I was feeling last night’s alcohol consumption when I woke up this morning. I was a bit woozy and my stomach wasn’t very happy with me. But that didn’t stop me from immediately thinking about breakfast! Monarch and I headed over to JJ’s before we even packed up our tents in an effort to beat the morning rush. I was tempted by the burger but ended up getting the country benedict which was AMAZING (it was essentially biscuits and gravy with an egg and sausage patty layered inside the biscuit).
JJ’s Cafe
After breakfast we filled our water bottles in the cafe and packed up to go. Monarch and I hiked out around 10:00 am and backtracked our steps to where we left off of the trail. The PCT essentially parallels the road running through the town of Old Station for the next 4 miles. The rest of our group decided to walk along the road to check out another convenience store and deli at the south end of town but, being the purist that I am, I wanted to hike every step of the trail if possible – even if the route is a little longer. We ended up checking out the convenience store and deli too, by taking a side trail off the PCT after we hiked the 4 miles on the trail. I got a tri-tip sandwich for lunch (a special for Independence Day) with potato salad and a black cherry vanilla ice cream cone. Yum.
Old Station’s Adorable Tiny Post Office
I was pretty stuffed after lunch and was not super enthused to keep hiking – it was HOT too which further unmotivated me. But I only had to hike 4 miles before reaching our planned rendezvous point at Hat Creek so I plodded slowly along. I had forgotten to take Ibuprofen this morning and my foot was hurting again. Boo.
Hat Creek
Siesta by Hat Creek
I met Spider Mama, Tetris, Monarch, Hitch, Tortilla Bill and the Great John Murf relaxing by Hat Creek. Â We had each packed out a beer in honor of Independence Day and I cooled mine in the creek for a few minutes before laying my foam mat in the shade. Â I took a delightful nap under a tree, listening to the sound of the water rushing by. Some of our group decided to camp there for the evening, but Monarch, Hitch and I chose to hike a few more miles so that we were as close to the northern border of Lassen Volcanic National Park as possible.
Hiking through the trees before the burn area
We hiked through the trees until we found a nice spot about a mile from the park’s boundary. Â We were close to a burn area and could clearly see the sunset through the trees. Â I’m looking forward to seeing Lassen Volcanic National Park tomorrow!
Sunset
PCT 2017 Stats
PCT Day 82 – Tuesday July 4
Old Station Mile 1347.8 to Mile 1364.7
PCT Miles Hiked Today: 10.2
Total PCT Miles Hiked: 942.6
Feet Ascended Today: 1394
Feet Descended Today: 213
Current Elevation: 5524
Steps: 35515
For more on my experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, visit my Pacific Crest Trail 2017 page:
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