Riding The Crest 2009

SECTION M   Hwy 49 - Hwy 70

July 27 - July 30

As I made ready to ride from Sierra City, Ralph made breakfast and I made coffee. Then Ralph went to the Forest Station and filled up our water containers (we carry a 55 gallon barrel on the back of the truck) in preparation of pulling out. William drove ahead so he could get gas and groceries while Ralph and I packed up. Ralph drove us to the Hwy 49 trailhead and I started up the trail at 7:45. We climbed on switchbacks until 9:20. There was  a flowing water source part way up and one tree across the trail that Jur was able to step over. Then we went along an steep, exposed contour with a lot of scree. Far below was houses, maybe part of Sierra City. Halfway across I got off and walked. Then I had to go back and find one glove I had dropped. The trail continued to climb to a ridge. At 11:05 we had gone 7 miles and reached the second ridge with a dirt road. The entire 7 miles had been a climb. As we went down this ridge we found a spring just below the trail. I filled 3 buckets of water for Jur. (The collapsible bucket from Long Riders is indispensable on this trail ride.) Jur and I entered a forest and went down past the lookout to the Sierra Buttes Trailhead just after noon. We both ate our lunch there and BooBoo came by while we were eating to invite us to get a soda from her Dad, Magic Man, further up the trail. I enjoyed a soda and sat and talked with Magic Man, BooBoo, D-Wreck, Frank and Double Barrel. Everyone had questions about a horse on the trail. Almost everyone asks me how a horse sleeps – standing up, though Jur and Harmony both like to nap lying down occasionally. After a fun visit I rode on in mostly a pine forest. I am finding a like forest riding best. I find it cooler and calming and I don’t need the vistas. I’d rather have the good footing and surface. Jur was moving really well. At almost 5 BooBoo caught up to me. Soon Jur was keeping pace with her and she was really moving out. Jur had to trot occasionally to keep up. We got to the pond at the Lakes Trail intersection and agreed we wanted to go to at least "A" Tree before stopping. Jur got a good drink from the pond as well as some more grass. As we were getting ready to head on, a hiker arrived who needed help. He was separated from a pack outfit that was taking him to Wade Lake. He had a map and so we talked about where he was and needed to go. BooBoo and I arrived at "A" Tree (and the intersection of five roads and with a wonderful spring) at 6:30. I found a fairly level spot (in the dirt right along the road) to camp. Jur enjoyed the grass. BooBoo waited for her friends and when they came they ate and then went another mile to camp there. After they left I let Jur graze in hobbles until dark when I tied him to a pine for the night. He was quiet but the deer tramped up and down the road. There was a lovely half moon when I climbed in my sleeping bag at 9:50.

This turned out to be the longest day yet, started by choice and then became necessity. I ended up going all the way to the wild and scenic Middle Fork Feather River and, as happens on the trail, it took longer than I planned or wanted. I was up at 6 and fed Jur and put him on the hobbles so he could graze some more. He did a good job of mowing the grass there at the "A" Tree trail junction. I filled all the water bottles from the wonderful spring there and let Jur get another good drink before getting on the trail at 7:45. I did not sleep great, I think because I was camped on a road and do not feel as comfortable as I do in the woods. Also the deer were quite noisy and close to the tent. With a beautiful day of blue skies, we immediately started a climb. It was steep forest and brushy hillside. Once we climbed to a small saddle we went along a ridge briefly and then climbed some more toward Gilbrator before descending along its face. There were several trees down that we managed to get around much the same way the hikers had. I did have to saw some as horses can not maneuver around protruding limbs like a hiker can and I did not want cuts nor tears in my packs. I passed two guys hiking north who commented on the difficulty of getting around the trees and “how” was I doing it? I answered I was cutting or moving many of them. All of this takes longer than a hiker takes. The trail was mostly a long downhill. I was already off for the tree trimming so I lead Jur downhill, sometimes at a jog. At about 10:15 we saw No Pain headed south! (We had met a couple hundred miles south of here.) He had gone to the Oregon border a month before to start going south. After about 15 minutes we parted. Jur and I made great time. I did not stop for lunch but munched along the way knowing Ralph was ahead with food. Plus, more time with him if I did not stop now. At 12:30 I was in Plumas National Forest and had gone about 9 miles. Jur and I arrived at the La Porta Road and Ralph was waiting at 1:30! Ralph treated us royally. He got Jur water and alfalfa and we took the packs off (but left the saddle on). Then Ralph gave me drink and prepared a salad with a chicken breast on it. I also had cantaloupe and honeydew and then a Snickers Bar and soda from Magic Man’s supply. Then Ralph gave me a shower! He got one of the 5 gallon jugs and poured it over me while I soaped and shampooed. What luxury! Especially after these past two days of hot walking. It was great to put on clean clothes. Then I had a wonderful rest in the lounge chair. Ralph said it was 100 degrees in Quincy where he and William were so I did not really have it so bad. I hated to leave but at 4pm I decided I needed to ride on. I had the daylight and needed to use it. At that time I was planning on riding 9 miles more not another 12! But when I saw the river was only a few more miles I decided to press on knowing I might be chasing the dark. I just did not realize how much. I got off and jogged every downhill with Jur and that helped make good time. But we did lose the daylight before I found a camp. Not only was it dark, but the trail was very narrow and in some places overgrown and hard to see. I worried about a tired Jur placing his hoofs. But he did wonderful, even finding a final drinking hole in the dark. I walked and jogged the last three to four miles and had the flashlight out for the last mile. I could see no paths to the river so stayed on the PCT, crossing the bridge over the river. A short ways up the trail on the other side there were side trails and I took the first one. It went sharply down so I stopped and made camp. (In the morning I discovered it went to other campsites.) After I tied Jur between two trees and unpacked him, I set up camp next to a tree not 8 feet from Jur. We did not have a lot of choice nor room. I tried to dig out some of the rock to make it level and smooth and managed about 4 feet. It was enough. I was inside the tent at 9:58 and asleep in another 40 minutes after eating and getting settled.

I awakened at 7 after a pretty good night sleep despite the rock bed. I wanted to sleep longer but knew I would not so I got up. I gave Jur breakfast and made myself coffee and oatmeal, then started packing. I was just about done when BooBoo and D-Wreck arrived. After pictures I started up the trail and it was UP! It was up all the way to Lookout Rock, 10 miles away. Half of those miles were great trail, like a park walkway.  Then it narrowed to the point of dangerous. It was mostly in trees and so there was no view. It was just mile after mile of hard upward steps. Jur kept a very steady pace and did well. I got off and walked when it got extremely narrow and treacherous, about two miles of that. Where it was very overgrown I broke off a lot of branches just to get by. Then it widened again and a lot of trail work had been done. It was like a highway work crew: where each crew works at one end of the highway working toward the middle but are not there yet. The day they finish that trail it will be the best section of the PCT. The Plumas National Forest is a beautiful forest. It reminds me of North Georgia with it’s thick undergrowth and reddish soil. And cobwebs! My upper lip probably had a gossamer mustache. I ate my tuna burritos at Overlook Rock at 12:30 while Jur ate his feed. There were a few rain drops and thunder in the distance. Then we headed down eight miles to go to Bucks Summit. A mile or so later we met Magic Man walking up. He had put his ice chest full of  drinks down at the road and trail intersection and was going to Overlook Rock to meet BooBoo. He would then hike back down with them and take their packs in his car so they could slack-pack to Buck’s Summit. I grabbed a soda and rode on. At Black Creek Road Ralph surprised me with his own trail magic! I got some fruit and and was able to take the packs off Jur and ride the next four miles without packs. Jur got a flake of hay and more water while I had a rest in a chair and a visit with Ralph and Ech. After four more miles we met Ralph again  at Bucks Summit. Together we set up the tent and shared it that night. (Ech slept beside the tent.)

I gave up on any more rest at 6. Ralph could not sleep in the tent’s uneven terrain and his restlessness kept me awake. We had camped with several others. Skywalker was packed and hiking at 7 and Bob packed up and drove north to meet his wife, Dragonfly. Frank and Double Barrel were just out of their tent as I was leaving at 8:15. It was a 7 mile climb to the top with a couple of water spots. The trail continued to climb slightly through a forest and then went through a wildflower and meadow area. The hummingbirds were prolific and I tried to get some pictures. Just as I was leaving a squirrel ran down the trail at Jur and I and I got a shot of him. We continued up and reached a ridge with a beautiful view of Silver Lake to the east.  There has been a lot of bear scat the last couple of days. Someone had said in the forest a bear smells it, a deer hears it, and an eagle sees it. I never did see a bear. At 9:25 I was at Spanish Peak with a lot of lakes to the east. A very pretty ride. D-Wreck and BooBoo caught up to me at 11am as we started descending. I rode with them to a jeep road where we ate lunch and Frank and Double Barrel joined us. We then started the short climb over the summit before the long descent to Belden and Hwy 70. The descent was so pronounced I got off and walked a lot of it. At the bottom  were railroad tracks and our trailer. There was a wonderful equestrian trailhead right at the base of the mountain and the edge of town along the Feather River. Harmony was in the corral and Jur joined him. Plenty of room for our rig and William’s van. Ralph and I and Ech went down to the river and got in but it did not last long as I got bit by a yellow jacket hornet. It chased me back up the hill. Ralph made wonderful salmon steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli for dinner. Then we sat talking with Bob, Dragonfly, Miles, and William. At 9 William went to bed and I went to pack and shower. Bob and Dragonfly and Miles joined our camp. At 10 we were finding our rest.

NEXT: Fire!

 So many trails - So little time!

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