Pacific Crest Trail - Days 134-135 - Seiad Valley

There was a camping spot for a troll hiker under the bridge.

The trail turned into a road surrounded by blackberry bushes. You win some, you lose some.

Someone put an Arc’teryx advertisement on these power lines.

Maybe advertisement with line separators is how PG&E is attempting to pay off its multi-billion dollar negligence suits?

The PCT took us on a gloriously newly unobstructed Klamath River. After traversing innumerable economically questionable and environmentally destructive water projects across hundreds of miles of California, a few near a flowing and clear Klamath River was a highlight.

We stopped into Brian’s Place after a few miles of 100+ degree road walk and it was a highlight of this journey. Brian (and Nova) were a delight - a place of refuge between 15 miles of neglected trail to Seiad Valley and 5000’ of climbing out of it.

Brian is an inspiration. An incredibly generous, thoughtful, sincere human being who restores faith and fosters community.

Brian‘s place between two gauntlets of the PCT was a welcome refuge from the heat and emotional distress of traversing millions of acres of scorched forests. I’ll never forget his positivity and generosity and aspire to provide such a warm welcoming communal space in some capacity in my life moving forward.

the only Slayer song I’m familiar with is “Raining Blood” which sounds very Old Testament God.

usually that’s one word.

Trail? LOL.

Shoulder? LOL.

Dodge Rams going 70? You betcha!

I can fix him.

Also, that’s the saddest wooden bear yet and I wish I could fix these forests :/

They're really leaning into the whole State of Jefferson thing here.

We walked down into Seiad Valley surrounded by miles of fresh beautiful blackberries.

Smuckers. Seedless.

The trail resumed after 5-7 miles of exposed highway walking.

200’ of fallen massive tree trail.

Nature is rad. I’d say put this on a t-shirt, but it would be instantly called a ripoff of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album cover.

We opted to forego exploring the windowless rectangular building on top of the first of a handful of peaks we passed by.

The State of Jefferson isn't an area I'd give the benefit of the doubt here.

5000 feet up and out of Seiad Valley felt worth celebrating.

The wasp stings turned my leg into a water filled itchy hot dog. Not cool two days later.

Beautiful but exposed. Shade?

The promised land of Oregon in the distance.

Our understanding is that Oregon inspired Big Rock Candy Mountain by Woody Guthrie, but that its majesty far eclipses the magic contained in those verses.

We stumbled into our campsite to find an amazing trail magic spread recently and voraciously consumed by those hikers who opted for the easier forest road. We retained a moral victory, if only for ourselves knowing we chose and rose to the challenge of the more difficult trail instead. Also, even after 5 months. we’re always very stoked on burrito dinner in the tent.