[pct-l] Hat Creek Rim Swim

[Deems]

I hiked the 47 miles from Burney Falls to Old Station in four days during 
the MemDay holiday. My dog Kelly and I were able to take advantage of a cold 
weather front that brought rain, but a welcome relief from the notorious 
heat that most hikers experience on the Rim. About 15 miles of the Rim 
burned in 1987, which removed all the shade, and there's no water for a 30 
mile stretch. I drove across the Rim on Thursday and laid out 6 gallons of 
water at road crossings, and stayed that night at Old Station. Then a true 
trail angel shepherded us to the Burney Falls trailhead on Friday, and Kelly 
and I hiked back. We ran into only five section hikers, and many others 
retreated due to the rain, but I was prepared for the weather, and we had 
only minor discomfort. Good Patagonia rain gear, warm clothes, a great 
Squall tarptent, ULA Circuit pack with packcover, all our prime gear in 
plastic bags, Kelly's Ruffwear rain coat, and our will to hike in the rain 
to finish the Rim helped us succeed. I wished I had taken my Golite Dome 
umbrella, tho. The flowers were at their prime this weekend, the smells from 
the sagebrush, desert plants, and juniper were rich, and the wet texture of 
the scenic canvas we hiked across was rare indeed.  I missed many photo 
opportunities in the rain since my camera was tucked safe and dry in my pack 
that I'll remember, but here's a few photos from our swim across the rim 
last weekend.
http://www.pbase.com/losthiker/hat_creek_rim