August 23rd Castle Crags to Girard Ridge

The descent into Castella was nice, switchbacking down to the base of Castle Crags mostly in the cool shade of scrub oaks and other trees I can't name. Plenty of creeks still flowing, what little water there is cascading over rocks and between boulders into small pools. Took advantage of one to do some trail laundry, attempting to make myself more presentable for the townsfolk. The only bad thing on the way down was that I ran into a wasp's nest. Suddenly, these painful stings hit my legs and I went running down the trail like a madman, swatting my legs as I ran. Thank goodness it was only a momentary thing since there are no red welts or any sign of bites on my legs. Maybe the trail dust is covering them up. :-)
Got to Highway 5 and took the frontage road to Castella Post Office. I was in luck as the sides of the road were lined with blackberry bushes which were just coming into season. Mmm... Mmm... sweet and juicy. There were two boxes at the P.O., one crammed with the usual trail food and the other containing a new pair of shoes. The Mizunos did a good 600 miles (all of Oregon and the first two sections of NoCal), but they were wearing thin and lacked the support after such a pounding. Met two Nobos in front of the store and soon realized that if the feet are gone, it's hard to put in miles. One guy had blisters all over his feet. Yikes! I hope my new Montrails will break in easily as I've had no major foot problems so far, just the usual soreness at the end of a long day. Well, as with any descent into town, it's accompanied by an ascent on the way out. I will note that it is a terribly hot day at 2,000 feet, reaching close to triple digits I'm sure, so getting a bit higher where it's a tad cooler might be a good thing. The uphill was gradual, nothing too sharp or steep. I was happy to get to my water source, Fall Creek, at the seven mile mark. Yes, cool, clear water. I loaded up with three liters. Another couple of miles in and I found a single person campsite at a switchback bend. Because the maps show no fairly flat ground any time soon, I eagerly took it, finishing a little early but leaving me extra time to plan my strategy for the section to Old Station.

Blackberries

Silent Sentinel

22 Miles