Day 94-102: Dunsmuir to Ashland
Mile 1500.1-1718.7
I left Dunsmuir around 11:00 and churned out about 20 miles. The first 10 were pretty brutal, as the area was very smoky from nearby fires. On a clear day I’m sure the views of Castle Crags would be beautiful.
Castle Crags through the smoke. The smoke was far worse in other areas but I managed to get a picture here.
After this it was a steep climb up to the ridge, but luckily it also brought me above the smoke for camp. The next day the smoke below made for some beautiful early morning views.
The day ended up having the rare combination of flat trail and great views. I was able to make 31 miles, all while enjoying beautiful mountains and lakes.
Despite the long mileage, it actually wasn’t too hard of a day. It was a similar story the next day, as I managed around 27, again through easier terrain. The views were fantastic once again, and would continue to be for most of the section.
The next day was a shorter 20 miles into the tiny town of Etna, but suddenly the terrain took a tougher turn. That day was a lot of ups and downs. The allure of town food got me through it as I got in around mid afternoon.
Despite having some fantastic meals, I left Etna at noon, a bit earlier than I had anticipated. I made a solid 14 miles to take a chunk out of the haul to Ashland. The next day was a 28 mile haul through the Marble Mountain Wilderness. This was probably the most beautiful section in Northern California, but the steep, rocky climbs were reminiscent of the Sierra. Still though, the views made it worth it.
The day culminated with the first half of the descent into Seiad Valley. The trail dropped down to just over 1000 feet elevation, nearly the lowest on trail so far. This meant that it got real hot down there, just in time for what I say has been the hardest climb so far outside of the Sierra on the trail. It was about 4500 feet of steep uphill out of town. Oh yeah, and it was about 95 degrees when I started. I pushed up in the afternoon and made camp very close to the top. It was brutal, but I’ve been doing this for a while, so I worked through the pain. There was no time to rest the next day as I did about 30 miles.
At around mile 28 at the day I hit a massive milestone: The Oregon border! Yes, after over 3 months I was FINALLY out of California. That was fun.
After spending so much time in California, it was incredible to finally be in Oregon. It’s weird because there’s still a long way to go, but I’m starting to feel as if I’m getting close. Wow. After crossing the border, the next day was a full 25 miles into the town of Ashland. I hiked it fast and got in around late afternoon. After a much needed zero (my first in 24 days), I’m ready to get out and tackle Oregon! Should be fun, beautiful, and. . . buggy.
