PCT Day 57 - Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

The official name of the (PCT) is the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail so maybe we should not have been surprised and astonished by all the vast views and endless mountains we saw in the desert section of the trail. As we left this section, skipping the famed Sierras for now, I wondered if we would be lucky enough to see such wonders before the Cascades. Today put to rest any idea that NoCal would somehow disappoint in comparison.  We woke and left our camp a bit chilly as the temps dropped in the upper 40’s again. We had a 500 foot assent ahead of us which at this point is easy peasy. I was not expecting the views we would have for the next 20 miles as we walked north on a rocky plateau. To the South was Mt Lassen standing 10,400 feet and covered with snow, to the north 30 miles away was the magnificent Mt Shasta which stands at an intimidating 14,000 ft. This to was snow covered with jagged peaks jolting into the clear blue sky. The mountains separated by 50 or more miles dominated the landscape. In between were green valleys full of forest pines and green grassy pastures. As we walked the ridge of the plateau the landscape was full of flowers of every color nature can produce. All trail days are good days but today stood above the rest as far as beauty is concerned. The weather was perfect which only enhanced our experience. As the day turned to evening we descended from the plateau so I can only hope we will be lead up again to our birds eye view. 

PCT Day 56 - A Subway Cave

Yesterday’s long and tiring hike made for a strong want to sleep in today. Joe let me snooze for another hour before making us get up and get going. I was feeling extra sore today; particularly in my left hip. I recall scrambling over a fall tree yesterday where I swung my left leg up higher than it should have gone. The pain was temporary and I thought nothing of it. I suppose maybe I pulled something since I can barely walk on declines or inclines. We stop several times this morning for me to stretch, but the pain is constant.

My head is down most of the morning, my face wincing at nearly every step, so when joe puts his pack down off trail and steps away to go to the bathroom, I am completely oblivious. I pass Joe’s pack and continue down trail for another 3 hours. I thought it was extremely odd that I haven’t seen joe in 2, 3, 4, now 7 miles. This has never happened before. ‘Maybe he’s annoyed with my slow pace?’ I thought.

We had agreed this morning that we would stop at the Old Station General Store that’s in 7.5 miles for coffee. It’s a small camping store that’s about 1/3 of a mile off trail. I hobble up to the store expecting to see Joe’s pack sitting out front; it’s not there. I stumble inside and ask if anyone has seen a handsome bearded hiker, twisted steal and sex appeal, no one has.

At this point I’m nearly in tears, there’s no cell service, I have no way of getting in touch with Joe.

As I’m holding my phone to the sky, trying to get a bar, here comes Joe.

Apparently he had no idea I passed him without realizing, and he had walked an additional 4 miles in reverse to try to find me.

I was so relieved to see him.

We have lunch there at the picnic tables (a true luxury), and then head off. We still have miles to get in- but my leg is still hindering me.

We make it another 4 miles, we come across the Subway Caves and decide to check them out. The caves are 20,000 year old underground lava flows, the portion that’s open for us to walk through is only about a quarter mile.

As we exit the other side we decide to not hike further on, and to attempt to stay on the National Forest grounds. We sneak off to a hidden part of the picnic area and set up camp. Even though I felt we were breaking the rules, it was really nice to camp like a weekend camper- with trash cans, pit toilets, running water and picnic tables (a true luxury.)

PCT Day 55 - The Longest Day of the Year

The summer solstice or longest day of the year has always had special meaning to me. Every fourth year, leap year, the solstice would land on my birthday which I had the fortune of sharing with my twin brother and my grandfather. We all agreed it made sense and was appropriate the longest day would fall on this occasion. Growing up this day would often be spent outside usually playing baseball in the backyard. As far back as I can remember we would intentionally try to squeeze every drip of sunlight from the day. The day however was never long enough and the light would fade before the last out was recorded or the last run would score. We would promise to pick the game up in the morning but late June in Missouri is often too hot and muggy to muster such motivation. I never forgot the importance of the day and would always find some outdoor activity as day turned to evening. Years ago it was golf and most recently it was searching for waves in the cool blue Pacific. As with my childhood the day was never quite long enough, the light would fade on the 16th hole or set before I could find that perfect wave. The days while not long enough always seemed perfect in retrospect. 

On this solstice we woke up early with a list of sights to see. We are entering Lassen National Park and must hike the 20 miles through the park because we do not have the required bear canister to camp. We want to take a half mile side trip to see a steaming creek and also stop at Drakesbad Guest Ranch for an extremely rare, on trail, cup of coffee. To complicate all this there is snow covering an 8 mile stretch of the trail. Snow this late in the season means the trail is likely covered from view in wind blown snow drifts. When this happens the trail is often hard to find and we waste hours searching, finding, losing, and re finding the trail over and over. 

The steam creek was a site to see and warmed the early morning air. The water in the creek was hot and too hot to touch, definitely a reminder of the volcanic activity which sets just below the surface of the park. We left the steam creek and arrived at the ranch by 10:00am. The ranch was unique and sat in a valley which had the brightest green grass and snow capped mountains in the distance. We had our coffee, talked with curious tourist, and met some fellow PCTers. By the time we left we were behind schedule knowing we had to complete the 20 miles. As we made our way to the snow covered trail it became evident it would take longer than expected. Over the next several hours we pressed on often only guessing by our previous knowledge which direction the trail would take us. The snow today created a beautiful contrast between the green trees, blue sky, and white snow each competing to be the most dynamic color. By the time we worked our way through the snow it was almost 6:00pm and we still needed to hike 8 more miles to get through the park. I really wanted to stop as my feet ached and my mind was drained from the snow maze. Madelyn would not let us quit and insisted we continue. “After all”, she reminded me, “today is the solstice and has more daylight than any other day”. Reluctantly I accepted the challenge and found myself once again trying to extend daylight on the solstice. We hiked hard and fast and the terrain gave way to flat straight trail. I started to believe for a moment we might actually beat the sun and find the perfect camping spot we were searching for. We came close but in the end the sun set and light faded just before we found camp. We found a site, not the perfect site but one that seems perfect for a day that’s never quite long enough. 

PCT Day 54 - Creme Brûlée!

We hiked today towards Lassen Volcanic National Park. The Pine tree’s persisted throughout the day as we remained at a steady elevation. I noticed there are a few similarities from the desert portion. We are still seeing manzanitas and chaparral bushes although these chaparrals have a slightly more distinct smell. The manzanitas are still alive where they were often burned down south from wildfires that engulfed the area some time in the past. The ants are much larger here than before and the lizards are quite a bit smaller. There may also be more wildlife in this area as we have already seen two deer, where we had seen none in the desert. Today was my birthday and I’m happy to be spending it on the trail, even if I’m unable to see or respond to birthday wishes other than Madelyn’s. She was able to surprise me with a dehydrated Creme Brûlée, just add cold water, for my birthday dessert. It sure hit the spot after the day’s hike. Tomorrow we will encounter snow in Lassen, our first since Mt Baden Powell, almost 300 miles ago. We have our spikes this time, but we’ve been told they won’t be needed as the terrain is flat and not dangerous.

Also, more mosquitos than last night.

PCT Day 53 - Back on Trail

Don, our bus driver, dropped us off at the trail head in the vicinity of Chester CA. The drive to the trail was beautiful- we saw new mountain chains with snow peaks and meadows and thick pine forests. We occasionally caught a glimpse of the lonely looming Mt Shasta. Joe and I are both looking forward to seeing it much closer- its a beaut. We first saw Shasta last May, and we’re eager to lay eyes on it again. There is some fascinating folklore about the mountain.

We were back on trail in almost 2 weeks and it felt so good, so right. It felt like I was reunited with an old friend. Since we got on trail so late in the day we decided to only hike to the first water source- about 3 miles.

The hike was through an old pine forest, the smells, sights and footing were completely different than the desert. It smelled just as a pine forest should; earth-y and pine-y, the scenery and shade of the giant ponderosa pines were welcomed from the heat of the day, and the trail was soft; covered in fallen pine needles. Everything was new and different, including the presence of mosquitos. 

When we reached the small spring fed lake, we looked for a tent site and set up camp. Soon after the bug spray had to applied as the bugs were abundant.

Our first night on trail was just as it should have been, a pleasant short hike to ease us into the trail life, and to gently grow us accustomed to the soon to be clouds of mosquitos.

Family Vacation on St George Island

Joe and I feel super lucky (and blessed) that we were able to make the Hussman Family Vacation this year. Every other year The Hussman’s all gather in a wonderful part of Florida: St George Island.

Traveling to Florida from California is not simple- multiple flights are involved and then a long drive as St George Island is not near any airport. And this year it required even more coordination- getting from Walker Pass to LAX.

It was well worth the effort, and we even got a few extras in; Joe surfed in our old neighborhood El Porto, we watched Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final with friends Vika and Matt, and did a side trip to Panama City Beach with Johnny, Teri, Jan and John and nephews William and Louis.

Spending a week with Joe’s family was super special, as always. Jan and John have so much love for everyone, and even extended their vacation time to my parents to visit as well.

Being around the 5 nephews is so heart warming, watching them grow from afar is a tad heart breaking. We cherish and love every minute we got to spend with them. It’s so special to be away for months at a time, but the nephews know us all the same as if it’s just been a few days.

They are a constant reminder to live each day to the fullest.

Florida was just as expected; sunny, hot and humid. The Gulf was a huge relief from the heat, and the seashell hunting was constant.

Jack, Joes oldest nephew, made all the aunts seashell necklaces. My heart is so full.

Thanks to Nick and Johnny for making the two hour drive to retrieve us from the PCB airport, we couldn’t have made the trip without the favor.

We celebrated Joe’s newest nephew’s first birthday and father’s day for all the Hussman daddy’s, many beers were had.

We spent our evenings playing sequence and secret Hitler (which I’m terrible at playing fascist, I’m an awful persuader), and I even tried my hand at rummikub (darn those doubles).

Leaving was both hard and exciting; leaving meant we were heading back to trail and the adventure in between, but we also had to say goodbye to those we love the most. I love visiting new towns, and road trips are my 2nd favorite way to vacation.

When we landed in LAX on Monday evening we rented a van, drove 60 miles outside LA and slept at a Flying J. The next morning we headed to Sacramento and caught a bus to Red Bluff. On Tuesday morning we grabbed breakfast at Tremont Cafe, then some beers at The Palomino Room, then a local bus to Chester which takes us to the trail.

PCT Day 52 - Zero On Trail

Today is Thursday, and we spent our day at the Walker Pass Campground where tomorrow (Friday) we will wake early and catch a bus to Bakersfield CA and begin our journey to Florida.

The day was spent at the picnic area with many Trail Angels such as Holly and Hobo Joe, and gobs of Hiker Trash. We had a blast reminiscing of the last 651 miles, and seeing hikers we haven't seen in many days, and making new friends too.

Joe finally talked me into cowboy camping with him, and it was amazing. The night sky is full of such beauty as well- we saw many shooting stars, and satellites crawl across the blackness, planets and even the Milky Way. 

PCT Day 51 - Walker Pass

As I laid down tonight the moon was visible in the southern sky just above the mountains which have turned black as twilight faded away. I can't help but contemplate the journey and distance we've traveled so far in less than two months. We've walked 651 miles and the Sierra Nevada, Snowy Range, mountains are visible on the distant horizon. I'm cowboy camping again and can already see Jupiter and Saturn along with the Big Dipper. When the sliver sized moon sets in an hour or two the Milky Way will be visible and I'll stare at the night sky until sleep catches me. Today we only planned to hike 8 miles but they came easy and fast and by 10:45am we were at McIver's cabin. It's a hole in the wall cabin, conveniently placed on trail which sat on a sun drenched mountain with a piped streamed. We cleaned our clothes and ate lunch, walked through the old run down cabin which had initials, names, well wishes and catch phrases carved into it dating back to at least 1978. If there were more shade we may have stayed for the rest of the day and night but since it was hot we pressed on and finished our first section of this hike with a quick 8 mile decline to Walker Pass Campground. We will stay here for two days until we catch a bus to Lake Isabella and then on to LAX to reunite with the family in Florida. The trail is uncertain when we return, we will likely flip up several hundred miles to avoid, for now, the snow covered Sierra's.
These past 50 days outside in John Muir's Wilderness have been completely amazing and the vastness of this area along with the constant changing landscapes never cease to amaze this mid-western born traveler. Florida will be nice, it will be yet another blessing to be around family and especially the unpredictability and innocence of the 5 young nephews. Hopefully some of our stories will inspire them to take amazing adventures when they get older so they to can see the wonders and wilderness of this world.
-Joe



It's so quiet up here on our mountain top home this morning. Joe cowboy camped last night so I had the tent all to myself, although Joe was right outside, just feet away.

We have 16 miles left until Walker Pass, where we will get off trail for a week. Our plan is to do a quick 8 miles to the next spring at McIver's Cabin and chill the rest of the day.

The hike today is mostly even and slightly downhill- easy. The trail takes us through both wooded and open desert like areas. It's odd seeing such different ecosystems all in one day, even in a mile of each of other!

The first 5 miles is on a ridge with pines, and the last 3 is on a dirt road which looks to only be used for off road vehicles. This dirt road will be the trail until we reach the cabin. We get to the cabin around 10:30 and its a real dump. The stream is nice though, so we decide to stay long enough to wash our clothes and eat lunch. We saw two Gopher snakes while doing so, they are super chill and okay with us sticking camera's in their faces, and following them around as long as we could.

Chickadee, Bonus and Sack (other PCT Hikers) joined us for most of our stay at the cabin.

We had 8 more miles until Walker Pass Campground, it was understood that we would carry on and just take a zero tomorrow (Thursday).

The rest of the hike was thankfully not on a road, and the trail was beautiful with mountain views and we even saw another storm roll through (and another Gopher snake). We got some of the last views of the white blanketed Sierra's. They seem so far off- but at the same time we are at the cusp of them.

The last couple of miles are especially pretty- lots of purple flowers covering an entire ridge and the storm in the distance, made for beautiful photos.

We hiked down to 5k feet, Walker Pass unfortunately wasn't much- no trash cans, and just a couple RV spots, and the rest is dedicated to PCT campers. The campground didn't offer much shade, and only a couple picnic tables.

We got to camp around 4pm, there were about 8 other hikers hanging around the picnic table, one of them was a guy I follow on Instagram!

We met Pavlov, Squirtle, Half Facts, and Chickadee was there too. Joe and I had dinner with everyone.

Joe and I set up the tent, but Joe knew right away he would be cowboy camping; he's tried to get me to cowboy camp too, but I worry about the bugs. Since I have a quilt and not a sleeping bag the creepy crawlies can crawl right in.

-Madelyn