Saturday, May 26, 2018 – 12.10 miles

I got a ride to the trail today with an older fellow who kindly offered me water and a heavier jacket (he rightly detected that my rain jacket sucks, but I also have my grocery store poncho). The trail started out through forest and I soon spotted a tick on my pants. My experience with ticks is limited to one that attached to the top of my head in Australia and another that was discovered in the house in my childhood and placed in a jar to suffocate. I remember it walking in endless circles around the bottom, never changing speed or direction or processing that it couldn’t escape. There’s something scary about an irrational yet utterly dogged mind (like mine when I haven’t gotten enough sleep). Flicked the bugger off so fast.

Today’s highlights were Burney Falls, views of Lake Britton and the landscape for a few miles prior to Rock Creek. Burney Falls was the best. I took the Headwaters Trail into the park, which was crammed with tourists for the long weekend (or perhaps any weekend, who knows). Spigots were located near the store/washrooms and the trail down to the waterfall. Reaching the base of the falls involved a continuous stop-start march to allow people to take pictures, but the falls were amazing! Along with two main streams of water, dozens of waterfalls streamed down the rock to either side, so that it looked like the cliff was about to burst.

After much admiring I continued down the Falls Loop trail, which travels further along the creek before crossing a bridge and climbing the opposite bank. You can access the PCT from there.

I was ready to camp after maybe 10 trail miles, but couldn’t find a spot I fancied until about a mile before Rock Creek. Lovely views of the surrounding hills.