Daniel Woods' 2009 Pacific Crest Trail Hike - Report 5

Dunsmuir, CA
July 20, 2009 1:00 PM

Hello All,

This is the fifth report on Daniel Woods’ 2009 Pacific Crest Trail hike.

I am camped out in a motel in Dunsmuir, CA, which is about 45 miles north of Redding. I have been here since 10:00 Saturday. What luxury! A shower! A bed! TV! Internet!

Dan was supposed to come here this evening but he made it by 10:30 this morning. He showered and we went downtown to get burgers and do the laundry. The laundry was closed. He had planned to spend the night with me but decided he would rather take the big climb out of here in the cool of the evening so we will go 7 miles north to the town of Mount Shasta to do the washing and to get Taco Bell later this evening before he takes off.

The trail crosses the I-5 freeway a few miles south of here near Castle Crags State Park. The crossing is at mile 1505 or so which means we have only 1160 miles to go!

In the last 12 days we have met at Donner Summit, Sierra City, Johnsville Road (a nasty dirt road 30 trail miles but 70-80 road miles from Sierra City), Belden Town, Chester, Old Station (near Mount Lassen NP), Burney Falls State Park and here at Castle Crags SP near Dunsmuir.

Dan has done a load of walking and I have done a load of driving around and sitting around.

Of the last 11 nights we have spent 3 camping together and the other 8 apart. I have spent 2 nights in this motel and the other 9 nights in various campgrounds in my tent.

A high point: I have had the good fortune of having a shower every day for the last 5 days (Chester ($3 for 6 minutes), Old Station ($4 for 6 minutes), Burney Falls ($1 for 10 minutes) and two days in this motel).

6:20 PM

Dan took a big nap while I wrote the above then we went to the Laundromat and did our wash. While the clothes washed I went to a nearby shoe store and purchased a new pair of walking shoes while Dan went to the supermarket next door and got a liter of OJ and 1/4th of a watermelon. After he downed it all he did not feel well and decided he could not eat so as soon as the clothes were dry we headed back to the trail. Dan packed up for 2 1/2 days then realized he had left his shoes at the motel so we came back here and then back to the trail. He did not get away until 6:00.

He is more tired than he wants to admit but seems determined to keep going. We will meet Wednesday afternoon at the trail crossing of Highway 3 southwest of Weed.

We are getting near the home stretch. 38 days to go.

Dave