This was mostly an "out & back" hike starting from the Bald Mt Trailhead Campground at Little Grass Valley Reservior. A "PCT connector trail" branches off of the Bald mt Trail, reaching the PCT in about three miles. starting mid-afternoon, I first headed south on the PCT from there back nearly to the Quincy-LaPorte rd, planning to leave my pack at a "base-camp" point short of the road timed so I could do the rest out&back before dusk, then camp that first night where I'd left my pack. Only problem was, I made better time than I expected (took fewer picts?) and found myself unexpectedly at the road, pack still on, so I guess I wasted some (food) energy... ended up camping close to the junction with the connector trail.
Next day, hiked north down (waaay down) to the Middle Fork Feather River and up the other side just past Bear Creek. This was a long day, the last 40 minutes being by flashlight simply because the terrain was so steep there was no place flat enough to lay down my biv bag. (I was looking at one possibility above a large tree but I couldn't scramble the steep slope up to it. Finaly found a large "established" campsite on a shoulder a bit beyond Bear Creek (bypassing another established site right at the creek because those tend to be too cold & damp for my taste.)
Next morning I left my pack there and just a bottle of water and a small bag of "essentials": mixed nuts, a peanut butter sandwich, first-aid kit, flashlight & batteries, and camera of course, I headed north, making it at 4pm to Big Creek Rd which is 5 miles short of Bucks Summit Rd. Scurried back, (whistling all the way) to my backpack/campsite, again after dark, about 8pm. (I've taken to whistling - my own compositions or simple up & down runs to reflect the terrain - after talking to some hunters - several encounters (and more incidents of shots not far in the distance,) telling me that the tan sun-hat I'm wearing looks like a dear's hind-end. In one conversation I suggested I must look like a buck whose head & neck had already been taken as a trophy but was still reflex-walking on his front-legs, hind-end in the air because he couldn't figure out anymore which way was up.
Final day, back across the MBFeatherR gorge and back to the car just at dusk, drove a bit further towrd Quincy t othe same spot alongside the road I had used while scouting the area a few weeks earlier, then next morning (this morning) passed through Quincy with just a quick stop at the Safeway for some fruits & veges etc, (and a hot coffee) and on to Bucks Summit. Sat there most of the morning munching fresh food listening to radio, then bicycled down the west side of Bucks summit rd past bucks lake then up (regaining most of the elevation from Bucks Summit) south & east on Big Creek Rd to the PCT Trailhead which was where I stopped two days earlier, then strolled the mostly level 5 miles back to the car. Fetched my bicycle, headed to Quincy to do laundry and use the wifi at the Pizza place next door.
Pizza place is about to close. I think I'm heading north to Chester, find a spot to overnight near the southeast entrance to Lassen Park, which I assume is closed, but there were some "dispersed" sites on NF land I've used last time I was scouting that area. Plan to use the Chester Library tomorrow while it's supposed to rain/snow. will probably do some of the hikes I had scouted out earlier in that area within the next few days, then head back to tackle the Bucks Summit to Belden section of trail, which will involve a nervey bike ride down hwy 70.
This would only leave one more section I'd like to do this season - the piece from Hwy 80 to hwy 49. I've scouted out a way to possibly do that it two pieces, the northern half probbaly an out&back, but the southern half possibly involving a long bike ride with significant uphill, to Truckee, then a $50 taxi ride from Truckee to Donner Summit. I could maybe also this section all-at-once with a long bicycle ride from Hwy 49/Sierra City to Nevada City and another $50 taxi ride to donner Summit. Or, maybe I could still persuade a friend or family member to make a day-trip some weekend to Sierra City on hwy 49, picking me up there, have a short hike or picnic in the area, then later drop me off at Donner Summit. hint hint.
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