This section was hot, dry and smoky. It started to look a little like Southern California to my untrained eye. I moved quickly through.

8/10  Just past Burney Falls

The fires started during last week's storm were still burning. Everywhere the air was tinged with smoke.

"The sky got really dirty early in the day and I swear I heard a tree falling over in the next valley."

I later heard that the trail had been closed while I was on it and there was a fire raging just over the ridge about 7 miles west. Fireweed ( a retired forest fire fighter) told me all about how to survive a fire – run for a stream and get in as much as possible, run for a treeless area. She talked about how the firefighters have to wear non synthetic clothes, because plastic melts to your skin. I noticed that everything I was wearing except socks was synthetic. That’s gotta hurt!

8/12  Deer Creek

 Today I ran into Bronze (a very tan man) and Boots (his mule). They were heading south the old fashioned way. No hi tech instruments, no backpack, 1800s clothing and gear. Admirable, though I think I’d still pack the sunblock if I were him. I couldn’t help noticing that his leather water canteen had a plastic spout. Hmmm….

8/14  On an endless ledge just past Ah-Di-Nah campground

"The bugs are crazy! Thank God for sunglasses, the only thing to stop them from dive-bombing my eyes. There are swarms of them."

8/15  Castle Crags

Thanks to a caffeine jolt from chocolate pudding yesterday, I combined two easy days of hiking into one long 23 mile stretch. This is the end of my solo hike. Celine will be joining me for the final week.

Mt. Shasta

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