Bushcamp to Bushcamp
29.8 miles (4.4 off trail miles)
Mile 1514.8
I woke around 4 after another night of bad sleep. We were only 12 miles from Castella, where I’d try again to mend my sleeping pad. We were on the trail by 5.
The first mile came slow, as I worked through the pain in my heel. After a short ascent the trail led out along a ridge where I could see Mt Shasta and Castle Crags glowing in the predawn half light.
From here the trail winded it’s way around the mountains crest until plummeting down towards Castle Crags State Park.
As I descended, the forest grew wild and slightly spooky in the early morning light.
Eventually the trail spat me out onto a road which I followed for a mile or so before taking a side trail down to the micro community of Castella.
While taking a short break I perused my recent emails to find one from Donna, the lady who with her husband Stan had treated Spikes and I to breakfast a few days back. Her message said that she’d found Spikes’ phone in the backseat of their car, and asked for instructions on how to return it. What luck!
I pushed on the last couple miles to share the good news with Spikes, who waited for me at Amirrati’s Market in Castella.
When I arrived at the market we bought breakfast burritos, ice cream and beer to snack on in the shaded grassy area out front as we waited for the post office to open. The burrito was so good, I bought a second to pack out for dinner.
As we waited I took out my punctured sleeping pad to see if I could locate the hole. After fidgeting with it for a few moments I found a large slit over an inch long…I’m not sure how I missed the large hole the first time I tried repairing it.
I used some of the patching putty the pad had came with, as well as a large piece of tenacious tape to seal the hole. Hopefully it holds…
At 11 Spikes grabbed her resupply box from the post office, and I bought a few days worth of food from the market. The hiker box there was loaded with Mountain House dinners a previous hiker had left, so I helped myself to a couple.
We enjoyed our time relaxing at the market, but by noon we were ready to roll. After rejoining the PCT via the side trail we spent the next two hours hiking a roller coaster of ups and downs, enjoying epic views of the aptly named Castle Crags as we walked.
The granite fortress with its spiral towers reminded me of a medieval castle perched strategically high in the mountains.
Our final climb was a ball buster. It was steep, rocky and hot as hell. On my way up I encountered a rattlesnake with a greenish hue to it, unlike any I saw in Southern California.
I was completely worked by the time I reached our campsite. After pitching my tent, I made us a small fire which I used to reheat the burrito I’d packed out.
As always, dinner was delicious. I headed to bed anxious to test my newly patched sleeping pad…I’ll letcha know tomorrow how it went.
Cheers!