Saturday: (04/18) On trail 0730. Started with more climb, then a long down hill to the Mill Creek Fire Station. They were just leaving for a fire. They have a faucet and a table where I got water and had lunch. From there, the next water is 15 miles, another fire station. Most other sources are dry or nearly. Shortly after I left the fire station and had a view of the valley from the hill I was climbing, I called Lou. My cold has gotten worst and she worries. So I arranged to meet her tomorrow in Acton and see a doctor. I've had this cough and runny nose since January. It's gotten steadily worst this past week. I had 24 miles to go when I called her so I had to make some miles today. I made 20 miles today, oddly through the worst possible conditions. Uphill and dodging poodle dog bush all the way. 14 miles to go tomorrow. I camped at Messenger Flats CG, just past the worst section of PDB, at MM430. Just made it before dark. Hard to dodge what you can't see. Saw two deer just before arriving at camp. First big game seen.
MM430 GPS: 34.37986, -118.18963
Typical looking trail for the burned areas.
Other sections look really nice with grass.
And some look even more bleak.
An interesting difference in the after effect of a fire between Southern California and Washington is that down here the poisonous poodle dog plant fills the void created by the fire. Up North huckleberries and blue berries fill the area.
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