I woke early to the alarm doing its thing. I was groggy and never even heard the first one. I turned it off and sorted out that I was half way up Red Mountain where I had hiked the night before in hopes to get cell signal, but to no avaeil. I did the morning routine and was soon on my feet padding down the trail.

I was like a slug this morning. Not in any hurry, and just taking my sweet time winding through the mountains. Pretty flowers lines the trail and soon I found brigth red berries! They looked great but I dare not eat them. I was hoping for more recognizable berries in Washington to be ride and ready by time I got there!

I rounded a corner and views of Mt Shasta slapped me in the face! I expected it to be pure snowcapped, but it seemed like this season it shown some of the rock veins running all the way to its peak. I plopped for an early break and gazed on.

Once again I was up and trodding down the trail. I kept leep frogging with a tro group. Id pass them for some miles, then I would stop for a break and they would pass me right back. After the 3rd or 4th time it just became comical. I soon stopped for water and found a gang of hikers piling up. The Trio, Fuji and Jupiter, and Just Matt. I had met Just Matt the day before, but as we filtered water it was our first time to actually chat. We went n at length about work ideals and what we were doing here. He seemed to be in the same “I quite my job for the PCT” crowd as me. It felt nice to find the few kinsmen out here with me.

I pressed on and was lost in the twisting trail for the next few miles. I would pop out to a beautiful vista of peaks in the distance all covered in pines, then the next minute be walking through vined lines paths twisting through the forest.

After a final water stop, I filled up and decided I would press the remaining 9 miles to my camp and water. My feet had started to hurt, and several times in the day I forced myself to stop and tke my shoes off. I had 2 hot spots (starting of what could become a blister) on the pads of my feet. It was strange that this would happen now so far into the hike. The light began to become golden and hide in the north/south canyons.

I turned a corner and a brown deer on the trail bolted diwn just a few feet below looking at my inquisitively, not scared enough to full run. I walked on and pressed the final miles to camp at Butcher Knife Creek. Soon as I walked in I saw Tank and Opa, 2 friends I last saw in Tuolumne while waiting on 2 packages that never came. We chatted on and caught up as the light faded. I soon saif my goodnights and grabbed water and went through the nightly routine. My tent was just near the creek and I could hear the water rushing on. It really wasnt a bad spot, and definitly a good way to end a day!

Hiker Profile:

Just matt – Early 30s, from Berkley CA. He worked as a Copy writer for a marketing agency. He would help choose the words in an add, website, magazine, you name it. His girlfriend of 4 years is back home holding down the fort. His father died some years back just before retiring and he watched his unrealized dreams for retirement never given the chance to happen. He decided this wasnt goign to happen to him and you only have one file to live. He cashed in his 401k and helps pay for rent on his apartment and his trip on the PCT. Sometimes it just calls you. Tall and lanky he zooms up the trail and has dabbled in running, it seems to suite him and help his trail game!