Day 110: Chilcoot Creek - South Fork Scott River

Date: 26.07.2018 Miles hiked today: 33.2 Miles / 53.43 km Total Mileage: Mile 1'579.0 Today we plan a big mileage day. First, Duchess has never hiked a 30 miles day yet (its about time;)!) Second, if we hike further today, we are in town sooner tomorrow! Third, the terrain is suitable for a big mile day. The first 16 miles are either flat or downhill. So we're on trail by 6am. I'm flying this morning, motivated to challenge myself and also to not only reach camp when it's already dark. I've hiked 12 miles before 10am, including a breakfast and water fill up break, and 19 miles by 12:30 when I stop for lunch. I'm passing everyone! That's definitely my record, also the last 5 miles was an uphill hike in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. I stop at a camp site for lunch and wait for Parmesan and Duchess to catch up. I finished my food and set my alarm clock for 45 minutes, so I don't nap for hours! 45 minutes later I'm feeling good again and just as I get ready to leave Parmesan arrives. Duchess arrives only a couple of minutes later too. I decide to extend my lunch break by 15 minutes and so Apachi, Helter and Fearweather pass by, which I've passed in the morning. Together we hike on again, as there is a river coming up in less than 2 miles, in which we supposingly can dip in! The river indeed has some small pools where you can sit in and as it's a hot day again this is a welcome cool down and refresher. Also Sausage and Blue Man are here! I haven't seen them for a while! They didn't stop at Mt. Shasta and it took us some days to catch up. Together with Sausage and Blue Man I hike on, the second uphill of today. I'm really happy to have met them. We chat on our way up and I don't even notice the uphill climb. It's really nice to chat on uphill hikes or just also without any uphills :) (yes I know I have a big mouth! :)). Mostly I'm hiking on my own during the day. Every now and then you bump into other hiker friends and sometimes you hike together for a while and chat, and sometimes you just want to hike on without chatting, that's fine too. It's the change which makes it so nice. On the uphill hike we also run into some trail maintenance. I've never seen them live, but I've noticed several times that there must have been trail maintenance shortly before we passed that strech. It's nice to see them live, we really apprecciate their effort. On top of that mountain, which offers nice views, we also find Dirty Money lying in the shade of a tree and having a nap! Cheeky women! While Sausage and Blue Man decide to take a break there too, I move on. I still have to hike plenty of miles to reach camp and I would like to be there before dark. But it's a hard afternoon. It's full of small but steep up and down hills. My feet, shoulders and also my neck start to sore. The last 3 miles where hell! But I made it to camp shortly after 7pm, so glad to have arrived! And not a bad time for over 30 miles. First thing, get out of your shoes! Then wash your legs, feet and face and whatever parts of your body in the river. What a treat! I'm clean, set up my tent, cooked and eaten dinner when Duchess arrives at 8:30pm. But still no sight of Parmesan. However, he said yesterday that his shins are hurting and it looks like shin splints. This is not fun and you better take care. So he's walking very slowly, taking his time and only arrives at camp at 9:15pm, when I'm already in bed. While I'm falling asleep poor Parmesan still has to pitch his tent and cook dinner!