July 16: Today was a day I had been looking forward to. Maybe not as much as reaching the halfway point. But then again, maybe more. Because today, I would pass two cool things-- the entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Drakesbad Ranch. A volcanic national park-- how cool is that?? How often do you get to say "Yeah, I hiked past a boiling spring and a steam vent today. No big deal." Oh, on the contrary, a very big deal. Super cool. And the ranch? Was said to have really, really good food. Always a draw for a hungry hiker.
The day started out quite nicely-- perfect early morning hiking temperatures, sunrise, animals, birds. I passed through a fairly big burned section-- I find them a bit disconcerting and creepy, but it is a natural cycle in a healthy forest like this
The day started out quite nicely-- perfect early morning hiking temperatures, sunrise, animals, birds. I passed through a fairly big burned section-- I find them a bit disconcerting and creepy, but it is a natural cycle in a healthy forest like this
And, lets face it-- I was going to have to get used to burned sections as the hike progressed!
I was paying close attention to my guide and my apps this morning, because I didn't want to miss the cool things coming up.
Like the side trail to the steam vent
I was paying close attention to my guide and my apps this morning, because I didn't want to miss the cool things coming up.
Like the side trail to the steam vent
Or the bubbling pool of sulfury smelling water. Or the ranch!
Drakesbad Ranch is a ranch retreat in the middle of the national park. There are horses and hiking trails and fire pits and lots of no-tech ways to entertain. Lots of families were staying at the ranch, it was nice talking to people curious about the whole thru-hiking concept and spreading a good image of thru hikers. It was also nice to see so many kids having a blast without a cell phone in sight. It was like going back in time to the 80s! (but with less obnoxious hair)
The Drakesbad Ranch is famous on the PCT for its good, cheap, large portioned food. I arrived around 11 am, plenty of time before lunch. I learned that while I waited for lunch to be ready, the price for lunch also got me use of the ranch facilities! So I took a lovely shower, used the pool, and got my dirty smelly hiker clothes all set for laundering.
The Drakesbad Ranch is famous on the PCT for its good, cheap, large portioned food. I arrived around 11 am, plenty of time before lunch. I learned that while I waited for lunch to be ready, the price for lunch also got me use of the ranch facilities! So I took a lovely shower, used the pool, and got my dirty smelly hiker clothes all set for laundering.
The pool was actually fed by the hot springs in the area and it was warm and lovely and perfect for stretching. I floated away in the pool, sat in the sun, did a little reading before lunch. (and lets face it, I had a soda and an ice cream cookie sandwich from the store. Its what I do.)
Lunch was spectacular. Since hikers get food at such a significant discount and also get use of the amenities, its only fair that the real guests eat first, and then we hit the lunch buffet afterward. No worries. Tons of food. We were all at a hiker-table on the deck outside the dining area. It was the best food I had eaten since the start of the hike.
After lunch, I was all set to do a quick load of laundry, change back into my hiking clothes, and bust out some miles. But then there were some generator issues. "Don't worry. This happens all the time. Takes 30 minutes to fix." I could wait 30 minutes. Or an hour. Or two. My lunchtime stop continued to stretch longer and longer while I waited for a working washing machine and lounged by the pool. Just when I was about to just put my yucky smelly clothes back on, the washing machine was fixed! Which meant that by the time everything was washed and dried, it was so close to dinner time, it made sense just to stay. Dinner was delicious!
I camped at the campground 1/2 mile up trail from Drakesbad. And while I hadn't expected to have a 10 mile day (in an area where I had been averaging close to 25) it was an unexpected rest and a great experience.
Interestingly, I had been finding that in the mornings, when I opened my cliff bars to eat, the sayings on the wrappers had been oddly accurate reflections of the day. ("Get your feet wet" and it would rain. "Do some stargazing" on clear nights with shooting stars)
Here is my wrapper from that morning:
Lunch was spectacular. Since hikers get food at such a significant discount and also get use of the amenities, its only fair that the real guests eat first, and then we hit the lunch buffet afterward. No worries. Tons of food. We were all at a hiker-table on the deck outside the dining area. It was the best food I had eaten since the start of the hike.
After lunch, I was all set to do a quick load of laundry, change back into my hiking clothes, and bust out some miles. But then there were some generator issues. "Don't worry. This happens all the time. Takes 30 minutes to fix." I could wait 30 minutes. Or an hour. Or two. My lunchtime stop continued to stretch longer and longer while I waited for a working washing machine and lounged by the pool. Just when I was about to just put my yucky smelly clothes back on, the washing machine was fixed! Which meant that by the time everything was washed and dried, it was so close to dinner time, it made sense just to stay. Dinner was delicious!
I camped at the campground 1/2 mile up trail from Drakesbad. And while I hadn't expected to have a 10 mile day (in an area where I had been averaging close to 25) it was an unexpected rest and a great experience.
Interestingly, I had been finding that in the mornings, when I opened my cliff bars to eat, the sayings on the wrappers had been oddly accurate reflections of the day. ("Get your feet wet" and it would rain. "Do some stargazing" on clear nights with shooting stars)
Here is my wrapper from that morning:
Peace, love, and trail magic!
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