As I look at the picture above I just start laughing as I think:  This is the best I am going to look this week.  It only goes down hill from here.

So I have high expectations for this week.  I believe I have my trail legs back and I will be able to do greater distances per day and I thought I would have shaken the head cold.  As it turns out I have not shaken the head cold and it has moved to my chest and so now I have a thick wet cough as well.  I don’t feel bad at all but it does interfere with my breathing a bit.

As mentioned at the end of last week, this week I am starting where my plans had me ending for the week and so I am going to be hiking from north to south.  I am starting at mile 1499 and will go south as far as possible.   I left off at mile 1329.  There is no way I am going to do 170 miles but I am hoping for a good week.  It should be interesting to see some of the people that passed me and I’m sure some of those people will be a bit confused that I am now going the “wrong way”.

As with most weeks the trail starts with an ascent.  This one goes on for about 9 miles but is fairly gentle and I handle it without too much issue.  One of the first hikers I run into is one I had not noticed before and he stops and we talk.   When I ask how he is doing he says at least I am going downhill and indicates I have a long climb ahead of me.  He indicates he has done 30 miles the last couple days because there was not much to see.  I sort of smile and agree almost implying that the only thing holding me back from doing 30 miles a day is the scenery!!!   As I start walking again I chuckle at the thought.   Not too long later I see “Rant” again.   He looks at me and indicates he remembers me from earlier and wonders whats going on.  I tell him and we talk a little more.  Turns out he is retired military after 21 years of service and he is on the trail and likes to stop and talk to the people he has been defending for the last 21 years.  He was in artillery.   I thank him for his service!!   The next person I meet is “Cheapest Option” and she remembers me and is also confused.  I explain what I am doing and chat a bit and then go our different directions.  If I ever meet her again I will ask the obvious question.   Here are a few pictures along the way

I get to a beautiful expansive view where both Mt. Shasta and Castle Crags are in the same view.

 

Towards the end of the day I pass over Squaw Valley Creek which has a nice arch bridge going over it.

There is a nice sitting area around the creek and so I decide to eat my dinner here and then go on to the next camping spot.  It is a good idea as it gives a little more energy for the climb from the creek.

I go on for about a mile and find a really nice LITTLE camp site.  It has been an 18 mile day.  I feel pretty good.  Here is my camp site just big enough to accept my tent.  There is a smaller place just below where I can sit and admire my surroundings.

So I have my tent set up and I am doing a little reading and on around  8:45 or so another hiker comes to the spot and stops.  I can tell he had hoped to be able to camp here but there was only really room for one.  The next camping spot in either direction is about an hour away and it is starting to get dark and I can tell what is going to happen and it does.  He asks if I would mind if we try to make room for him to camp here.  Of course I say yes, there is really no other thing to say.   I expect he is very close to my age and I can see the “I can’t take another step” look in his eyes.   We are able to make enough space but the two tents are cheek to cheek.  I tell him how Lenora and I are doing the trip and he thinks he and his wife could do the same thing.  He indicated he skipped about 100 miles in the High Sierra because of snow and he was afraid he was going to get hurt and that maybe later in the year he and his wife could do that stretch together.  I did not tell him but really in that section he will only see his wife at the start and at the end.  There really is no other option in the section he skipped.  Anyway he tells me he has a bad blister on his foot and so has lost touch with this group as he was walking too slow and that he had lost 40 pounds.  Now I lost 40 pounds last year BUT I had 40 pounds and more that I could loose without any issue.   That was not the case with him. He was very very thin.

I did not sleep well this night and I got up earlier than normal.  I tried not to wake my neighbor and he did not say anything but there is a certain amount of noise that happens when packing back up that can not be avoided.  Before I starting hiking I said a prayer over him in his tent asking that the Lord would, if it be His will, heal his foot and help him gain weight.

Phone says 45000 steps and 43 flights.

Lenora’s Note:  After dropping Don at Soda Creek I decided to go by the place I was supposed to stay this month in Dunsmuir and thank the owner Louie for finding my wallet.  I visit with him for a few minutes and he recommends some ‘short’ hikes in the area for me to do, my favorite was one I could take to meet Don on the trail for lunch.  It was ‘only’ about 4 1/2 miles hike into the picnic spot.  I was laughing inside as I smiled and thanked Louie.  I am not up for a 9 mile round trip up a mountain for a picnic lunch.  While in the area I sought out the church I would have attended had I stayed here.  It is a lovely little building with a very inviting Mary Grotto outside with running water.

My Chiropractor appointment with Dr. Fritzke is in the afternoon and I find him very personable but he does the manual neck twisting technique and I find I liked the drop table better.  Yet I think this is helping so I ask to return Thursday for another treatment.

Feeling pretty good I decide to explore the downtown a little.  Mt. Shasta is a pretty little town chock full of New Age and Buddhist influences.  A couple of photos of one of the many little shops.

Also found both Craft shops in town and bought the black beads I used on the Witch Tree.  Other shop was closed so a reason to return later in the week.