A very tough day on the trail and, without a doubt, the least enjoyable so far. The terrain wasn't difficult and the trail was relatively flat, but in more than a handful of places it was badly overgrown, the scrub brush and manzanita grabbing at my ankles. Tripped and stumbled on several occasions and once, not able to recover quickly, went down in the dust with a heavy thud. Oomph! Nothing really inspiring about this section either, although surprisingly Shasta popped into view once more. Lots of logging roads, some clearcuts, hot and dusty (contributing to my first blister), and 10-15 miles between water spots, the last being Peavine Creek, which the free range cattle had changed to Pee and Poovine Creek, which from the look of things had to be contaminated. I'd wanted to make a camp nearby, but was forced under the circumstances to press on in search of clean water. Three miles further down the trail, a sign directed me to Screwdriver Creek. As I've said before, nothing tastes better to a thru-hiker than cool, clear water. Problem was now that I had a hard time finding a campsite because of the steepness of the terrain in this part. Using my headlamp, I eventually found one just after dark and bedded down for the night. I understand how days like today with very few pleasures can be very trying. In the middle of the trail today, just short of a forest road, I came across a message written by a Nobo with sticks and small stones. "I give up, Gary. You should push on without me. Be free." Obviously, someone felt they'd had enough. I hope I don't come to that point. I want to see this journey through to its end and savor the walk into Campo.
35 Miles
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