D95-D101 A lava tube, a pool, and a bear 一個熔岩管、一個游泳池、一隻熊

Days 95 to 101:

After 3 nights in Chester, I finally left. The tricky part about leaving Chester is that after 15 miles you enter Lassen Volcanic National Park, where a bear canister is required for overnight camping. Of course most hikers, including me, already got rid of their canisters after the Sierras. Most people therefore do a half day out of Chester, 10 or 15 miles, then walk all the way through the park the following day for 19 miles and camp somewhere beyond that. I chose to stay in Chester one more night the day before, so today I was going to try to get to the park and clear it one day, over 34 miles. This would be a new personal best for me. 

在Chester過三天後終於離開了。離開Chester有一個重要的考量點，前面二十四公里步道會進入火山國家公園，在公園裡過夜要用熊罐儲存食物，但大部分的人離開內華達高山區就把熊罐寄回家，我也不例外。因此，大部分的人離開Chester時會走半天，十幾公里到二十公里左右，隔天早上進入國家公園後再走三十公里以上穿過國家公園，離開後隨便找地方紮營。我昨天下午決定先不要離開Chester，在小鎮再過夜，今天一大早出發也不想走半天而已，所以決定在一天內走到公園的邊境再穿過公園，總共五十五公里，成功的話今天會是我個人的新紀錄。

The going was so easy at first, soft ground and shady, with a nice wide clearance. Well, easy if you're on foot, not easy if you're on four wheels (WTF?). 

剛出發的時候路很好走，地板軟軟又有樹蔭。應該說用走的路很好走，開車來這裡比較困難...

Once inside the national park, the first item of interest was Boiling Springs Lake. The lake’s water was an eerie non-transparent green and the soil around it was red. This is definitely a volcanic park, as you can see.

國家公園裡的第一個景點是沸泉湖，湖水的顏色是一種奇怪不透明的綠色，周圍的土壤都是紅色的，看得出來這裡是火山地。

As I checked on my progress, I discovered I would be near Drakesbad Guest Ranch just after 1 p.m. Originally I was planning to skip this place, but 1 p.m. was exactly the right time for their hiker lunch. Once again, some of my fastest miles on trail were motivated by the promise of food. I stepped on the gas and made it there by 12:45.

這時候我開了app看今天的進度而發現我大概下午一點會經過一個觀光牧場，我本來打算跳過這個地方繼續走但是一點剛好是他們讓登山客點午餐的時間。我好像每一次發文都會提到自己要為了吃東西而趕路，這一次也不例外，我速度加快，一小時五公里以上，12:45就走到牧場了。

I caught up to a new group of hikers here and chatted with them for a bit until the regular customers were done and the hikers got called in. For a reduced price, hikers get to clean up the buffet after the ranch guests have finished their meal. Yes… BUFFET!  This was possibly the best 12 bucks I've ever spent. Three plates of quality food and unlimited ice-cold drinks and I was full! I think I’ve only felt full about three times since the beginning of the trail; I love this place!

我在這裡認識到一群尚未遇過的登山客，中午住牧場的正式客人會先吃午餐，一點登山客才可以近來吃剩的，所以我跟其他登山客坐著聊天等一點。午餐我們想要吃多少就可以吃多少，只要有剩我們就可以繼續吃，而且只要十二元美金，超划算的耶！吃完三盤、喝完不知道幾杯冰飲後我竟然吃飽了，從第一天到現在沒有幾次我真的感到很飽，我好愛這個地方！

I was actually ahead of schedule leaving the restaurant and it's a good thing because I found somewhere else to spend an hour later in the day. The trail passed right by a nice lake with a sand bottom, perfect for swimming.

雖然在牧場待了一陣子但我回到步道上竟然比預計的時間早，幸好我進度這麼快，下午我又找到一個捨不得跳過的地方。步道旁邊有一個漂亮的湖泊，而且湖底是沙子，我忍不住進去游泳。

In the evening I walked through an old burn area and, just before leaving the park, I finally saw what I think is Mt. Lassen, the volcano the park is named after. It has been so smoky here that it hasn't been visible yet from the trail.

傍晚我走過幾年前被燒掉的森林，然後快要到離開國家公園的邊境的時候我終於看到Lassen火山，國家公園名稱的來源。這幾天煙太濃了，風景都看不到。

Just after sunset I cleared the park boundary and found a campsite. 34.6 miles (55 km) in one day, done! Instead of being a long, punishing day, this was actually one of my favourite days thanks to the buffet lunch and great swim. The trail never stops surprising me.

太陽剛下山不久我走出國家公園並找到不錯的營地，一天內成功走完55公里。一天走這麼遠我本來意外會是一種酷刑，結果今天是我在PCT最開心的日子之一，沒想到今天會吃吃到飽的午餐，也沒想到會找到這麼舒服的湖泊，這條步道不斷地給我驚喜。

The next day started off flat and shady again on an idyllic section of trail.

隔天一開始也是平緩路，樹蔭多，十分舒服。

Soon, it got exposed and hot. Luckily, there was a tourist attraction right near the trail where I could escape the heat. This is the entrance to a lava tube.

不過，很快就沒樹蔭，天氣也變熱了，好在這附近有個觀光景點，到裡面就可以避暑。這是熔岩管的入口：

A long time ago, lava flowed over the ground here. The outer part cooled and hardened and formed a tube, while hot lava continued to flow on the inside for a while. Eventually the lava supply ran out and the tube inside ran empty. Now we can walk through this tube.

很久以前火山噴出的岩漿在這裡流過去，後來岩漿河最外面的溫度下降使岩漿變硬並形成了管狀岩石，管內的岩漿因為可以維持原來的溫度而繼續流動，直到岩漿全部耗盡並流出去了，這時候只剩下外面比較早變硬的管狀岩石，也就是我們現在能走進去的「熔岩管」。

On the ceiling, there are even “lavacicles”, where rock started melting down and then froze, just like icicles.

上面甚至有長得像冰柱的「熔岩柱」，形成的模式跟冰柱一樣，岩漿開始滴下來但滴到一半就變硬了。

The trail after this had no shade, climbed up a lot, and it was a very hot day. On top of that, the arch of my left foot started hurting a lot. This made for miserable walking and I was seriously wondering if I was going to have to stop many miles short of my planned campsite. It was also a dry section of trail with no water for 16 miles so I was carrying extra water weight, and trying not to drink too much despite the heat. Just when I couldn't imagine things getting any worse, I got online and found out there was a forest fire ahead. This could mean the trail would close soon, and it could mean that the place I was going to spend the day at tomorrow relaxing might not be open. I was feeling very frustrated until…

離開熔岩管後完全沒有樹蔭，要一直往上爬，天氣非常熱，加上我左腳的腳心開始痛，走起來很辛苦，我懷疑可能要放棄原計畫的營地，早一點停下來。這一段也剛好有二十六公里沒有水源，水要揹特別多不過因為今天的天氣也需要喝特別多，真這麼。當時我以為事情不能再麻煩了，不過我上網查PCT的現況時發現前面大概一天的距離而已有個森林火災離步道不遠，範圍再大一點步道就會封閉，而且我明天打算去休息的地方或許也會受影響。熱，累，渴，腳痛、失望，我已經受不了今天了，快要崩潰了，然後我就看到...

Trail magic!! Ice-cold drinks in coolers, donuts, Pringles, granola bars, fruit, shade, and a real chair to sit on!! This couldn't have come at a better time. I was hot, thirsty, hungry, and needed a place to sit and rest my foot. This was all of those things. (I’m almost tearing up just remembering this moment as I type the blog.)

冰汽水、甜甜圈、品客、燕麥棒、水果、樹蔭、還有一張椅子讓我坐。這一起trail magic出現的時刻真的剛剛好，前面提到的問題全部一次解決了。（我寫部落格的時候回想當天的心情差點流眼淚）

For the rest of the day, I decided to switch to my trusty Croc for the problem foot. I didn't have any more pain once I switched. These shoes are like magic.

休息完我決定今天剩下的路我左腳要穿我的塑膠鞋，換鞋後腳都不會痛了，塑膠鞋真是了不起。

As usual, the evening walk was scenic. The trail this afternoon and evening followed the edge of a cliff with great views of the valley below.

傍晚走又是一天內最漂亮的時段，今天的步道一直沿著斷崖走，下面遠方的平地看得很清楚。

I set up camp earlier than planned, so that my foot could rest and so I would be ready to get up earlier the next day.

我今天紮營的時間與地點比原打算的早，我想讓左腳多休息，明天早上也想要很早起床。

The Perseid meteor shower was supposed to peak these two days, so I set my alarm for 4 a.m. Then I just set my sleeping pad and quilt outside the tent, boiled up some tea, and watched the meteors for an hour before dawn. What a great way to start the day!

這兩天剛好是觀看英仙座流星雨最佳的時段。我鬧鐘設凌晨四點，起床後把睡墊和睡袋放在帳篷外面的地上，泡了杯熱茶，就這樣躺著在日出前一小時看流星雨。如果每天都可以這樣開始該有多好！

Today I was going to walk to Burney Mountain Guest Ranch instead of going into the nearby town. I was awake early enough to catch the sunrise, red from all the smoke around.

我今天打算走到Burney山觀光牧場，附近的小鎮Burney直接跳過。因為前面有森林火災所以今天的日出特別紅。

The trail this morning went through more old lava fields.

早上步道又經過熔岩平原。

Before noon, I arrived at the oasis that is Burney Mountain Guest Ranch.

中午前就走到今天的目的地，Burney山觀光牧場。

This place is perfect for hikers. There are showers with towels, laundry machines with loaner clothes you can wear while yours are in the wash, and hiker boxes. There is also an excellent resupply store with almost everything hikers usually want. The selection is even better than most grocery stores!

這裡非常適合登山客休息、補給。有淋浴間，有浴巾可以借，有洗衣機，有舊衣服給我們洗登山衣服的時候穿，還有hiker box。補給商店裡的食物挑得很好，全部都是登山客最常需要的，甚至有很多在外面的超市找不到的東西。

For 25 bucks, you get access to all these services, a place to camp, a meal, and access to the swimming pool! Needless to say, I spent the entire afternoon there almost forgetting I was even on trail.

只要25元美金就可以利用這些設備，也可以在他們的庭院搭帳篷，費用也包含一餐，然後最重要的是可以進去游泳池。認識我的人應該都已經猜到了，我那天下午一直在游泳池那裡，看書，吃冰淇淋，喝冰飲，游泳。度假的感覺讓我差點忘記我正在走PCT，真是放鬆到底了。

They had a nice 3D map of California here, much like one I have of Taiwan back at my house in Kaohsiung. It was really cool to see where we have walked since the Mexican border, through the highest terrain available. I traced the trail roughly on the picture with my phone.

他們有一張立體地圖，張得象我高雄家裡的臺灣地圖，只是這張是加州的。在地圖上看到我們從墨西哥邊境到現在走過的整段步道很有趣，看得出來步道都走最高海拔的區域。我用手機畫線讓你們看到PCT大概在哪裡。

I decided to buy breakfast the next day, as well. The owner made us biscuits and gravy, eggs, hash browns, and as many waffles as we wanted for just ten dollars. The waffles are whole grain and her special recipe that she’s been working on for years. I can never go back to plain, boring waffles again!

隔天早上我決定跟他們訂早餐。老闆娘幫我們煮白醬比司吉（美國特有的早餐料理），雞蛋，薯塊，還有吃到飽的鬆餅，只要十元美金。鬆餅是全穀物麵粉做的，也是老闆娘好幾年研發出來的，超好吃的，以後我可能無法再吃普通的鬆餅了。

We had yet another smoky sunset the evening before, still from the Carr fire in Redding, but in the morning the smoke had cleared.

昨天的夕陽受附近森林火災的影響所以很紅，但今天早上那些煙都已經飄走了。

Today, I had planned to leave early but the temptation of breakfast and a morning by the pool was too great. This has been my absolute favourite rest stop on the whole trail! Good food, good services, nice hosts, and a pool, what else do you need? Finally in the middle of the afternoon I headed out. There are still a lot of miles to go to Canada, after all!

我今天本來要早一點出發，可是我太捨不得游泳池和老闆娘的食物，在這裡又當個廢物，休息了半天。這裡是我這幾個月以來最喜歡的休息站，吃的好吃，服務項目完善，主人人很好，還有游泳池，有了這些有誰不會滿足嗎？下午三點左右才終於出發，畢竟加拿大還很遠，最好繼續走。 

Today’s main event was Burney Falls. This place is unique because just one mile upstream from the falls the creek is dry. A huge amount of water comes out of the ground suddenly and creates a gorgeous waterfall nearby.

今天主要的景點是Burney瀑布。這個瀑布的特色是上游一公里多溪床是乾的，然後在一公里內有大量的水從地下流出來，下游不遠的瀑布水量已經很大了。

Late in the evening I passed one of many, many dammed lakes in Northern California near the trail.

傍晚我經過一個水壩造成的湖，北加州有很多類似的湖。

The following day I finally got a view of Mt. Shasta. This volcano should have been visible for days before but because of the smoke it was invisible. There was a window of blue sky today and I was shocked to see how big this thing was all of a sudden:

隔天我終於看到Shasta山，其實從好幾天前開始就應該能夠看到這座山，不過煙太嚴重了所以都看不到。今天終於有藍天，突然看到Shasta山這麼近我有點嚇到：

Soon enough, more smoke rolled in, but it didn’t detract much from the views today. Northern California’s mountains are much less rocky and steep, which makes for some nice easy walking but still provides some nice views:

不久後又飄起煙過來， 不過風景還看得到。北加州的山比較不陡峭也比較沒有裸露的岩石，走起來很輕鬆，展望也不錯。

Today was a day of close animal approaches, too. I came across a doe and her two fawns. One of the fawns was much more curious than the other and got closer to look at me while the other one hid. I walked right beside the doe on the trail and it didn’t even run away.

我今天看到很多野生動物。首先我看到母鹿和兩隻小鹿，其中一隻比較有好奇心，牠比較敢靠近我而另一隻躲在後面，母鹿也不怕人，我經過牠的時候牠沒什麼反應也沒跑走。

Later on I came across a buck when collecting water. He followed me back to the trail and just stood there watching me, unafraid.

後來我在支線取水的時候看到一隻公鹿，牠跟在我後面一直到到我接回主線步道，然後就在那裡站著不動看著我，十分自在。

And finally, after a hundred days on trail… finally, I saw a bear. He was walking in the trees above me, so I couldn’t get a good picture of him. I wasn’t too nervous seeing this bear, as he looked quite small and was alone.

走了一百天，今天終於看到....熊。牠在山坡上面一點的地方走過所以很難拍照。這一隻熊比較小隻而且獨自走所以我比較不怕被攻擊。

He came down to the trail and noticed me. He froze in place and stared at me for a good ten seconds as I stared back. Then, he suddenly bolted downhill and was out of sight in seconds. That night I camped with two others I had recently met, an American named Redwood and a Japanese guy named Rockhand. After a bear sighting so close by, it was nice not to have to camp alone!

牠一直往下走知道牠站在步道上，那時候才看到我。牠看著我大概十秒，都沒有動，我也看著牠。最後牠突然往山下跑走，幾秒後根本看不到牠了。那天晚上我跟另外兩個人紮營，美國人Redwood還有日本人Rockhand。剛才看到熊，能跟別人一起紮營我就比較放心。

I don’t like camping alone. Before leaving the trail for a week in July, I had only camped alone once on the entire trail. This surprised a lot of people, but I found I slept more easily with other people around so I always opted for big campsites where it was likely others would be camped as well. After my week off and the days with my friend Sana, I got back on trail far to the south where almost all of this year’s PCT hikers had already passed. This meant I had to camp alone several nights in a row. It will be nice to jump ahead soon and get back on the trail with more people around.

我不喜歡自己一個人紮營。在七月我離開不到去加拿大之前，七十天內我一個人紮營只有一個晚上。這讓很多登山客感到驚訝，因為他們都已經一個人紮營過好幾次了。我發現晚上旁邊有別人我就會比較安心，所以會睡得比較好，因此我都儘量找大一點的營地，在這種營地遇到別人的機會比較大。不過我離開太浩湖後有一個禮拜在加拿大，十天跟Sana走別的路，所以我回到太浩湖時，大部分的登山客都已經在很前面了，很早就經過太浩湖了。回到太浩湖後我連續好幾天都是一個人紮營的。其實我很期待接下來可以跳過我跟Sana走的那一段，往前跳之後應該就會有很多登山客。

Today, I finally finished walking the section up to Dunsmuir, which is where I ended when walking with Sana a couple weeks ago, right around the 1500 mile mark.

我今天終於走到Dunsmuir第二次了，這是我跟Sana兩個禮拜前往南走的那一段的終點，這附近是PCT一千五百英里的里程碑。

The trail was straight south of Mt. Shasta, which was visible even closer today during a brief window of blue sky.

步道目前在Shasta山的正南方，今天有一小段時間沒有煙，看得很清楚。

Soon enough, the smoke rolled in again from the Redding fire. This ruined the view of the volcano but created an interesting sunbeam effect in the forest.

煙很快又飄回來了，Shasta山看不到了，不過在樹林中有個漂亮的現象：

From here, I don’t need to keep walking as I have already done the next 155 miles of the trail this year with Sana. I have to take a bus to the north and get back on the trail near the California-Oregon border.

到了這個路口我就不用繼續往前走，前面155英里那一段我已經跟Sana走過了，我要搭公車往北坐到我和Sana的起點，那個登山口很接近加州與奧勒岡州的邊境。

Redwood and I got a ride into Dunsmuir and had a nice burger and beer at the brewery, and then parted ways. He needs to keep walking from here, but I’m jumping further north. After 101 days, California is almost finished!

我跟Redwood一起搭便車到Dunsmuir，在製酒廠餐廳吃漢堡喝一杯來慶祝剛走完的這一段。吃完我們就分開了，他要從這裡繼續往前走，我反而要往北跳。走了101天，加州段終於快要結束了！