Day 119
Redding, CA - Mile 1407 - Sep 17th, 2017
I've come so far, but there is so far yet to go. Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, mile 1407, was not a place I planned to stop. It became, however, the place that the hike northbound would end as a "flip-flop" began to materialize.
"The name of the game this year is adaptability," Linda, the kind owner of the Guest Ranch, explained to me just a few short days ago. Snow in the Sierras and now fire in Northern California, Oregon and Washington have presented challenges to those seeking a solely northbound or southbound adventure.
I had reasoned that flipping North to avoid the onset of winter in Washington would allow no instruction in the way of prudence, as my lax pace has put my so far south with so little time left before the cold comes. Then came the fires, making a continuous northbound hike along the Pacific Crest Trail impossible for the time being. Still, I felt that "blue-blazing", the selection of alternate routes around the established Pacific Crest Trail, could satiate my northward draw. Finally, and perhaps less predictable than the elements themselves, my sister expressed a desire to join me on my hike. While I continued to contemplate the feasibility of hiking alternate routes around the current fire closures in a losing race against winter, considerations of safety for my sister became the final and decisive straw to break the chains of my avarice.
By flipping north to the Canadian border, the clock resets. The race against winter was mostly a race against the Cascades of Northern Washington where winter will strike the soonest in terrain that is the harshest of what remains in my quest. Already, snow has hit north of Steven's Pass and above 6,000 feet, though it does not yet seem clear whether the weather is there to stay. Forest fires, most pronounced in Oregon, will have more time to run their course as I approach them from the north rather than the south. Most importantly, I will be hiking into more and more manageable terrain, further and further away from Canada, as I hike southbound from the northern terminus. As my grandfather taught me, "When in doubt, the safe route must be taken," and indeed it is more than just my safety in question now; it is the safety of my family.
Now I sit in Redding with a train ticket for 3:07am tomorrow morning to Seattle. From there I'll make my way to Concrete, Washington from which I'll have a number of options to access the trail. Ross Lake seems to be the most feasible access point as the most popular access point, Hart's pass, is currently closed due to a fire. The trail is still beset with danger on all sides and as always the trip could be ended with a single misstep. Into the adventure I go, train ticket for one.
Sav
Redding, CA - Mile 1407 - Sep 17th, 2017
