Day 21: Making Miles

PCT Miles 1518.9 to 1544.2

Miles Hiked = 25.3

The sunrise this morning was everything I hoped for.

I was hiking by 6:15am. Pop Tarts and Quotes were off a few minutes before me – they were planning on hiking 33 miles today! When I left Daisy was still in her tent.

It was another beautiful morning. My plan was to try to hike 25 miles today in order to stay on pace to get to Etna in four days.

The trail was much friendlier then yesterday. Last night I had camped at about 6300 feet. The trail today bounced around between 6500-7500 feet – there were not any big ups or downs.

What I especially liked about today’s hike were the views – I was out of the forest and up on ridge lines.

The trail passed above Upper Seven Lake.

Upper Seven Lake

Soon I passed the trail that leads down to Upper Seven Lake.

I really like these old PCT markers that I imagine were place back in the 1970’s shortly after the PCT was named a National Scenic Trail

Mid-morning I stopped for water at White Ridge Spring.

Ice Cold

Around noon I passed above Toad Lake and enjoyed more views of Mt. Shasta in the distance.

A while later I had a distant view of Castle Crags where I had just been a day earlier.

Castle Crags

The trail passed by colorful wild flowers.

I stopped and took a break

I continued on towards Deadfall Lakes where I would have a late lunch. I started to see day hikers … I must be getting close to a trailhead.

As I got up after lunch to start hiking Daisy showed up so we hiked together for a few miles to the Park Creek Trailhead. We passed more day hikers. At the trailhead we took a break before resuming in the late afternoon – I couldn’t keep up with Daisy and she pulled away.

I found a nice place to camp around 6:30pm

Look closely and you can see my tent

It was a Saturday night and I could hear some activity from Bluff Lake in the valley below my campsite.

Bluff Lake

All I could think of was … I bet they have beer.

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