Miles hiked: 27.1.
The first few miles of trail this morning skirted around the steep rocky head of a south-facing canyon, hewn into loose rock outcrops and through slanted chaparral hillsides. It was already 70 F at 6 AM, indicating how hot it would likely get today. But despite wanting to get as many miles done as I could before the afternoon baking, I couldn't help stopping to watch the sun rise way back over the low eastern hills and soak Lassen and he surrounding cones and crags in a soft peach glow.
Soon the trail crested back over the ridge it spent so many miles on yesterday and headed down in to Deer Creek Canyon for the long descent down to the McCloud River, which breaks the trail's crest here on it way down to join the Sacramento. In crossing into this drainage there was a noticeable change in the forest, and it really started to feel more like a Pacific Northwest forest than the dry Sierran forests we've been walking through. The trees were bigger and growing closer together. The understory was thick with forbs and shrubs such that travel off trail was now difficult. I watched a buck with tall 4-point antlers snooping through the woods only about 40 yards from me for five minutes, unaware of my presence until I shifted my weight and broke a stick.
The trail continued on down through this steep forest for 10 miles to the McCloud, which was indeed cloudy white like someone dumped a tanker of milk in it. Fortunately there was a nice clear side steam flowing in right there, and I could rinse some socks and my shirt and splash off a bit (for some reason it still seemed a bit cool to get all the way in.
After my creek side brunch, it was time to start regaining the elevation I'd just lost. The day was turning in to the sort of hot Northern California mountains day I had been fearing. Luckily the trail was mostly under tall trees, but that didn't prevent my thermometer from climbing to 95. The forest was thick and still with hot air as the trail slowly climbed up a south-facing slope. After three miles, at the last creek for another 8, I topped off water bottles then took off my shirt and laid down in a little pool.
I only made it another 3 miles before stopping for siesta, laying out in the shade where the inclined trail crossed the flat of an abandoned road bed. I napped and snacked and talked with Dutches and Bubblegum, sisters, and She-nanigans, then around 3:30 got walking again.
The trail climbed a bit more then crossed over into another steep, west facing canyon with more thick northwest-seeming forest. The trail had a wild feel, with rocky narrow offsloped sections and areas overgrown with shrubs and sprigs of poison oak leaning into the way here and there to keep things interesting. His descent led down to Squaw Valley Creek, where a footbridge spans a narrow deep notch with a great little swimming hole. It would have been so great to be here at 2:30 in stead of 7! But I dipped in for a quick scrub anyway then made dinner. Hiked just another mile after eating, starting up our last climb before dropping down to I-5.
Birds:
Spotted Towhee
Wrentit
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Anna's Hummingbird
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sooty Grouse
Brown Creeper
Steller's Jay
Red-breasted Sapsucker - fledgling
Pacific Wren
American Robin
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Mourning Dove
Oregon Junco
Cassin's Vireo
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