August 14th Brown Mountain Shelter to Soda Mountain

Jason and Cassandra left Brown Mountain Shelter shortly before I did and like me were given a reminder of just how far we have to go to reach our final destination, Mexican Border 1,779. I overtook them both as they were taking their first break of the day, which even at that early hour was shaping up to be a scorcher. Most of the day was spent on gently sloping side hills with plenty of open meadows, clearly past the height of the flowering season as evidenced by the yellowing stalks and browning leaves. However, there was still enough color out here to attract the bees, and butterflies were also quite plentiful. A large part of the afternoon found me along the trail overlooking first, Howard Prarie Lake, and later on, Hyatt Reservoir. It was on this stretch that I passed Half Brew and Rosie, who claimed to be Southbounders that left the Canadian border before even Jason and Cassandra. However, I found their claims to be quite dubious. There are lots of people on the trail this year that have flipped because of the heavy snowpack in the Sierras. I couldn't see the logic in their leaving the snow in California and travelling to Washington to experience just as much, if not more snow than in the south. Due to the high temperatures, I underestimated the amount of water I needed to carry. The last four miles into camp were hot and dry ones with a slight case of cotton mouth setting in. The water from the spring-fed pipe near my camp was extremely welcome. I set up the tent under a small group of large pines and watched thunderclouds continue to build northeast of my position, their undersides colored orange by the rays of the setting sun. Shortly after dark, the storm broke and large drops rained down. Not many made it to my tent though because of the protective covering of the overhanging tree limbs.

Trail Mileage

Calm Before the Storm

Golden Rays

33 Miles