Day 96, July 22: Mile 1345 to 1370 via Lassen Volcanic NP
Start: Mile 1344.9
End: Hat Creek - Mile 1369.7
Miles: 24.8
Ascent: 2521 | Descent: 3623
I woke up slowly to a grand view of the canyon below. I meant to get going earlier but managed to leave camp at 6:30- still not too bad. The goal of the day was to walk through the entire length of Lassen Volcanic National Park, a 19-mile stretch of the PCT. The reason is that bear canisters are required to camp there, and I no longer have mine, so doing it in one day means I’m still following the rules.
So off I set and soon hit the boundary line marking the entrance to the park. Just a mile or two past the boundary line was a side trail to the Terminal Geyser, a geothermal steam vent. I smelled the geyser’s pungent sulfur odor from a distance first. Then, through the trees I spotted the cloud of steam and was amazed at how cool and unique it was! I hiked the quarter mile trail down to get a better view and it didn’t disappoint, though I wish I could’ve gotten even closer. The smell was strong and I could clearly feel the wet warmth billowing off the geyser. Water gurgled out from the base, and there were small holes nearby in the ground where you could hear and see more water gurgling and steaming. A sign warned to stay on designated paths as the ground was thin and brittle. A worthwhile side trip!
I hiked on and came to another cool volcanic feature, the so-called “Boiling Lake” fed by a large sulfur spring. I could see the spring steaming across the lake, which was an interesting pale, opaque greenish-blue color. The dirt and mud around the lake was multicolored but primarily a bright red. Also very cool and a change in scenery from miles and miles of dead burned trees.
I stopped to get water at the next stream and chatted for a bit with Glad, who I had briefly met a few days before. It was nice to chat with her for a bit, and I continued on. At this point in the day I wasn’t feeling super great, mentally. I was feeling the monotony of the burn area in particular mixed with sadness and annoyance both that I was so far behind my friends and that I didn’t feel particularly strong lately. I tried to remind myself I had just gotten over a flu, but I was still feeling meh. At a small stream crossing I chatted with a hiker named Commander and told her some of my struggles of the day, which felt good to get off my chest.
One bright moment of the day was getting to swim in the beautiful Lower Twin Lake with Jackrabbit, Swell, and Oyster. Commander and her hiking companion Logic were also there. The water wasn’t terribly cold (though I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was warm, as others did), and I enjoyed washing off and soaking my weary body in the water. It was cold once I was out of the water and in the breeze, but I laid on the warm rocks on the shore and dried out soon enough. I ate cold mashed potatoes with bacon bits for lunch and looked on jealously at my hiker friends’ avocado/bean dip/tuna/Frito tortilla wraps. Note to self: include better lunches in my next resupply. It’s definitely the meal I struggle with the most on what to buy.
After the lake, the terrain was almost completely flat and then downhill. I again felt frustrated that the hiking didn’t feel easy even though the elevation profile would say it is - especially compared to everything we’ve done up til this point. Still, I guess it was pretty exposed and hot for a lot of it, so I’ll give myself that. I stopped for a break in the shade with Commander and Logic for a bit.
I pressed on, antsy to make it to camp even though I still had 7-8 miles. Two cool things happened towards the end of the day- once I got past the classic “wall” around 18-19 miles, I felt relatively okay and cruised the remaining 5-6 miles. And, I finished the burn area (!) and returned to walking under a green forest!! I think this is the end of burn until sometime in Oregon. Either way, I’m very happy to be out of sad blackened dead trees.
I made it to camp a little later than I wanted, around 7:30pm. I quickly saw Marshmallow camped nearby- yay! It was good to catch up with her after we sort of hiked together a little before Quincy and then hung out in town. I learned, though, that she had been dealing with a sore throat since that morning and was feeling crappy- bummer! I hope she doesn’t have what I had, and/or that it goes away quickly.
I set up my tent on a lovely squishy bed of pine needles, gathered water at Hat Creek nearby, ate dinner in my tent and got ready for bed. I’m going to sleep later than I wanted but oh well. I will eat town food tomorrow so I’m happy!