Days 84, 85, Chester Nearo & Zero

Part 3, Northern California, Days 84, 85

Chester Nearo and Zero

Miles: 9.18

Total Miles: 1334.7

After about 250 miles and 11 straight days of hiking, I was pretty excited for a zero day. I was also pumped to go to Chester, a town I'm pretty familiar with from vacationing up here during my childhood. 

I woke up this morning at Soldier Creek to see about 8 tents crammed all over the hill. I packed up quick, knowing that all us thru hikers were planning on hitching to Chester, and a large group presents problems for hitchhiking. I hit the trail quickly. 

There are an endless amount of logging roads around here. 

This deadfall across the trail was a real head scratcher. It took time and thought to get around it.

I saw this sign and took a picture, luckily, because I'd soon be using this resource.

When I got to Highway 36, it was close to 8am and there was little traffic. 

I crossed the road looking for the trail magic on the other side and saw Half Slow! I haven't seen him since the desert, and I caught up with him for while before he headed southbound for a section. There was several coolers and a hiker box. I was waiting for town to get food, but I signed the register. I found this sign in the hiker box:

Pine Stick was here too. This guy is awesome. We hung out for awhile before trying our hitch into town. Here is Pine Stick going through some trail magic, that happened to be apricots.

We had no luck for 30 minutes with our hitch before Cool Whip, Avalanche, and Caveman showed up. More hikers arrived and soon there was 10 dirty hikers standing by the highway. I called the trail angel I saw advertised and she said she'd be there in 40 minutes. The trail angel, who goes by "Piper's Mom" showed up just as a truck stopped, so all 10 of us got rides at the same time. Piper's Mom took us to Chester and dropped us in the middle of town.

I thanked her and went straight to the Kopper Kettle Cafe.

I sat at the bar and ordered pancakes, of course!

These were the best on trail so far. I couldn't even finish them and they were so good! I was sweating after I ate these, and not from the sun. Other hikers would later tell me these were the "food sweats." I wandered to the hardware store and bough some fuel.

I walked to the Best Western and got a room. They gave me a massive room, for some reason, but it was so nice.

I went to work fast since I knew a storm was brewing. I walked to the hiker heaven known as Dollar General to get some resupply.

I went to some thrift stores and walked around town.

I did my laundry; the water in the washer was black from dirt.

I walked to the market to finish my resupply and noticed the sky getting darker.

With all my town chores done, I returned to my room and washed my tent in the shower. I flushed my water filter, scrubbed my pack and organized my food. Somewhere around 6pm I looked outside and it was mayhem.

There was lightning and loud thunder, and so much rain that the streets were flooding. I felt so damn lucky to be off the trail, I can't even tell you! I hung out with some hikers and we watched the Lightning light up the sky for awhile. I watched tv until way too late and just relaxed.

The next morning I relocated to a cheaper motel that was still very nice. 

Check out the sky:

I had to wait until check in time, so I wandered for a few hours. I bought a new t shirt at a thrift store to replace my expensive wool shirt that was riddled with holes. I bought an old favorite to read:

I went to the church because there was shade and it was empty. Little did I know, the church provided the best trail magic in town!

Nobody was around, but there was boxes loaded with goodies. 

There was a bathroom inside, camping out back, a fire pit; if it weren't stormy, I'd totally camp here! 

I went back to my new room right S the storm was beginning. The sky was a sinister shade of dark that I've never even seen before.

The rain and lightning started and wit it, the loudest thunder I've ever heard. It sounded like cannons! People all over Main Street were outside simultaneously looking at the sky with nervous wonder. 

It's going to storm again tomorrow, and though I'd rather not venture out into the storm, I've spent too much idle time here. I'm going to get wet, but that's life. Time to get some sleep.