PCT Day 86: McCloud River & Girard Ridge

Daily Miles: 28.1, Total Miles: 1496.8

I kept heading down, crossing a few gullies and came out at the McCloud River. My family camped, fished and swam on this river years ago when we were living in the Bay Area. In fact, Mrs. Haze was the first to jump off the edge of a waterfall into a plunge pool below. Our boys, 8 or 9 years old at the time were so impressed they talked about it for years. Okay boys, your daddy had to take his glasses off and put them somewhere safe and your mother jumped in front of me.

I’d say the temperature was pushing 100 degrees so stopped at every spring and creek to stay hydrated – Butcherknife, Fitzhugh, Trough and Squaw Valley Creeks to name a few. I stuck my head in several pools to bring my body temperature down a bit.

To heat things up even more, I had to climb 1,500 feet vertical at the end of the day to Girard Ridge but did get some nice views at dusk of Mt Shasta directly to the north. Hardly any flat spots so set up camp on a side trail.

The only hikers I ran into today were Jules and Kasha – they remembered meeting me on Day 3.