I woke on the 29th and found my body pretty tired. I hadn't slept well because every noise made me think the bear was back. I packed up and trudged the remaining 12 miles to highway 5, taking in the view of Castle Crags as I went (pictured). Here I turned off trail and walked the Southern Pacific railroad north 2 or three miles to Dunsmuir. I got picked up by locals and driven the last mile. They told me that the bears are particularly bad this year, and that they are getting more numerous every year.
I arrived in Dunsmuir (pictured) and picked up my resupply box at the post office. Then I headed over to a micro-brewery and grabbed a sandwich and a beer. As I sat I used my phone to look up rental car agencies, bus lines, and train schedules. I had a date to keep down in Sacramento, which I've been keeping secret for about two weeks. Castella is a town closer to the trail, but I came to Dunsmuir because it was bigger, closer to Mt. Shasta (an even larger town) and more likely to have a means of getting myself to Sac. Unfortunately there were no car rental agencies. I checked Greyhound but couldn't find a bus. As a final resort I checked Amtrak. They had one train out of town and it wouldn't leave until 1 in the morning the following day.
I texted Erin's parents to see if they could collect me from the train station in the morning, but her dad said he wouldn't mind coming to pick me up. I thought about declining, because it's a long drive. However, if Amtrak ran late, which it usually does, I wouldn't make it in time. I accepted, then went to another restaurant for coffee and bread pudding while I waited.
On the way back to Sacramento Erin's brother, dad and I planned out the surprise. We arrived at their home before Erin got off work, so I had time to shower before hiding in the spare bedroom. Erin arrived home and, thinking I was in a hotel in Dunsmuir, headed to her room for a pre-arranged skype date. A few minutes into the conversation her dad entered her room on some pretext and, seeing the skype feed, said "wow, I've never seen this before. That's so cool!" Then he exited and came down to the spare bedroom. He walked into my phone's view and handed me a glass of bourbon. "So, you ready for the hot tub then?" I didn't need to watch Erin's reaction as this all sunk in. I heard the scream and the pounding on the stairs even over the whole house fan.
I had come back as a surprise to see the opening of a theatre show that Erin is doing. She is one of the leads in a show based on Puss in Boots (she plays a princess with an eating disorder). She thought I was going to miss it, and frankly I was beginning to wonder the same thing as the pace of the last 350 miles began to wear on me. Still, I managed to get there the night before her first show, and caught the opening matinee the next day. It was a cute show and I thought she was hilarious. I snapped a picture of us after the show, before I headed off to lunch and she went back in for the second show of the day. I got specific mention in her bio as her "amazing" boyfriend. This earned me some ribbing from her family, who had gotten lumped into a general thanks to "friends and family." It has earned me the sarcastic nickname of "Amazing James" around her family now. Her dad announced to the crowd of patrons congregating outside "all hail the Amazing James!" He looked all too pleased with himself, so I asked "what, no rose petals?"
It turned out to be a convenient time for me to come off the trail and get some things done. I needed new shoes and a headlamp (I lost my old one somewhere along the trail). I also needed food, fuel tablets, and I desperately needed to resolve my passport issues. I ate some great meals, including a family style dinner at Buca di Beppo, and a home cooked steak dinner. The hot tub eased away some sore muscles and body aches, and I went to see the movie "Ted" with Doug and Mr. Henderson, which took my mind off all the same old rerun thoughts that cycle through while hiking. The only problem that persists is a sharp throbbing ache that comes and goes in the balls of my feet. I'm hoping it's not the beginnings of something serious.
I planned to stay the 30th and head back to Dunsmuir by train on the 1st. The train was sold out. Erin's dad offered me a ride on the 2nd if I could wait that long, but the scheduling worked out better all around to head back on the 3rd. By the way, I owe my former coworker, Natalie, an apology. I kept meaning to call while I was in town but got distracted with so much to get done). After a big breakfast out with Erin this morning, I said my goodbyes and she headed to work while I got a ride back to the trail. I arrived at almost 6, thanked Mr. Henderson for once again being my personal chauffeur, and made it about 2 miles before calling it quits for the day. I have 156 miles to my next resupply, and once again I can't get there on the weekend due to the post office's hours. So I'm not worried about mileage at the moment. I'm sure I'm missing quite a bit, but I'm tired and need to get some sleep. Erin has been going to work before 5 the last couple of days - so I've been getting up around 4ish to make her coffee and see her off. Now I need to get back to my trail schedule. I have hiked over 1500 miles, with less than 1150 to go. Now is the time to buckle down and make sure I'm staying healthy!
And of course, happy belated birthday to my dad!
