a much easier pace than this morning it was still fast compared to section hikers.

The trail continued climbing for the next 6 miles, mainly in the trees but occasionally in more exposed places. In one exposed place I got my temperature gauge out and it was 36 degrees C (aproox 95 degrees F).

On anoother exposed section I caught two more hikers who I assume were section hikers. They were an older couple. It is nice to be seeing more mature people on the trail. Over the last few weeks I have felt like I was the oldest one on trail, by a significant margin.

I was still feeling strong as I was climbing up the hill. I had plenty of water and was regularly having snacks. Chocolate bars are now off the menu as they just melt into a mushy mess. I have been trying some new bars and some are too sweet and the Thunderbird Hemp, pumpkin seed and XXX one had a strange texture and strange crunch and dried my mouth out badly. It took 15 minutes to finish it with several mouthfuls of water.

The only wildlife was heaps of chipmunks, a few squirrels and lizards and one deer with enormous ears.

My right foot started to hurt slightly but after stretching it felt much better.

Finally I started a short downhill down to the stream. I saw some tents tucked down a side road but ignored them looking for the stream.

I followed the road heading to the trail sign and did not see a stream. Then I heard a trickle of water and tried to find a way into a dense patch of trees to find it. Not seeing an obvious place I headed to the tents thinking there must be a way around but they told me it was a tiny indistinct path on the other side. As I was heading back around I saw a faint trail and took it to a big pool of water. It was still water which I usually avoid but it was nice and clear so I dumped my pack back on the road and started the tedious process of filtering my water.

As my Sawyer Bladder died, and my CNOC bladder had too many holes in it, and I could not find a Smartwater bottle to buy, I am using a 1 litre water bottle I bought at Old Station Gas Station and it is not very good. It does not go back to its original shape after squeezing it so I can only get a little water in it and it does not squeeze well making the process long.

The two people from the tent came and started filtering their water so we chatted as we did this. They are section hiking with this being their first day and they are going to Burney. They have done multiple section hikes around this area.

Finally finished filtering I continued on. There was a campsite that had great comments on Guthooks because of the amazing views so I was going to push on to there. It was another 2 miles but the time went quick.

The trail was a little overgrown in places but not too bad until it wen into the open area under the power pylons and got really thick. A few hundred meters further on and I came to the campsite. It was an open patch of land with wildflowers and views of Mt Shasta and endless hills. There was one hiker cowboy camping but I didn’t go down and chat, just wanting to get my tent up, eat and relax.

I enjoyed watching the sun go down giving me a display of natures beauty. Better than TV! I am definitely sleeping with my tent flaps open to keep enjoying the beautiful views but with the insect mesh firmly closed as I hear the whine of multiple mosquitoes.

Visits: 485