PCT 2007 Day 100 -Saddle – Lookout Rock

PCT 2007 Day 100

Day 100 / 7-3-07 Tarp Tent 5955′
Saddle after Johnsville-Gibsonville Road – Lookout Rock
33.3 miles; 1261.8 (51.5) total miles; 3118 trip miles
80’s sunny and humid

Deer count is 63
Marmot count is 51
Bear count is 4
Pika count is 2

I didn’t sleep well last night. At one point I woke up and the toe box of my sleeping bag was soaked with sweat. I ended up sleeping with it completely unzipped. I got up at 4:30 but didn’t move until closer to 5. I was hiking by 5:15 and the day started with a climb. I felt the miles I did from yesterday right away. I ascended Bunker Hill Ridge and at the top found Silver and Backtrack.

We moved out together and made our first stop for water at a spring down off the trail a few minutes. We didn’t know exactly where it was so we split up until we found it. We continued on crossing a few roads and saddles before reaching a turn off for Chimney Rock. We had our breakfast shortly after the turn off.

We crossed Black Rock Creek Road and descended until we hit the junction of a trail leading to none other than “Fowler Lake”. We would then cross 4 more roads before having lunch at the top of some switchbacks leading way down into a canyon containing the Middle Fork Feather River. I had no water so my lunch was not that good.

We only took about 35 minutes for lunch since we knew there was a spring on the descent and even better swimming at the river. The spring didn’t look that good so we went on to the river. Once there, we found a sweet spot on the rocks to jump from and swam for 45 minutes. The water was incredible and felt wonderful. The current was strong so you could ride it pretty good.

None of us wanted to face the 6.8 miles climb out of the canyon, but knew it had to be done. All three of us thought we started the 6.8 right away; but in fact, we had a 1.4 miles up, then a 2.1 mile down. When we got to a seasonal creek part way through the 2.1, we realized our error. We were crushed, since we thought we had already done part of the 6.8 miles climb. We finally got to the base of said climb at 4:30 PM and started the long grind upwards. It went on forever and it was brutally hot. I haven’t sweat that much since the desert. I was feeling it more in my head and upper body. My legs felt mmmm Okay. Just before the last saddle we ran into a thru-hiker named Mike. We had seen him leaving the river earlier. We moved on after saying hello and got water at the next spring. It was so so but worth it. We got to Lookout Rock and there were two spots, so we threw down. We cooked out on the rocks and the wind drove me crazy. It was whipping my flame around and I kept on getting burned. Total pain in the butt! I ate two dinners and my king size Take 5.

The sunset was incredible and there’s still an orange glow at 9:34 PM. I’m off to bed since my back can’t take any more.