I began this journey in April 2014, and I was about to start my last section. I had been trying to complete this particular section in 2017 and 2018, but portions of the trail were closed due to fires. As I started out there was a fire in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, but the trail was not closed.

Mark dropped my off at the trail-head as it emerges from under I-5 at Highway mile six heading south. It's 8.5 miles up to the Mt. Ashland Ski area, and Mark would set up camp at a FS campground, just off the PCT. I slack packed (went with only a day pack) up the trail to where he was camped, arriving around 1:00 pm on a Friday afternoon. As the evening progressed, cars and trucks arrived with mountain bikers. Mt. Shasta was in full view from the camp site and provided a beautiful sunset.

I took off the next morning with full pack, scheduled to meet up with Mark 5 days later in Seiad, CA. About 2 miles down the trail I noticed strips of surveyor tape marking the trail. My initial thought was that there was going to be a mountain bike event, but it didn't seem possible since bikes are not allowed on the PCT. When I broke for lunch I talked with a day hiker. She mentioned that the flags were for a long distance trail run that probably wouldn't be along until later in the day. My camp that night was off the trail on a dead-end road close to a water source. I noticed that the trail run flags came down the road then before reaching my camp turned onto the PCT. In the middle of the night I started hearing runners, and twice runners missed the turn onto the trail and ended up running up to my tent, I heard "what the hell", before realizing their error. And around 2:00 am a lone male runner ran past my tent and a few minutes later came running back. I called out to him that he missed the turnoff and that it was just on the other side of the stream. I could tell he was exhausted, but he thanked me for helping him out.

The next morning started out nice, but by mid-day, clouds were rolling overhead. I stopped about 2:00 pm for water and met 3 hikers, one headed north and the other two south. I got a weather forecast from them, rain the next 5 days! I continued another two miles when I noticed smoke rising from a fire two valleys to the west. Not long after several UFS trucks rushed past on the road below the trail. The wind had picked up, it had started to rain and when the trail was in the open the rain was coming at me sideways. The rain lessen my concerns about the fire so I decided to make camp sooner than planned and looked for a spot somewhere out of the rain. All my outer gear was wet, but I managed to get my tent set up and everything stowed inside with minimal moisture. It poured all night but had stopped by morning. I hate packing up a wet tent!

My day started out in a cloud with periodic light rain. A few hours along the trail I met a couple heading north who told me of a road I could take into Seiad, cutting off 2 miles of trail. The weather forecast wasn't good and the last 5 miles of trail into Seiad was overgrown with poison oak and blackberries. I filed that info, something to think about for the next couple of hours. When I arrived at the road junction I met up with the two young male hikers I had met the day before. They had continued to hike through the rain until making camp about 7 pm. They were only just packing up and getting ready to leave. I was still unsure about whether I would take the road or continue on the trail and had told them what I was considering. After an hour of indecision I decided on the road, another 10 miles into Seiad. I had already hiked about 9 miles that day and hoped that if I decided not to go all the way, that I'd find a place to camp for the night.

My knees had been bothering me and one advantage of the road (graded) was that it was a gradual downhill hike. I passed one possible camp spot, and then another. No cars had passed by. I estimated that I was 2 miles from Seiad when the two young hikers passed me, having liked my plan. I was quickly running out of steam when an older lady drove past me in the opposite direction. Not long after I head a car coming from behind and noticed it was the same car returning. As the car approached it slowed down and the driver hadn't even opened the window all the way when I said "yes". She had come back to offer me a ride, just in time! I was a day early, had no cell connection (Seiad has little or no cell coverage) to contact Mark, who also, it turned out, had no cell coverage. I had my ride drop me at the Wildwood Tavern run by a Trail Angel that afforded a place to camp, a shower, washer/dryer, coffee and a big muffin for breakfast for $20.

The forecast for the next couple of days was not good. I had been hearing about the first 10 trail miles out of Seiad first from trail journals, and then from first hand accounts from hikers I met weeks before in Washington. The trail was extremely overgrown, again with poison oak and blackberries, making the trail and the numerous blown down trees hard to see and navigate. I heard that a lot of the trees had been cut but the brush was still thick. I made the decision to have Mark drive me to Etna, bypassing 56 miles of trail.

It turned out to be a good decision as the storm that blew in brought with it lots of rain and cold temperatures. I met hikers who had been caught in it, and did not fair well. Their old tents leaked, and when they woke up in the morning there was an inch of water in their tents, and everything wet. I spent two nights in the Etna Motel, giving my knees a break, staying warm and making sure all my gear was dry. Then Mark drove me up to Etna Pass, where I continued south on the trail. It was 98.5 miles to Castle Crags.

Mark would rendezvous with me two more times, allowing me to carry less weight in food. One was a overnight where he made me grilled tuna for dinner and a great breakfast before I headed out, and the second time, a touch and go, he had a nice lunch waiting.

Hunting season had started and I was thankful for my pack's bright orange rain cover. For the first time while hiking I actually heard gunshots!

Last year during late September and early October, I encountered only 3 PCT hikers on the trail. This year, due to hikers jumping forward, reversing directions and the number of SoBos (thru hikers starting at the Canadian Border and hiking south) I encountered 27 PCT hikers, 7 of whom were seniors, and an REI group of 15 hikers.

The weather the final eight days of the hike, except for one night of rain, were sunny, with temperatures of 40º F at night and 60's during the day. Views were dominated by Mt Shasta, some with Mt. Lassen in the background, and the last two days views of Castle Crags. It was a nice end to my hiking season. And after 2 failed attempts to finish this section, I was glad to finally get it done, well almost.

My only regret was not completely finishing the PCT and having to return once more next year to hike the 56 miles between Etna and Seiad!