HCRHCRHCRHCR...

DAY SEVENTY-TWO,July 20, 33.4 Miles
At mile 1411.1
Didn't get started as early as I would have preferred, but it's all good, today was Hat Creek Rim day. One of these sections of trail that builds fear, panic and over-preparation. Basically it's about a twenty mile stretch of trail right on the edge of a plateau about a thousand feet above the Hat Creek Valley. It's flat, hot (NorCal is proving to be consistently hotter than SoCal can ever dream to be) and largely shadeless (and most of the little shade there was was annihilated in a 1987 wildfire). Plus there is no water, in fact it's in a 50 mile section with one natural water source, there are two water caches for hikers (thankyou, again and always) but it's back to cameling, desert style. And, as usual, it's really not that bad, sure it was hot and sunny, but it is summer. I tend not to worry about these parts of the trail that have a reputation, it can be difficult to separate bullshit from fact, even the guidebook is full of it, the best thing to do is just hike the damn trail, that's what we're here to do anyway. Point is, yeah, it wasn't the best day on the trail, but it ended. Like every day ends. Like every climb ends. Like every poorly laid out, overgrown section ends. And at 9pm, sitting in my tent, I have a smile on my face and I'm happy to be where I am. Doug almost, almost got skunked. Dang. Either way.