Wed. Oct. 5     Miles today: 22.6         No. CA Section Q

I think that this was one of our coldest mornings yet on the PCT!  My gaiters and shoelaces were frozen stiff, which meant that putting on shoes was a challenge!  The drinking tube for my Platypus was also frozen.  We had to wait till 6:15 to get up, because it was so dark, but it turned out to be a sunny morning with only a few clouds.  It was so cold that we started hiking well-bundled up, and didn’t stop for breakfast till we were a goodly ways down in the Marble Valley and had plenty of sun.

I thought that the Marble Mountains were really interesting.  In relation to the trail, they were up above us, and they are not solid marble, but layered.   The PCT contours right below many impressive peaks.  It would have been prime “peak bagging” time if we weren’t trying so hard to push on for the finishline of our hike.  I also enjoyed looking at the marble rock formations right by the trail that have developed caves, deep pits, and even “sculptured effects.”  There is a lot of variety!  After breakfast in a “sun patch”, we passed a cute little shingled ranger cabin.  We were still slogging, crunching and creaking through the snow that covered the trail.  I was hoping that Bill would feel better, but not this morning–he had a very hard time with any uphill trail, even the gentlest of uphills.  He could not move any faster than a very slow plod.  On downhills–that’s another story!  Then he went on a tear, and I could not keep up with him!

As we continued hiking, the snow on the trail slowly grew less, though the mountainsides still had plenty.  I must say that one nice thing about snow on the tail is that it covers up and cushions what would otherwise be a very rough, rocky tread.  On the downside, however, when it MELTS (which it was busy doing today) it turns the trail into a long, skinny mud puddle.  The snow also knocked over all the plants along the trail, so there was often snow mixed with “mushed’ plants to tangle up our feet.  The PCT slowly climbed up to the crest, where we found some amazing gnarly trees.  We are always very impressed with trees like this–talk about determined and persistent!  Well, we were determined and persistent, too, because we were really looking forward to getting out of the snow.  And at last, we made it!

The trail became FLAT (which made Bill cheer–now he could hike faster!) and began to travel through wide, DRY meadows where we could see the Siskiyou Mountains and the Klamath River canyon up ahead.  And then we were finally going DOWN (now Bill could “fly”!) into green forest with no snow, just pretty dogwoods decked out in fall colors.  At one point the PCT came down to a road and we weren’t sure which way to go till we saw a big arrow somebody had made with rocks. 

Our goal for today had been the 3rd footbridge across Grider Creek, and I was afraid we’d never make it, because Bill had such a slow and terrible time with the uphills today.  But the long, long downhill to Grider Creek saved us, because Bill could almost run, and I walked as fast as I could, trying to keep up.  He is much braver than I am about downhills!  So we made it to the third footbridge after all.  Finding a flat place to set up the tarp was tough–we finally squeezed in among some bushes near the bridge.  The sky was full of clouds blowing in, which we hoped would prove harmless. 

Tonight Grider Creek is serenading us with its deep rushing, roaring sound, and we thanked God for helping us make it this far, not only on the PCT, but with each other.  We have been married 37 years today, and we are very grateful to the Lord for bringing us together and helping us two very ordinary, selfish people learn to love and forgive and care for each other for so long.  Back in Washington State, a couple we met who were dayhiking the PCT asked us when we’d started our hike.  When we told them “May 11”, their immediate reaction was, “I can’t believe you’re still married!”  Well, by God’s grace, we are, and GLAD of it.  So even though we are tired and very sore and “hiker hunger” is back again full force, we can rejoice not only in the challenge of the PCT, but in being together for so long.