This morning I woke up around 6 AM to the sound of my roommate getting packed up. I was surprised to hear anyone stirring so early. Usually in hostels, hikers have a tendency to sleep in. I always feel like I’m the only sicko getting up and out of the bed, bright and early in the morning.

They headed out and then I got up as well and packed my things. I figured I would have my bag ready to go before heading off to breakfast. I got over to the main building a little bit before breakfast started. Then grabbed some coffee and sat with another hiker. For the life of me, I cannot remember his name! I know for a fact, it starts with a T. But we ended up talking about my friend Sunshine, who trail magic’d l me somewhere in Virginia with her boyfriend and her baby. We stayed in an Airbnb with them for two nights back then. Apparently the hiker who I had breakfast with today had ran into Sunshine on the PCT in 2022 up in Washington. It turned out all of us were there right around the same time.

I sat and had breakfast with him and a few of his friends. It was really nice talking with people and having a slow start to the day. Breakfast was a huge spread of eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, pancakes, and fruit. I ate a bunch of food and was feeling really good. A ton of hikers wound up coming in for breakfast so I got to talk with some more of them.

After I ate, I headed over to the small store on the property to get some food for today and tomorrow. I don’t need a ton of stuff but definitely don’t have enough to get to Dunsmuir. The nice thing is though, I am going to go past Burney Falls today. In about 10 miles I’ll pass the junction for the waterfall. And there’s also a general store right by the waterfall as well. Just as one might imagines in nature. But that means that I’ll be able to get some kind of a treat or snack while I’m there.

One of my favorite things about Burney Mountain guest ranch is that they have a large water tank on the property that you can “sign”. Hikers are painting their hands and stamping the tamp. Then you sign your name next to your hand. So I did that and then got ready to head out for the day. As I walked off the property there were almost 10 other hikers walking at the same time. I don’t think I’ve experienced that yet on the PCT. Sometimes I’ll see a lot of people in town, but I never really see that many people on the trail. Maybe over the course of an entire day or at a big tent site.

I knew that the first 10 or so miles to Burney Falls was going to be super nice and gradual. It was basically all flat or gradual downhill. Plus I even had some service. So I ended up giving my mom a call and we caught up. I feel like I’ve talked to both my parents a lot recently, which has been a really nice change of pace. Previously, I never had service and felt like I hadn’t talked to them in weeks. So now every chance that I get, I decide just to give them a ring and talk for a little while in between things. Then I was also able to do a little bit of uploading and watch some YouTube. One of my favorite things to do while I’m hiking.

The time flew by as I made my way toward Burney Falls. And I must’ve been literally flying because I think I did the 10 or so miles there in just about three hours. Which is great and meant that I actually would have already made up for the fact that Burney Falls is a side trail. So the time that I saved this morning was basically the same as the time I would be spending over by the general store and waterfall.

The first thing I did when I got to Burney Falls was grab some drinks and an ice cream sundae. Then I walked with a sundae down to check out the waterfall. Multitasking at its finest. When I came back, I sat down and finished eating. Then poured some Gatorade into my water bottles and chugged a Red Bull. It was going to be a long day still. The next few miles would be fairly easy. Then I would be starting a long climb for most of the rest of the day.

After I finished eating and left the store, the trail was chill for the next hour or so. Then I began the long and gradual time for the next couple of hours. It really wasn’t that bad at all. I did wind up encountering two rattlesnakes today though. One was only about a foot or two off the trail. And the other one must’ve been nearly as close, but I could never see it. The trail was very overgrown at times today. So I must’ve stepped right by it and alerted it. But I couldn’t physically see it.

That was probably the only downside to the entire day. The trail wasn’t that bad, but was pretty overgrown here and there. Some sections just scraped up against your legs. Others were really tall and almost hung right over her head. Making it so that you had to duck down a little bit as you walked. The funny thing though was that someone commented on far out saying that you should road walk around this section because “it’s a jungle”. But it wasn’t really notably more overgrown than the trail has been every now and then. People can be so dramatic, especially on far out.

There were lots of beautiful wildflowers alongside the trail today which was great. Especially lots of fireweed through this section. For most of the day today there weren’t many on trail water sources. I loaded up when I left the ranch this morning. Then I got more drinks at Burney Falls. But eventually, as the day went on, I needed water badly and there were no sources on trail. I usually try to avoid going off trail for water if it’s the last thing I do. But sadly, the moment finally arose where it was unavoidable.

When I got out to the next road, I immediately recognized it from 2022. I had actually tented just off the road. Then we walked down to grab our water for the night. It really wasn’t that steep or far off trail. It just certainly wasn’t right on trail. I think the spur trail was probably about .2 miles. I went down quickly and grabbed a liter or two of water. Then I continued along, hoping to go another handful of miles for the day.

When I got up toward the way top of this next climb there were apparently some really nice tent spots. I guess we’re going to be getting some amazing views of Shasta up here. So I was excited at the prospect of actually having a lovely tent site for the night. And even though I was at Burney Mountain guest ranch this morning; it was still going to be about a 35 mile day. I’m very proud of my ability recently to both stay and enjoy town, and achieve big miles. And doing so isn’t destroying my sleep schedule or resulting in me doing a lot of night hiking. I just feel like I found a really great balance on this trail. Especially considering the more tame conditions recently.

As I got higher and higher, I could tell that the views were about to get incredible. Then slowly but surely the sun began to set, and I started getting glimpses of Shasta out in the distance. The snow covered mountain, surrounded by the bright pink and oranges in the sky, was incredible. I saw a few comments about tent sites up top and was hopeful that I’d be able to find a nice one. But as I got closer I could hear people talking. I came across a few girls who were sitting at a sight that had zero views.

I exclaimed that I thought the views were going to be better up here. They explained that there was actually a really nice tent site just up ahead. But one guy had taken up space for about two or three tents for his one tent. And the other space had three people cowboy camping on it. That was definitely disappointing, but there was nothing I could do. I wound up tenting just up ahead on the trail and did have some decent views. But just behind me through the bushes, the trail opened up with perfect views of Shasta. I went to take some photos and got to see the guy who had clearly purposely camped right in the center of a big spot. Probably because he didn’t want anyone to join him. And the other hikers had just squeezed into a small spot and  set up without their tents.

The views were unreal and that probably would’ve been one of the best tent sites I’d ever stayed at. But I got my tent situated about 15 feet away and then started making dinner and everything for the night. It was nice getting in just before dark, even after just shy of 35 miles for the day. And I’m hoping to have a nice early start tomorrow so I can go even further. It’s crazy that I can do 35 miles in a day when I don’t start early. It really makes me realize just how much mileage I can get done if I do start early.

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to support my hike by buying me a soda or a snack along the way, there is a “Tip the Author” button below! It links directly to my Venmo. Any and all support is incredibly appreciated!

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A little too heavy

That scene from The Grinch where he is deciding what to wear has been me trying to decide what to bring on the Colorado Trail for the past year…

Backstory: I hiked part of the Colorado Trail in 2021 with a pack that was WAY too heavy. Like, 50+ pounds. In case you can’t imagine, hiking up mountain passes with that much weight on your back…hurts. Don’t get me wrong, I had been backpacking with pretty much the same setup for several years. It was just fine for casual backpacking, but not ideal if I wanted to be able to cover bigger miles with steeper elevation. 

So I made some gear upgrades! No, I am not an ultra-lighter. I am way too much of a comfort girlie to do that, but I did try to find the best happy medium for weight vs. comfort. I upgraded the big four (tent, pad, sleeping bag, and pack), as well as a few smaller items. Actually, I pretty much upgraded everything. Ultimately, I shaved off about 18-20 pounds from my overall pack weight prior to this hike. You can see my LighterPack list here for specifics, but the Big Four I ended up with are below:

• Durston X-Mid Pro 1
• Kilos Gear Elite sleeping pad
• ZenBivy 10 degree quilt system (I am a cold sleeper okay)
• Kuiu women’s 4000 pack

Trial and Error

When I told you that “mistakes were made” might as well be my nickname, it at least came with some humor. I have been upgrading gear, trialing different products, and going on prep hikes for the past year to prepare for the CT. Many experiences went just fine, but where things could go wrong, they definitely did. 

My friend Jamie and I tried to do a shake-down hike in May in the Richland Creek Wilderness area in Arkansas. It was… an adventure. First, we lost each other in our vehicles getting to the trailhead. Yay communication errors in an area with no cell service. We did manage to find each other, get our gear together, and thought we were on our way.

Well, turns out we only managed to walk a mile and half in the wrong direction. That did win me the cool photo featured at the top of this page, but definitely set us back from our plan. In the middle of that wrong way turn, my water bladder leaked all over the inside of my bag. Ope. When we finally got going in the right direction, the next 4+ miles led to Jamie getting blisters all over her feet, and me hiking up the road nearby to hitch to our car. I came back to get her so she didn’t have to tear apart her feet any more. 

I also tried two shake-down hikes in New Mexico this year. For the first trip, I got terribly sick on the way out there. I was committed to going and kept trying, but ended up coming back without any miles under my belt. The second trip went almost to plan. It was in the Pecos Wilderness, and boy did I underestimate the beauty of that place. I got to try the final setup of all my new gear, and my pack felt so good.

It felt good for the first 10 miles, anyway. I spent the next 10 miles trudging over deadfall and bushwhacking through waist high foliage. That trail had returned to nature. It made for a looong day and added some scrapes and bruises to my legs. I guess this isn’t really a mistake, other than I picked the “wrong” trail. Thankfully the trip overall was beautiful and I finally got my shake-down!

Thankfully, everything came together with a little time to spare. Next stop is Waterton Canyon!

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek’s ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

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Published on
August 7, 2025 |