Old Station

Today started with a really long flat stretch that felt like it took forever but actually didn't. For lunch we stopped in Old Station for some foods and I got to send my useless bivy home to be returned.

Death Wish was picked up by one of her former trail family members to go to a wedding but made plans to meet back up with us in Burney Falls in a few days. 

At the hottest part of the day FP, Sean and I decided to check out the lava tubes that were close by. After that it was still really hot so I was basically a slug and we stopped again by a car rest stop that goes right by the PCT. A guy and his two kids who happened to be there gave us a bit of trail magic. After finishing my extra water we kept going and at the last water source for a good while we took a break, Alex went down to the source which was situated at the bottom of a steep decent next to the trail and got us all water <3

Sean got ahead and camped at a water cache that was supposed to be maintained (S was there too) FP and I got caught up in the sunset and decided to camp early so we could have a view instead of pushing the last three miles to where we planned to camp with Sean and S. 

This was also the first day we were able to really see Mount Shasta! That alone was worth camping with a view. 

Be warned. Just because you left the desert almost 1000 miles ago, don't overestimate the water availability in North California. Water sources are pretty scares and without reliably maintained caches hikers would need to be carrying a lot more water than they think they need.