LEAVING BELDEN

PCT DAY 77: Mile 1284.4  – Mile 1309.5
Wednesday June 29, 2016: 25.1miles (40.2 km)

Knowing it was going to be a hot day, and we had a big climb to get out of Belden, I woke at 4 am to have breakfast before breaking camp. But we’ve fallen into a morning routine so that even with the early rising we still did not manage to get going till just before 6 am. It did not matter in the end as the first 4 to 5 miles were cool as we were in the full shade of the hill we were ascending.

Once we finished with all the switchbacks,  we were in the shade of the forest and got some protection from the sun early on. We’ve entered the Lassen National Forest which although appeared dense has been heavily logged.  We crossed numerous creeks of varying sizes. I got my feet wet in Chips Creek and Hammer could not resist going in for a swim.

We climbed 4,800 feet over 14 miles in mostly logged forest which was pretty uninspiring.  We emerged out of the forest only a few times to get glimpses of a distant Lake and Mt Lassen which appears to be getting closer.

It was hot in the afternoon with little shelter. I called out to Hammer “Call me a masochist but I am loving this hot weather.” This is exactly the sort of weather in which we did our training hikes back home. It feels so familiar.  It would have been nice to have some more grand vistas as a reward for all the uphill hiking. It was not to be today. But maybe tomorrow, if the view from our campsite is any indication.