Day 112 – Etna Nero

Chowder and I slept in until 6:30 at the lake, then slowly packed up and got back on trail. We had originally planned to ‘hero’ in and out of Etna, but after the past few tough days, we decided to take a Nero instead.

It was only about six miles to the road where we needed to hitch. Along the way, we passed the 1,600-mile mark! We’re moving quickly now and will soon have fewer than 1,000 miles to go.

At the road, we waited a long time for a hitch. The only vehicles passing were Forest Service fire trucks, due to the nearby Butler Fire. Eventually, a trail angel dropping hikers off offered us a ride into town.

In Etna, we booked beds at the Hiker Hut Hostel, where Stretch, PDF, and Rocksie were also staying. While we waited to check in, we picked up new Adotec bear-proof food bags at the post office, then grabbed lunch at Etna Brewing Company. After resupplying, we relaxed at the town library.

The Hiker Hut was a cozy six-bed cottage with a nice bathroom, kitchenette, and a well-stocked hiker box. They also had laundry and loaner bikes, which made getting around easy. After showering and starting our laundry, we rode into town and picked up dinner at the deli. They even had gluten-free bread so I was able to get a delicious sandwich.

We spent the evening hanging with friends back at the Hiker Hut. I fell asleep quickly in my comfy bunk.

Day 113 – Deer Mafia

We slept in and got up around 7 a.m. The hostel provided free breakfast coupons to a local bakery, so we all biked down. I had a frittata and fruit, while Chowder went for a massive focaccia egg sandwich. While eating, we ran into our friend Gandalf and caught up with him before heading back to the hostel to check out.

We stopped by the local gear shop for fuel, then hung out at a coffee shop until it was time to hitch. It only took five minutes before a guy working fire-related contracts picked us up. Within half an hour, we were back on trail.

We aimed to hike 11 miles. The first few miles were beautiful, with views of Mount Shasta in the distance. But by afternoon, a thunderstorm rolled in. We threw on rain gear but still got soaked by hail and rain. Thankfully, the storm passed quickly, and we only had a couple miles left to camp.

At camp, we had dinner with our friends, but around 7 p.m., a group of deer showed up. They were notscared of us. We kept trying to chase them off, but they kept returning. Eventually, we hid all our belongings inside the tent and zipped everything shut to avoid deer harassment. They kept us up through the night, digging and prancing around our tent.

Day 114 – More Storms

We didn’t sleep well after the deer séance, and woke to find deer still waiting outside. One even followed Chowder to the bathroom. They were relentless.

We packed up and started a big day ahead. Today we’d enter the Marble Mountains, with lots of climbing. We hiked the first few miles with our friend John. After passing through a recent burn zone, the trail became green and lush, with wildflowers everywhere.

We climbed above a lake that reminded us of the Sierra, then passed into another burn area. Later, we had a slow descent, where we ran into a caravan of 15 pack mules and two dogs carrying supplies for trail crews. Trail crews, we love you!

We had lunch by an old ranger station and chatted with Scrub-a-Dub, who suggested our trail family (Stretch, PDF, Chowder, and me—two married couples) should be called “Double Date.”

After lunch, we climbed into the Marble Mountain Wilderness—absolutely stunning. As we hiked, thunder rumbled in the distance. We stopped at a lake to collect water, and it started to storm again. We waited under a tree until the weather cleared a bit, then continued climbing a ridgeline. Unfortunately, the storm returned with thunder and rain. We hiked quickly into treeline and eventually found a place to camp once the storm passed. The smoky sunset from nearby wildfires lit the sky beautifully. We made dinner, set up camp, and watched an episode of The Pitt before bed.

Day 115 – Seiad Valley and the State of Jefferson

We woke up early to a dry tent, packed up, and started the long descent into Seiad Valley. The trail was riddled with blowdowns—by now, we’re basically professional hurdlers.

After about 15 miles, we stopped at a campground for lunch under the shade of a tree. Then came the road walk into Seiad Valley—hot and exposed. But hearing thunder in the distance made us grateful to be down in the valley.

At the general store, we picked up sodas, snacks, bars for the next stretch, and some mini shooters to celebrate the Oregon border in a couple days. The woman at the register gave us a few State of Jefferson stickers—definitely a unique souvenir. While there, we heard some hikers had been rerouted by bus due to a fire near Etna Summit—just a day and a half after we left. We felt incredibly lucky to have missed it.

We’d planned to hike a bit farther but were convinced to stay at an RV park up the road. They had Wi-Fi, a BBQ dinner, and free outdoor showers. The shower was freezing, but worth it. We had fun chatting with other hikers and went to sleep near the road, occasionally woken up by logging trucks—a reminder we’re getting closer to home.

Day 116 – Road Walking & Thunderstorms

We packed up and decided to take the 12-mile road alternate instead of the steep, exposed trail section ahead, which was full of blowdowns. The road walk was shaded, had water, and turned out to be a good decision.

We hiked with Send It, Stretch, and PDF—good conversation made the miles fly. At the trail junction, we had lunch with John. While eating, a couple pulled up in a Jeep and asked about our hike. When Chowder mentioned we were married, the man turned to him and said, “You must be waiting on your wife all the time.” Chowder replied, “She’s the faster hiker—I’m usually the one trying to catch up.” The guy didn’t have much to say after that. I haven’t faced too much sexism on trail, but when it does happen, it’s always frustrating.

After lunch, we climbed three miles, then began leapfrogging blowdowns again. I started to get frustrated—I’m clumsy and often hurt myself on these obstacles. Thankfully, they eased up after a few miles… but the weather didn’t. A storm rolled in as we climbed a ridge. We stopped under trees and waited as thunder and lightning got closer.

After an hour with no break in the weather, we decided to take a lower forest road to camp. We geared up and power walked through the storm. Lightning felt uncomfortably close. When we reached camp, we were drenched. It was too stormy to cook, so we snacked and went to bed. Definitely a Type 2 Fun day—but we were so ready for Oregon.

Day 117 – Oregon!

We were thrilled to wake up to a mostly dry tent. Our rain gear and packs were still soaked, but we packed up and hiked north with Basket Case and Animal. Half a mile before the Oregon border, we met up with PDF, Stretch, and John.

I was leading and shouted, “I see the border sign!” We all cheered. After hiking almost all of California, crossing into Oregon felt like a huge milestone. We took photos and celebratory shots.

Half a mile into Oregon, we found trail magic! Spark and Papaya, two trail angels, had food, drinks, chairs, and their dog greeting us. We snacked, chatted, and soaked it in—it was a perfect welcome to Oregon.

The trail was smooth and well maintained, so we made good time. A few miles before camp, we stumbled on more trail magic: a trail angel grilling burgers. I had a delicious lettuce-wrapped one, and we got a soda from a nearby cooler maintained by yet another trail angel. It gave us the energy to hike a few more miles.

At camp, there was even more magic. Legend and Bee, two traveling trail angels, were cooking spaghetti. While I couldn’t eat it, Chowder did, and we chatted with them and our friends. We camped with views of Mount Shasta in the distance, watched an episode of The Knick (we are on a medical tv drama kick) and went to bed excited to hitch into town the next day for a well-earned zero.