July 9 - Day 79 - Looking North from Sierra Buttes

From Hwy 49 (Mile 1197.5) to Sierra Buttes Jeep Rd (Mile 1204.4)

Total PCT Miles Hiked Today: 6.9

From 4000 ft to 7201 ft

Seano here. Up, up, up out of Sierra City.

After a yummy breakfast at The Red Moose, we took our time to resupply at the very hiker-friendly Country Store that features the best sandwich chef so far on the PCT. She's amazing! The Gutbuster burger (one full pound) the afternoon before was an epic experience in calorie-loading (followed by a quart of Ben & Jerry's each, ... because ice cream is never a bad idea).

Best intentions to leave promptly in the morning and get at least 20 miles behind us -- but we had to wait until the afternoon for a package of new socks that arrived at 3 pm (unhappily, the package from my folks had yet to arrive by the time we left ... No Mom's cookies or Dad's jerky for this stretch. :-(

View of Sierra Buttes from the town of Sierra City. We'll be up there on that peak later today.

Our timing was great for climbing out of this cute little former mining town. The heat of a hot day had broken as we climbed some 3,200 feet over the course of some five miles through dense woods (where we passed the 1200 mile mark), which gave way to chaparral on sheer rocky slopes of the mountain, Sierra Buttes.



(Dionysus surprised his 13th rattler -- why does he get all the luck??)

View of Sierra City from up on the side of Sierra Buttes

 As we reached the top, we were very happy to find a plateau with a dirt road cul-de-sac where we threw down our ground cloths & sleeping bags along with three other through-hikers -- Maple, Tom Sawyer, & Yeti (later Grit, Cougar, Data and Moonshine arrived up the mountain, and put down their bedrolls, too).

Sean taking a photo of the trail we'd just hiked coming up out of the town. Other hikers are behind us on it.

Seano and Dionysus setting up camp with a 360-degree view.

Incredibly scarlet sunset from this highest mountain view sealed the day, and the skeeters waited until we were in our bags before buzzing us.

Terry Pratchett books were waiting for us inSierra City. I can hear C & C laughing as they read a few feet away. It's a most welcome diversion.


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