Day 70-71 (Buck’s Lake Road to near Sierra City)

Miles hiked this section: 54
PCT hiked so far: mile 2660 – 1207
Total miles hiked so far including blue blazing etc: 1443 ish

Day 70

I have our Reno vacation in the forefront of my mind as we walk today and want to speed thru and get there already. However I am foiled as I wake with strange twinges in my hip flexers each time I step up hill and have to take tiny slow strides for the first half of the day. We take a great morning break at lookout rock then head down into the Middle fork River Valley. We pass a dead squirrel with a gory wound where it’s brain used to be. We dip in little pools at the river, getting our clothes wet to cool off before the climb out of the valley. All in all we have to climb 18 miles uphill but the first 5 are the steepest. 

2.5 miles up I come upon Groucho singing again. This time he’s trying to charm a rattle snake that jumped off the trail in front of him and is now coiled up shaking is booty at us. 

We pass a fire road and come upon Twinless who we met at Drakesbad. She thinks she’s slower than us but will disprove this by leapfrogging with us the next 24 hours. 
  
Day 71

The first 10 miles today pass quickly. We are getting closer to Sierra City and feeling motivated. At a creek Twinless catches up and we convince her to just hike with us already. 

We knock out another 5 mile climb before breaking and calling Sierra city to see if the bar is open tonight. No. So no need to try another 40 mile day today. Instead we continue a strong pace mostly up hill with increasingly beautiful views, and I enjoy getting to know the newest member of Wrong Way Gang. 

Twinless camps a few miles earlier than us… We press on 3 miles up the ridge and the clouds create the most gorgeous sunset in a long time.