Bear Cub Spring - elevation 6,320’

I spent hours this morning trying to get my Inreach set up. I finally had to delete then reinstall the application again. I do believe it is working though. What this means is that I didn’t leave Ashland till 9:30, guaranteeing I wouldn’t get on the trail till it was in the heat of the day. 

The road to Etna summit is steep and not marked so I had a bit of trouble finding it once I got to Etna. I finally found the Hiker Hut (a kind of hostel) and asked them if the road I was on was the correct one. By luck I had found it so off I went. I arrived around noon and pulled off the road at what I assumed was the trailhead. Again, no signs. But my Halfmile’s Map application located me right at the PCT. Good news all around. 

As I was organizing myself a car pulled up and the driver said “Hey I remember you!” It was the woman who works at the Etna Motel that gave me a ride to Ashland in June. She was dropping off a NOBO hiker (north bound) who is still trying to get to Canada. Kinda late but he could make it. He admired my bumper sticker so we had an instant bond. He was soon off, trying to get 20 miles in today. Yikes!

As for myself I was hoping to get exactly where I ended up and luckily there is water in the spring. 7.5 miles felt pretty hard for me. I was in the direct sun most of that time and while my umbrella did help shield me from the direct sun it didn’t help with the reflected sun off the ground. It must have been 90, at least. But I survived and took the right hand turn to get to the spring. It’s about a quarter mile off trail, but worth it. 

The spring is flowing about a liter a minute, so not too bad. I got some water and then started the search for trees to hang from. This whole area was burned badly last year so finding two live trees, the right distance apart, was a challenge. After one failed attempt I got lucky and have the perfect hanging spot. 
I cooked my dinner at a distance from my sleep spot to discourage critters from smelling my meal right where I camped. I don’t know if it helps but I do it anyway. 
Cowgirl Pasta. Yummy. 
Tomorrow I hike first to Shelly Lake (!) then I will go to the spot I was rescued from. I called it Hemlock Campsite but it isn’t marked on Halfmile’s maps. Regardless it is 6.2 miles from my current spot and I hope to get there by lunch. I’m ambivalent about staying there or turning around and walking back to Shelly Lake. That would make a 9 mile day which is plenty good enough for me. However this leaves me 10 miles to walk back to my car on day three. What to do? 

I’ll just see how it goes.