The very end of California

I got off trail briefly to spend a wonderful weekend with Kyle in Sacramento. Enterprise wouldn't rent me a car with a debit card so I ended up learning how to hitch long distances... 7 hours, 7 hitches and a lot of fun new friends!

An example of the wonderful trail magic we sometimes stumble upon... ice cold lemonade!

Burney Falls, the river upstream is completely dry since all of the water soaks in to the porous and highly fractured basalt. It then runs along the contact with an impermeable conglomerate and creates this awesome waterfall!

Sometimes we feel like we are in the middle of the wilderness...  then we cross under buzzing high voltage power lines and remember just how close we are to major population centers. Not natural but you can still find beauty in the symmetry of these impressive structures.

Sunset on a dry volcanic ridge

Red morning light from a smoky sunrise illuminates the trail and trees

Just walkin

And walkin some more

Tired and contented after a 12 day stretch of 30+ miles! Time to find a hitch to town

Still walking

And walking

And walking

The volcanic rocks remind me a bit of Saddle Rock in Wenatchee!

Sunset outside of Shasta City

Pitcher Plant! An uncommon species with small hairs that trap insects inside and allow bacteria to digest them and give the plant energy

Mount Shasta

Snowy Shasta and bright wildflowers, does it get any better?

Sunset reflecting off of a small lake in the Trinity Alps

Enjoying the cloud cover

Clouds in the Trinity Alps wilderness!

Easy cheese on trail? Is this real?

Watching the storm roll in as we raced toward Etna... ended up enjoying a few hours of thunder, lighting, and warm rain before making it to town. What a spectacular show!

The team posing in front of the rambling ranch house in Etna with Al... hot showers, laundry, and home cooked meals, thank you Al and Robert!