Today I decided to change my plans and leave Etna in the morning instead of the afternoon. With this I want to pass Seiad Valley tomorrow. I slept in the hiker hut and had some problems falling asleep. Once I fell asleep I slept rather well but as always I woke up rather early. In the morning I had some breakfast that I had bought day before. After breakfast I mostly relaxed and used the WiFi until the hitch back to the trail around 8....
Today I wanted to head in to Etna if possible but was open to skipping it if hitching was too difficult. One of the advantages of an early start is obviously the sunrises I set my alarm for 0500 which is 30 minutes earlier than usual because I wanted to get to Etna early if I was going. I started hiking just after 0530. Hiking along the trail early in the morning can be quite wonderful The day started with a descent followed by a climb....
As I left Porcupine Lake the sun was already out Today was my longest day on trail so far distance wise, with 42.5 miles but only about 5000 ft of elevation change in both directions. I had set my alarm for 0530 but since I had also setup my tarp I was not on trail until 0615. I then hiked the short side trail from the lake back to the PCT....
Today it was time to head back on trail after two nights in Mt Shasta. Mt Shasta was a bit smaller than I had expected but I had a nice enough time. For the first time in a long time I was not out of bed until after 6. It was quite nice to sleep in like that. I took my time in the morning as I would not be heading back to the trail until around 10....
Today was my zero day in Mt Shasta. As usual on zero days I get very restless as there is not much to do. For once I actually did not wake up at 5 but slept past 6, which must mean I slept rather well. I did enjoy the bed here which is a lot firmer than in a lot of hotels. I went to the Seven Suns for breakfast and had an excellent burrito....
Today I would be heading to Mt Shasta, this required me to hike an easy 14 miles to I-5. Again I woke early and had to go dig a cat hole. I hope this is not a new schedule my body has decided on. I went back in my sleeping bag but could not fall asleep. I relaxed for a bit so I would not start hiking before 0600. The day started with a bit of uphill before a flat section....
Today I wanted to push as far as possible so I can make it into Mt Shasta early tomorrow. I woke up earlier than I wanted to just after 5 and had to go dig a cathole. After that I could not really go back to sleep and not long after I started packing. Despite this I did not actually start hiking till 0607. Early day in the forest The weather forecast for the day had shown a possibility of rain and there were some clouds but no rain yet....
Today I wanted to do enough miles so I can get to Mount Shasta Monday around noon. For this reason I had my eyes on a campsite 37 miles away. I had stayed the night at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch and wanted breakfast before leaving. This was a good plan as the breakfast was delicious. I think this was the first time I actually liked biscuits and gravy. Burney Falls was really impressive After paying for my stay I started hiking at 0640 which is quite late....
Today I planned on staying at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch. This made for a short day but it turned out to be such a nice place. Early morning selfie I did not set an alarm today but I ended up starting hiking at 0600 like usual. The morning had a bit of a breeze which was really nice as Hat Creek Rim can be really hot. The sun is just about to start shining on me A few miles after starting I came upon a cooler with some trail magic where I grabbed a soda and some snacks....
Today I originally planned to camp near the gas station at Old Station but due to my hiking speed I changed my plans. I had decided to start at my normal time from Drakesbad and actually due to not having to pack I started hiking at 0555. As I left the Guest Ranch I did not see many others awake. Starting the day with a small climb I was quickly back on trail and started a small climb....