Start point
Tent sites at Hat Creek, mile 1370.8
End point
Lost Creek Junction, mile 1386.6
Miles hiked
15.8
Wilderness area
Lassen National Forest
The day on trail
This morning was great. I love waking up after a deep sleep following a good hiking day.
I camped near FarOut last night and was able to rinse off my legs and feet in the river, which is always welcome. It wasn’t too hot, though it sure was dusty.
Today has another side quest and I’m pumped for it. It also has a quick itty bitty town stop!
I started with a quick 7.5 mile hike to get to the drive-through town of Old Station. There was a little shortcut off trail to cut through some roads by a ranger station. There were some cattle gates before it, and cattle gates just feel like home at this point.
At Old Station, I stopped at JJ’s Cafe and had breakfast. Pancakes, hash browns, eggs, and a beef patty. I sat down with Caleb, from England and we caught up. FarOut and Spirit were also there, and there were a bunch of hikers out back.
Shortly into breakfast, Snow Queen came in! I hadn’t seen her since Agua Dulce. She was traveling with a guy who’s name I don’t remember but was super nice. It was great to catch up with them. We talked about our hikes, how they flipped, where I skipped, and the usual.
I ordered a second order of pancakes as I let my devices charge up. It was a good decision. I ended up needing them and, bonus, they were delicious.
After leaving the cafe I stopped by the gas station there, known for their decent resupply for hikers. I fleshed out my food bag with some Cliff bars and went on my way. It was time for the side quest.
This particular trip was through Subway Cave, a lava tube in Lassen National Forest. This cave is managed closely by the Forest Service so there was a station by it. Of course I overshot the junction to the cave by a third of a mile and turned around. I wanted to see the dang thing.
It was chilly and dark in this cave, so photos were near impossible. There were lots of day trippers and families. It’s often weird being around people who are out there for a day when you’re walking through for months. There’s a different vibe and you can absolutely feel it with how everyone interacts different with the surroundings. It’s subtle but noticiable and hard to describe. I was down there with my headlamp, everyone else used their phones. I think that’s a decent way to illustrate the feeling.
There was a map in the cave that let you know which part you were in, which was nice.
After leaving the cave I went to the nearby station and visitor center. I ran into Caleb and we talked a bit more. I like that guy a lot. I also talked with the ranger there. We talked about the mosquitoes and she gave me some old Deet wipes that were in a drawer. I also bought a Smokey the Bear lapel pin for my collection of Parks pins — it seems appropriate and was just way too cute to pass up.
Then I was back on my way. Through another burn zone.
I followed the trail up a hillside with fields of deer brush and found oodles of native bees buzzing around them. The smell of the deer brush was heady and the sound of the bees penetrated everything.
That hillside lead up to a vista point for road trippers. There were some telescopes and informational boards, and a good bit of cell service. I tried to take a picture of Lassen through the telescope with my phone.
It’s a pretty chill day. Just hiking along terrain that isn’t too tough after having a massive breakfast. There was a gate with a locking mechanism I hadn’t seen yet. The chain loops around the post and slides into a slit instead of onto a peg or getting latched.
I loved the views and seeing Indian paintbrush again.
The manzanita berries were starting to ripen, though they’re still super tart and dried out my mouth. I still keep trying them though!
I got to my tentsite and really needed food. The mosquitoes were terrible though. I used a Deet wipe, from the ranger, on my legs, arms, and neck. I then made a really, really bad mistake of not washing my hands before eating a bar. I immediately tasted the residue and started feeling sick.
I made my way down about 200’ and four switchbacks to Lost Creek to get water. I knew I was going to need it and wanted to get the water before I felt worse. The hike down to the creek was steep and somewhat dicey. Nonny left a FarOut comment to leave your pack and bring your poles which was good advice. There were also excellent campsites there, so that was my final stop for the day.
I set up camp, dug and filled a cathole for my Deet related malady, and watched a deer come through camp.
I felt better that evening but was still a little off, so I just relaxed.
My site was surrounded by mule ears, the plants. And the bees were out en masse. I even caught one sleeping on a flower.
I wound down and watched the sun set.
