Day 90, 13.6 miles

What an unexpected spike UP on the PCT rollercoaster! Yesterday I decided that I’d head into Etna, and immediately this morning I felt way better off the bat, knowing that I wouldn’t need to stretch my food until Seiad. There was a lot of climbing in the morning, but luckily the sun was hiding behind the ridge to my east during the toughest part. 

Beautiful morning 

Cool burn areas

Still so smoky trail-East!

Smith Lake

I got down to the highway before 11am, which I thought was pretty good! I’m tired, and was stoked to be going into town. The hitch down into Etna is notoriously hard, and I waited for about 45 minutes before some southbound section hikers came by and said they could squeeze me in their car for the ride back down to Etna. 

I got dropped off in the center of town, and was ready for some lunch! Paystreak Brewery was open, and I knew they supposedly had great food, so I went for it. It was there I saw Lucky! I hung out with him for while at the bar, when someone called my name from behind. It was Drippy! I had finally caught up to him! I met Drippy way back at Cajon Pass, mile 280! I haven’t seen him since Tehachapi and assumed he was long gone after my 5 day break! 

Drippy and his friend Calamity. Lucky is far back at the bar.

We caught up and talked for while, and I ate a huge turkey sandwich and two big beet tacos (not a beef typo, these were great beet tacos with tahini and lots of other flavors!) At this time it was almost 2pm and I started thinking about resupply and a cleanup. Some locals in the bar were going to the creek nearby and asked if I wanted to join! It sounded like a sweet swimming hole so I was super down! I forgot the other names except Eric, but the three of them were a great group of people. They had two cool dogs and I jumped in the back of the cab.

Beers to the river!! 

Doggos ready to swim!

A perfect swimming hole!!

The swimming spot was soooooo good! The water temperature was cold and refreshing but not too icy cold! I got to rinse my body and hair out, and also got to wash and ring out my socks, gaiters, and my shirt! I was so glad I joined them! We hung out down there and met a bunch of other locals out for a swim. After that it was time to go back to town and Paystreak and eat some more! 

A great salad!

I had been planning on resupplying at the grocery store sooner than later, but it soon started raining really really hard outside! It even hailed for a few minutes!! They were setting up for some love music inside, so I just kept eating! I ate a whole ‘nother turkey sandwich! That’s 4 plates at the brewery today!

Raining hard!

Sunny but raining in Etna, CA

A local named Glen was playing the guitar and one of the waitresses was singing with him. They said that if anyone else wanted to come up and play instruments they were welcome to. A southbounder named Cartographer got his harmonicas, and a northbounder named 4am who I met two days ago, jumped on the violin. Soon it was a huge jam session and they were absolutely crushing it! 

4am on far left, Cartographer on harmonica, and Glen on Guitar! 

Ah what a sweet day this has turned out to be! Ok, so get this: At around 5pm, I was sure I had lost my sunglasses, and I was so bummed! I figured I either left them at the river or in Eric’s truck. I asked a worker there if they could keep an eye out for me and I basically deemed them lost. She said that Eric was still around out back and I should go check with him. He told me that he had already taken the truck home, and that now he was too drunk to drive, but he GAVE me the keys to his own car, as well as directions to his house, and let me go look for them.

Let’s recap: Basically, a near STRANGER gave me his car and let me go to his HOUSE and look in his truck!! This town is so freaking nice to us hikers! What’s super great is that I ended up finding my sunglasses! I’m so glad! 

At this point it was still sort of raining, and I had given up all hope of leaving town tonight. Drippy said that I could pitch in and split a hotel room that he, 4am, and Calamity were splitting! It was only $19 each and it was so cool to be out of the elements and in a nice bed for once! Also, there’s a ride to the trailhead tomorrow at 8:30am that is included in the price! We stayed up watching Whose Line is it Anyways for way too long, and now it’s almost 11:30pm as I’m finishing this. Good thing I get to sleep in tomorrow! 

I’m really glad I took this half day of rest here in Etna. It’s a tiny town but everyone was so cool! I got to catch up with Drippy and meet a bunch of new hikers. I’ve been really set on going as fast as I can these last few weeks, as I really want to make it back up North, and there seems to be an ever growing drive to get there FAST! What I need to remember is that I have to take breaks every once in a while, or else my quick pace will become good for nothing if I burn my body out!!

Well, I don’t want to keep 4am up on our small shared double bed! Time to crash!

Thanks for reading!