July 15:Workin' the Free Stuff

Gear companies usually want to stand behind their gear. This is usually really good for thru-hikers, who are cheap ("thrifty") and love free stuff and gear. My backpack has seen some use and has recently gotten some rips in it that I (Jess) have masterfully repaired with duct tape. We have looked online at a few packs and had considered ordering one, but thought we might as well call GoLite and at least ASK if they'd send me a new pack for free. All they an do is say no, right? Plus, if you are thru-hiking, you are a walking billboard for their gear and they know if you walk around with faulty stuff, it doesn't bode well for them in the long run.

So Mark gave them a ring (he also had some shoes that had ripped after the first week that he wanted replaced). Long story short, they are sending me a free backpack ($100) and Mark some free shoes ($100ish). We have also gotten two Platypus water bladders replaced for free ($30 each), Mountain Hardware sent me a free stuff sack ($5ish), and Leki sent us new tips for our hiking poles for free ($15). Our total is around $280 in free stuff that we probably would have had to buy otherwise! The lesson here is always ask...they might say yes!

So we hopped a bus to Dunsmuir, which dropped us at a horrible spot in the middle of nowhere (or so it felt) at an interstate exit, where we attempted to hitch to get back to the trail. We eventually learned we were close and got a ride down to a dead end road that was basically only an exit ramp for I-5.

On the advice of other hikers, we walked up the exit ramp and began skirting along the edge if the interstate near the trees (the exit for the trail was only half a mile down), and almost immediately a cop pulls over to talk to us. Instead of giving us a ride the half mile. he eventually just lets us keep walking! And we were soon reconnected with the trail where we began a grueling 5500 ft climb that would take us a day and a half.

It was beautiful terrain! Granite spires and rugged mountains everywhere. It felt like we were back in the Sierras. We even saw our first rattlesnake since the desert.

By dark we were beat, and we found some friends and relative flat space on what is called the Trinity Divide (Trinity-Shasta National Forest).

Total Miles:1528.9
Miles Today:22.4
Camp 79:Trinity Divide

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