After leaving Castle Crags State Park, two days in a row, I was showered by the afternoon thunderstorms. I met a hiker from this region on the trail. He said that having afternoon thunderstorms is very unusual in June. The trail took me to the conifer forest and Manzanita on the drier side of the mountains. I started to see my favorite organism called lichen on parts of the trail. I named these parts of the trail “lichen path.” They are a good reminder of a symbiotic relationship and how we rely on each other to make a living of my trail life and beyond possible. The fact that I made this far on the trail is because I’ve been receiving so much support. I was thinking about how I give back to create a relationship more like algae and fungus. I thought about writing my reflection on the trail is one way to give back to the people who been supporting me. I hope my writing inspires some thinking, and helps people to see the perspective of remembering connections. 

Appreciation: For the Castle Crag’s entrance station volunteers who helped me to charge my device and let me use the picnic area to re-organize my resupply. For Robin, a trail angel, who drove up to the Etna summit in case someone needs a ride to town and I was there and needed that ride! What an incredible trail magic! And a couple who gave me a ride back to the summit. Etna resupply was so efficient because of these people’s support.

Best learning: Leave No Trace! I’ve been doing it and part of my habit and still I left a glove somewhere on the side of the trail when I was looking at interesting small fungus growing only on the standing burned trees. I spent an hour tracing my path back but I never found it. I was so disappointed.

Challenges: thunderstorms on the first two days on this section, missing my favorite evening walk.

Disappointment: leaving a glove somewhere on the trail. 

Exciting moments: finding a sweet camp right before the hailstorm! As soon as I pitched my tent, it started and I had a shelter that protected me. Seeing the amazing sunrise over Shasta is another exciting moment. In Japan, we have a saying: early risers get good deals of three and I was like Yes! One: seeing the sunrise over Shasta, done with snow travel before it gets slushy and therefore, avoiding post-holing! These are the three good deals!