Start point
Cibbets Flat
End point
Burnt Rancheria (a tiny house hostel 1/2 mile from Burnt Rancheria) trail mile 41.5
Miles hiked
10.9 trail miles, 1.3 off trail.
Wilderness area
Cleveland National Forest
People I met
Larry and Scott
Kendall
The day on trail
Last night was nuts. NUTS. The wind was bonkers and snapped my campsite neighbors guy lines. It pulled up the stakes from the tent Roberta set up and snapped two of the buckles that attached her tent to her car. It even shifted the tent around, with all the heavy coolers and crates, so much that a hole tore open in the floor.
Luckily all my equipment was dry. Thank goodness for Roberta and her car. Maor, Freebird, and Neil all had their stuff drenched.
Neil made it to Mt Laguna today, and I assume Maor and Freebird did, too. I got to a nearby shelter and opted to plunk down $50 for a hostel bed. The hostel is nice. I did a little laundry to wash out the dirt from my socks and some of my clothes, and it’s all drying over a heater.
I met Larry and Scott in the Hostel, and Kendall by the lodge (the only provisions store in town). Ends up Kendall has the bunk next to mine. The two former are from the area, Southern California, and Kendall is from Brisbane (pronounced “briz-bin” thank you for the education), Australia.
It was so wet I actually had some friction in my shoe and had my first blister with my Altras. It’s the lateral side of my right second toe. Boo. But it should reduce quickly.
Waiting out the storm was the right move. And I think coming here was a good move, too.
I ate at the Pine Valley Café and Tavern, which was amazing. I had a life changing chocolate croissant. Dana (from the first day on trail entry) ate there with her friend shortly after dropping me off. She texted me saying “if you’re ever in the area again, eat here”. She said the pastry chef is amazing and, as she’s training in pastry, I’d better listen. So when I accidentally ended up there, yeah, I tried the pastry. And an omelette. And it was all so good.
The trail started off out of Cibbets with mostly fresh, bass heavy squeaky, gentle powder snow. There were some areas where it was melting underneath into little rivulets of bright red clay laden slush that soaked my shoes. After about seven miles, once there was tree cover, it was just slush. Slush that reminded me of a snow cone that was forgotten about for a few minutes in an August in Tucson. Just dripping, wet, cold, slush.
Gross.
But a gross day in trail with outbursts of sun still beats a good day at work.
The sign to get off trail and to the tiny mountain town I ended up at
Forget the slush, though, it’s still gorgeous.
And an obligatory prickly pear covered in snow photo. Because.
Omg, so much snow. So much. SNOW! But it’s gorgeous, though. Your first snow hike for a LONG time! I’m glad you’re warm and clean and happy tonight. Now I’m daydreaming about chocolate croissants! (*drool*)
I need to get a photo of their croissants. They’re so good.
Please. I need to seek one out ASAP.
Oh yes!
Reading your description of the slush, and knowing it was getting inside your shoes (ugh all squelchy), I shuddered. Because we get these nasty wet March snowstorms out East and shoveling it is miserable. Your coat gets soaked through and your feet somehow get wet even wearing snow boots. I feel your pain. Truly.
What an education I’m getting reading your blog posts!! It’s like you’re speaking a foreign language….pit zips, trail angels, and briz-bin. LOL. That reminds me of my first time to Oregon, where I learned they pronounce it Or-ah-gin. And all my life everyone around me said Or-ah-gone. Beth and text often during the day and when I noticed where you had stopped yesterday I consulted google maps and discovered that spot was the Pine Valley Cafe and Tavern. Haha, what sleuthing. You know, I really love hiking but oh my gosh, slush and rain sound positively horrendous. I give you major props for that.
Our short hand can get a little overwhelming!
Slush’s sucks. But that’s why we wear wool socks — they can get wet, but they won’t get cold!