Well, the forecast called for nothing but sunshine last week, but...
So, last post I wasn't sure when I would leave Bucks Summit - I ended up staying the night and bicycling down to Quincy the next late-morning to catch the mid-day bus to Chester - still a freezing cold downhill, but then had a chance to warm in the sun waiting for the bus.
Bus went via the east shore of Lk Almanor - a lake very reminiscent of Lk Tahoe - a bit smaller, and mts a bit less close up to the shoreline. Usually the buses I've been taking are mostly empty, this one filled up to SRO at the Sierra community college west of Quincy, all heading to a highschool homecoming in Greenville.
From Chester, I bicycled up the Warner Valley rd then west past Domingo Springs CG to the PCT trailhead where I'd left my backpack. Locked my bike against some trees & hiked a few miles til Sunset, finding a nice spot on ridge top with last rays of sunset and first rays of sunrise bathing my campsite. Cold morning nevertheless, frost on my sleepingbag, partly frozen bottles of water. Seemed to get even colder as the day progressed, partly cloudy morning made for good photoops but afternoon progresssively more overcast and a cold fog developing, unfortunate becasue I would have had some good close views to the north into Lassen, but left with ratehr grey indistinct outlines of peaks.
Thought I must be approaching a logging road hearing rumbling of truchs, and flashes of headlights from those trucks, but it soon became obviously a developing thunderstorm, so I decided to forego a nice campsite at top of ridge near a side trail to Butt mt that would have had good views into Lassen next morning, and continued hiking by flashlight down to Carter creek, where it just felt like I was about to get dumped on, so found the first adequate site and prepared for a wet night, not a minute too soon. Bright flash of lightning across the whole sky, thunder close by, about a five minute lag and gradual patter of frozen rain drops turning a few minutes later into flakes of snow, about two inches within a half hour then tapered of.
Next morning, and most of that day, a winter wonderland, photographer's nirvana! Except, in the woods it rained snow-melt all day. Did get a chance around 2pm in a clearing of a volcanic outcrop to hang out my bag, and socks, to dry in the sun and breeze.
Next few days back to the car were still briskly cold but "dry", crunchy frozen ground dry. managed to be about a day ahead of schedule to the car, walking down to Bucks summit just at sunset with a full moon superimposed by the sunset against a hazy-pink cast on the ridges south of Bucks Summit. Photographer's delight.
Drove to Quincy to do my laundry and have a pizza next door while backing up picts, then drove to Chester and overnighted at the trailhead near my bike. Loaded that in the car first light next morning, drove back to Chester to take a shower, have coffee and a breakfast of eggs & hashbrowns while chatting with diners there, asking about the status of the Warner Valley entrance into Lassen - it may be closed for the winter. Stopped at the Bike shop and Forest Service center in town to ask a few more questions, still have a few more saved for the Park's visitor center, about to head there with the though of maybe doing a loop hike along the PCT in the park from the Summit Lake area - or see if I can put together something with the bike to hwy 89/44 north of the park from Summit Lake, and get a back country permit to camp within the park.
Unless... I can "get a ride" from hwy 44 (Sierra City area) to hwy 80 (Donner Pass) and finish off that skipped section of the trail while there's a good chunk of sunny weather forecast'
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