North of Chips Creek
Lassen National Forest
Elev: 6600 ft
Miles: 16
Trip: 609
Usually it's hard for me to extract myself from town, but Belden was easy to leave. For one, we'd only been on the trail four days when we arrived - not enough to start yearning for town time. Also, while the Braatens are supremely kind and pleasant, the actual town of Belden holds little appeal for an energetic hiker. Roadside blackberries and amazing milkshakes (made with said blackberries) can't keep one's interest for long.
The Post Office, however, was plenty interesting. The post mistress makes her home at the office (or the office at her home, whichever came first), complete with kitchen attached to the front mail counter. The whole place has the eclectic aura of a gypsy caravan wagon crossed with a rummage sale, all permeated with the scent of nag champa incense. All this overseen (very capably) by a woman named Dorothy, who pointed us toward an easier access to the PCT after pulling our boxes from a tall pile.
We saw a lot of familiar faces at the Braatens: Double Sprainbow and Itchy, Creeper and Carpenter, Old Geezer and Easy Miles. It seems we may be forming our own hiker bubble at last. Hopefully some hikers from the big group behind us will catch up - particularly Soren and Justin. It would be so refreshing to see someone who knows me from my former life...although we would probably still talk only about hiking.
I couldn't do as many miles as I wanted to today, although I felt strong up all the big hills. When things flattened out, my shin and calf (now the left leg!) had a bad twinge. But the tape job Easy Miles did has helped the swelling go down.
"Say yes to life, even though you know it may devour you."
Shaggy says:
"Wander a whole summer if you can. If you are business-tangled and so burdened by duty that only weeks can be got out of the heavy laden year, give a month at least. The time will not be taken from the sum of life. Instead it will be indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal." -- John Muir
This quote makes me feel really good about hiking for several months. No, I am not missing 7 months of work. I am truly doing something that may not only live longer, but have something to remember doing... Oh that summer of 2012!
I often think about this trail we are walking, and why we are walking it. Its hard to say why folks hike the trail. For the glory? But really what glory is it? Walking long distances is not for everyone by any means, but the glory after finishing aa long trip wears off fast. Then you are stuck with your own feelings of the trip. The memories of the sunrises, sunsets, pain, the feelings of success and failure, sometimes at the same time. Whatever it is, I do love it.
We enjoyed a leisurely morning of milkshakes and breakfast at the Caribou Cafe. Then on to the trail thanks to Brendaa Braaten. Extremely nice of them to host us and drive us around town.
When we finally started hiking it was around noon. Hot hot hot down at 2000 feet. We had a long way to go up too. 5000 feet up. It was a long, sometimes steep climb. We made it up and over and camped early. Crazy to think 15 miles and 5000 feet up after noon is an easy day. I must have left my toiletries at the Braatens. Guess me and Lauren will share a toothbrush for a couple days... not sure if its love or just plain gross.
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| The leftover frozen fudge from Christmas sees new life on the trail. |
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| Don't ask me what mountain that is on the left...I'll just say "A purdy one" |
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