Just before falling asleep we were startled a bit by a bunch of deer, hanging around only a couple of feet from our camp-spot. Photo-op, who was cowboy-camping right next to me, and I shined our headlamps at them, which did not seem to faze them them one bit. Eventually they shuffled on out of our sights and we just fell asleep.
I slept great, and Oooh today was so much better than yesterday! It would be downhill for 20 miles, where we’d chill out in Seiad Valley. A tiny community with a cafe and store. 
My general lethargy, and lightheadedness had disappeared and I felt that my energy was back to its normal level. I was playing podcasts and music and even though it was getting pretty warm in the early morning, I was just felt very relieved that I’d recovered some and was now enjoying the hiking. After 13 miles the trail stopped and there was some 7 miles of road-walking left into Seiad Valley. My opinion on road-has not changed over the course of several hundred miles; it still sucks.
After the pretty exposed and very hot stretch along the tarmac road, we finally reached the store. Several hikers were already scattered across the parking lot area behind the store, and they were quite a few beers in. I quickly hopped into the store, grabbed a pint of ice-cream and joined they cheerful group for a lovely chill-out session. Every time a large group of hikers gathers somewhere it makes me smile. The whole image of this dirty, smelly, rugged but generally very cheerful collection of hiker-trash is just really funny.
We hung out for several hours, and as it got later and later, more people were hopping into the store to get the next round. Several hikers were hitting the beers hard. The likelihood of hiking a lot more miles in the late afternoon decreased by the minute. Finally the majority managed to pull themselves together and got out for another mile of road-walking before commencing on a brutally steep climb out of the valley.
We dragged ourselves up the steep section of the climb, and with it being tropically damp and hot, we were all sweating like crazy. When we arrived at the intended camp-spot there were already a bunch of South-Bound hikers (SoBo’s) camped, so we had to come up with another plan. Fortunately there was a campsite listed another mile out. We grabbed water from a nearby spring, and made it there just before sundown. The spot is not great (small, and pretty slanted), but we managed to squeeze in together, all six of us (Rocket, Free-wheel, Peach-man, Jukebox, Pops and I) cowboy-camping.
Today was a really good day. Fun, enjoyable, and a great example of how you should just take life on trail day by day, because how you feel, can change overnight.
We’re now 33 miles from the California-Oregon border, another big mile-stone which is approaching fast! This for me is a big mental barrier which I’m real excited to surpass. After almost 1700 miles through California, I’m ready for a new chapter of the PCT!
Well, life is too short, so love the one you got
‘Cause you might get run over or you might get shot
Never start no static I just get it off my chest
Never had to battle with no bulletproof vest
Take a small example, take a tip from me
Take all of your money, give it all to charity
Love is what I got
It’s within my reach
And the Sublime style’s still straight from Long Beach
It all comes back to you, you’ll finally get what you deserve
Try and test that you’re bound to get served
Love’s what I got
Don’t start a riot
You’ll feel it when the dance gets hot
Lovin’, is what I got, I said remember that
Lovin’, is what I got, I said remember that
Lovin’, is what I got, I said remember that
Lovin’, is what I got, I said remember that
What I Got – Sublime
