Today I hiked past Sallie Keyes Lake, climbed through Seldon Pass, forded pocket-deep Bear Creek and two other raging creeks, and then got lost. It's a short story.
Raven had been talking about how disappointed she was that she hadn't visited the trail angels at Casa de Luna and how she wasn't going to miss Vermillion Valley Resort, aka VVR, and that I shouldn't miss it either. She said that PCT hikers are giver free camping and a beer or other drink of their liking just for showing up. Somewhere along the way I decided to do as she suggested and visit the resort. Of course, the prospect of a free beer never entered my thoughts. I was going to be too late to take the Ferry so I took a shortcut trail along Bear Ridge, the same one Raven was going to take. It was a great trail and should have had a trail junction a few miles down that cut over to the dam on Edison Lake where VVR is located. I flew down the trail and somehow missed the intersection. By the time I realized my mistake I was already miles south of where I needed to be and on a dirt road that didn't show on my maps. The road seemed to be going in the general direction I needed to go, but I was at least many miles from my destination and too far along and late I the day to turn around; not to mention worn out. A few miles of walking the road led me to a sign I was hoping to see that said Lake Edison was to the right. By that time I was out of water and there didn't seem to be any streams nearby. I followed a poorly paved road north a mile or so when a couple of guys in an ancient Excursion stopped and gave me advice and a cup of water then drove on. Within a few minutes a Forest Service truck came by and the nice guys gave me ice cold bottles of water and Gatorade as well as showed me a map. They thought I could probably hitch the rest of the way but if not it was only four or five miles (I was already pushing 22 miles and exhausted). Two minutes later I was picked up by a trail crew volunteer as he drove north toward my destination. I can't say how thankful I was for the ride. He also picked up three other hikers at the dam; Patrick, Poppins, and Fred.
Dinner at VVR was extremely welcome and I'm now camped just outside the store where I hope to have breakfast in the morning.
Seldon Pass.
Selfie at the pass with Spice and Enda in the background.
Hikingsolo
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