I begin Section Q, the Marble Mountain section.
This section had been closed last year. It was probably the most beautiful section of the whole trail. It actually looks quite similar to some of Washington. I am so glad I got to see it in early July with all the perfect wildflowers in bloom.
Looking back at Etna Summit. Trekker and Rich, the two guys I stayed with at the B&B are still yakking away with Dave, the owner of the B&B.
Lots of these sweet-smelling lilies on the trail.
These little succulents were pretty
Here's a better look at the succulents
This is the Scott Valley, I think. It's whatever valley the town of Etna is near.
I camped on this dry saddle to avoid mosquitoes at a nearby lake. It was a great place to camp.
These are anemones gone to seed.
This lake was leaping with fish.
The dark thing in the center is a leaping fish!
This is Man Eaten Lake. I think there should be a rule that lakes must have good names like Man Eaten. The name is not only a great name, but it seems to imply not just a potential for eating man but that a man was actually eaten by this lake.
Man Eaten Lake is now behind me as I continue onward.
There's the mountain I've been waiting so long to see: Marble Mountain.
Yellow Indian paintbrush
The Marble Mountain is far away. I knew I was going to walk right by it.
Zoomed in on Marble Mountain.
This is what a corn lily looks like after it blooms.
I'm getting closer to the big Marble Mountain.
Before I reach Marble Mountain I stumble into a forest fire crackling and smoldering away.
Flames. I walked carefully up to the flames to take a picture.
Marble Mountain is approaching
The biggest lilies were here.
Marble Mountain was absolutely beautiful.
I should have gone on the side trip to a view point. I didn't expect the trail to plunge down below the mountain. I thought I would walk all around it and stay high. It dropped down to show me the marble blocks it was made of.
Marble
The trail would take me up to the views then plunge me down to something like a creek, a bunch of marble or this cabin. Then it would throw me back up to the views again. It was quite exhausting and uncharacteristically steep.
I caught this deer licking my urine.
I was tossed back up to the mountain where there were holes in the marble on the trail.
The area around Marble Mountain looked a lot like northern Washington. California is an amazing state. It has so much variety.
Big bear poop! Those were my hiking shoes. Brooks Cascadia, an older model. They worked really well but by mid-Oregon my feet were too big for them.
I think this was the last mountain to climb before the big descent to the Klamath River and Seiad Valley.
As I descended I saw more lush undergrowth with pretty flowers in the forest.
Someone told me Grider Creek was the prettiest place they'd ever hiked. It was lush and moist and wonderful, but so much elevation loss does fill me with a certain amount of dread.
Very cool snail!
Trail in Grider Creek canyon.
I loved that this creek was actually named No Name.
There is No Name Creek.
The trail emerges at this car camp and begins a long roadwalk.
I think I'd rather speed up for the dog.
This homesteaders' garden was amazing. They obviously grew everything they needed to eat and were living off the grid. That is something I wish I knew how to do. Living off the grid seemed like a goal for a lot of people in what was now the State of Jefferson, a 51st state that never was.
The blackberries weren't quite ripe yet but I'd stop to taste them just in case.
Klamath River. According to the guide book some hikers try to ford the river. As I walked the road I thought I could see a place where you could ford the river. But where would you be on the other side? Private property maybe? In the State of Jefferson it seems like you might be shot.
Here's the official PCT bridge over the Klamath.
The trail continues down the road to the town of Seiad Valley.
Even the US Post Office isn't in California.
My tent in the hay at the RV park. I actually took a zero day here because it was too hot after breakfast the next day to start hiking. Good thing I stayed another day because Tigger, Chuck Norris, Unbreakable, No Trace and Billy Goat arrived and we had a lovely evening together.
Here is the living room in my hay campsite.
The post office and store
The store
The cafe
Home of the pancake challenge. Eat 5lbs of pancakes in 45 minutes without a reversal of fortune and they're free. I had 4 eggs and two English muffins instead.
