A heatwave was starting today, because of course it did. I could take it. We’d start the day doing a 7000 feet climb. Such joy. Stinger’s mom drove in around 8h30 and brought us some trail magic. Mouse and Stinger had come with her to the Caribou Store where we camped last night.
I was in a foul mood for a while after they left. The heatwave forced us to head back to Belden and stay in the restaurant (the only building that constitutes the ‘town’ of Belden). A single woman manned the entire place and was waiter, bartender and cook. She was also most likely on drugs (later I would hear from Pincushion that he saw her shooting something up her arm behind the building). Oh yes, Belden definitely fell into the category of weird-ass towns along the trail.
Around 5pm, it cooled down enough for us to get moving. Lucky Charm had left early in the morning, separate from us, so that left me, Mash, Merlin, Marble and IPA. The climb up was blisteringly hot. Not warmer than the desert, but way more humid. I was wet all over. Sunscreen streamed into my eyes, carried by sweat. I had to use some of Mash’ wet wipes to stop my eyes from watering. It kept on going and going.
Finally, we made it to the forest. Or what was left of it. The Dixie fire had raged in this place, exactly one year ago today. Only carcasses of trees remained here, the ground a thick layer of grey ash. It was as if the entire forest had been the battleground of fire-blazing dragons.
Not long after, a cracking sound next to us startled me. A bear! Clambering up the side of the valley on logs and branches, was a beautiful brown coloured bear. This was technically my second bear, but the first that I saw on trail. To think that these majestic creatures still lived here, even with how scarred the land was, made me hopeful.
We continued on, two furtive pygmies making their way through a land of ash and scorched titans. I lack the words to describe what it felt like to see so much decay. Black stumps, most of them once century old trees, stretched out endlessly, in every direction. Specks of ash fluttered through the air. Many of the water sourced had a grey sheen to them. I was afraid to sit down or put my stuff anywhere, the ash was literally everywhere.
Day turned into night and the temperature slowly dropped. Headlamps shot to life and we marched on. Giant millipedes seemed to suddenly come out and I saw many on the trail. Some as big as my hand. Right before our camp I jumped up in terror. Right in front of me on the trail, a giant toad looked me straight in the eye. Apparently, the Belgian in me came out when I shouted, according to Mash. Merlin, never afraid to pick up anything, grabbed the toad to have a closer look. As toads tend to do however when threatened, it started peeing. Luckily it didn’t hit Merlin and she put it back safely on the ground.
At 11pm, we cowboy camped on the rocks, the only place far away enough from all the dead trees that could fall over at any time. It would only be a short night, our alarms set to 3h30am, so we could get the most out of the colder hours.