24 Miles
We got out of camp around 7:30, and made the 8 miles to JJ’s Cafe in no time. There we got second breakfast and picked up snacks and a tallboy Mike’s Harder Pineapple Mandarin. 24 ounces I shouldn’t be carrying, but I wanted something for after the infamous Hat Creek Rim. The first stop outside of the cafe was to Subway Cave. It was cool and dark down there, but we left quickly. Onwards toward water. True to nature, the walk along Hat Creek Rim was hot, dry, and exposed, even with the few clouds and smoke in the sky. Our water source was 8 miles away and down a steep ravine. After climbing back up with the water we’d need for the next 8 miles, we took a quick break to eat a snack in the shade. The last part of the day was outlining the plateau we were on until it finally dropped down. At the bottom we stopped for the night. The water cache here breaks up an otherwise-dry, 21-mile stretch. I drank that tallboy with my ramen dinner and it was glorious. Coach, and a few other hikers, were already hanging out when we arrived. With the little reception that I had at the campsite, I confirmed Marie’s earlier finding that all of the hotels in Burney are booked tomorrow. We can try to stay at the church or just resupply and get back on trail. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, we still have 18 miles to town so a full day and won’t get in until evening.
PCT Hike 