8.02.2013

DAY 92: SIERRA CITY DAY 2

 

miles: 0

So.... we're like.... really lovin' on these zero days.

I feel like such a slacker. We just had an entire week off in Yosemite/Lake Tahoe and now we are lounging around a sleepy little cutie of a town sippin' coffees on porches. The ankle is looking a little better, now that I've been wearing a brace for a little while.

The trail is so funny sometimes, it's like a treasure hunt (for water, shade, mosquito free zones and Post Offices (that are holding your life sustaining packages hostage)) / hide and seek with your friends (because they pop up in random places along the trail and you never know when you will see them) / mystery tour (never know what you're gonna see) / death race (this is hard stuff - mentally and physically).

Ben and Ben (Rocky and Starfox - both of them Ben's in real life!) arrived this morning! I was sooooo happy to see Rocky! I love the trail for it's weirdness sometimes. Smiles, Dr. Slosh, Chik Chak and I are sitting up on a veranda at a restaurant, it's 10:00am, we are enjoying some mimosas, listening to the water feature, talkin' trail talk, plannin' trail plans, and we look down and across the street and see Rocky just sauntering on by with his pack (coming from the wrong direction). This is very funny to all of us, to just randomly see him strut through town, not knowing where he is, where WE are, or where TO GO at that point, so I stand up and shout (in the outdoor section of the restaurant) his name. Luckily he hears me the first time and he simply turns and comes on over! It's literally like an adult, real life, treasure hunt/game. There's Ben. There he is, across the street.

Soon after, we see Starfox and Mr. Green as well, Peter Pan, Hoop Dreams and Dishcloth close behind them (hopefully).

This mornings breakfast was FANTASTIC. The Buckhorn (across the street from the Red Moose Inn) serves some pretty tasty food, surprisingly, and it has a beautiful outdoor seating area to go along with it. They served toast on REAL, sliced, crusty bread that was soft in the middle.

I'm a toast snob.

ANYWAYS, today was a nice day full of swimming.

Tomorrow we head out first thing in the morning.

The Country Store here is great, I have had a milkshake from them every day.

Tonight we camp on the lawn at the church because we have already camped 2 nights over at the Red Moose Inn and we do not want to over stay our welcome...

We thought we'd have the whole lawn to ourselves, but about 30 other hikers filed in as the night went on. Which is fine. They will just have to deal with us getting up at 5:00am sharp! 

The Buckhorn.

Hikers camped behind the Red Moose Inn.

This pup.




The view over the deck.



Mimosa mornings with Dr. Slosh.

My first mimosa.

Hikers gathered around in a parking area listening to music.

The precarious walk across the river barefoot.

While everyone watches and laughs.

There was a small fall.


When you use stranger floaties.






Reaching out to the pup.


Manchurian swimming with the pup.

Dr. Slosh swimming.

Shady Acres swimming.




Starfox.


Chik Chak.

Manchurian


The girls.


A secret garden.


Literally, a mysteriously secret garden in the middle of nowhere.



Sunset moving his camp to the church lawn.

Sunset moving his camp to the church lawn....


LOVE.





Planning phase.


Wonderful evening.


8.01.2013

DAY 91: SIERRA CITY DAY 1

The back of the Red Moose Inn
 miles: 0

Manchurian, Shady Acres and I went swimming today. It was about 1.5 miles up the road from Sierra City so we had to hitch to get there. Luckily a local with a huge truck offered us a lift and we were there in no time!



Manchurian with a beer.

Shady Acres without a beer.

Manchurian is down there swimming somewhere.


Oh, there he is.

Haggis.
 Running Commentary, Haggis, Cherub and others joined us later in the afternoon!

Shady Acres enjoying someones chair.

Flip flops are for hands too.


Nice one Shady Acres.

Manchurian.



The hitch back was a little more difficult. It seems drivers are a slightly less likely to pick up hitch hikers if they are bearded, scraggly, or dirty looking men. We had to walk most of the way. A couple pulled over and drove us a couple hundred yards but that was about it.

It's harder to catch a lift with boys. Boys with beards.


We ended up walking most of the way back to Sierra City after our swim.


When we returned from swimming, we found everyone else inside the Red Moose coloring in coloring books, getting fake tattoos and having fun with stickers!

I returned to find Sunset, Smiles and Chik Chak done up!

That tat says: Smile!!!


The bar portion of the Red Moose Inn.

Home for the night.



Such a quaint town.







Manchurian ordered these for himself.... by accident.

My mother sent the most insane package. 37 pounds of food....
A stranger sent Manchurian some DELICIOUS cookies (we devoured them at the river)

Thank you Christy Bailey!!!!!!


.... this is in glass. Mom.

These. Came from mom.

The place to be today.





Left to Right: Running Commentary, Chik Chak, Smiles and Haggis.

The Sierra City Trail Register at the Post Office.
The PCT Trail Register - found it at the Post Office! I feel like it has been so long since I've seen one of these! You never know where you are going to find them! I ravaged the book looking for names I knew, friends long since past, friends miles and miles ahead.... Where were they now? Could I ever catch up to them?? This is like a game!

Sunset helping Games with some earrings.


Swimmin'.