Satan and Strawberries

Chester turned out to be a vortex of fun! After hiking in early in the morning and completing our chores (i,e. laundry, showers, grocery shopping, resupply, etc.), we had a proper meal, shared a drink with new friends on the motel porch, and relaxed in the hot tub.
We grudgingly took a hitch back to trail at 11am but ended up sitting at the trailhead for two hours putting off the inevitable. We were all feeling a little worn down realizing that we had only completed half of our journey. Despite our high after having made it to the midpoint, our focus again fell toward how far we still have to go. It didn't help that we got word that three people we hadn't seen in a while were only three miles outside of town. Of course we had to go back into town to celebrate with them! The other plus side to this decision was that the dentist's office was now open and offered PCT hikers a no-strings-attached $20 meal voucher to Maria's Mexican restaurant. We surprised Rainmaker, Rub-a-dub, and Steamer at the restaurant when they arrived. The celebration lasted until the wee hours of the night, but we managed to be more responsible the next morning getting back to trail at 9am.
The two days into Old Station were quick and painless, except on our noses; we hiked passed a boiling lake that smelled strongly of sulfur. We raced to Old Station to catch the post office. We rewarded ourselves with milkshakes!
While Ex sipped on her milkshake, a male section hiker named Strawberry pulled up in his car. Not wanting to be alone with him, she nervously glanced around for Chick Chock and New Orleans. This particular hiker had gained a reputation for being a creeper on trail. So one story goes, Strawberry was southbounding and crossed paths with Outburst. After hiking a few miles beyond her, he ran into another hiker who was bird watching. The hiker told Strawberry that he had just witnessed two eagles mating, locked together in a free fall of imminent death if the ceremony were not completed. Strawberry took this as a sign that he and Outburst were soulmates, did an about face, and ran after her. She let him down gently. His heart couldn't have been too broken because a couple days later at the William's, Bad Seed woke to him staring at her. As she got up to go to the bathroom, he grabbed her by the arm and whispered seductively, "How bad are you Bad Seed?"
He tested the waters by giving Ex some beers and two avocados telling her she was beautiful and offering her a ride to wherever she wanted to go. She accepted everything he had to offer and gave him nothing in return. Sorry mom.
That night, we cowboy camped at Subway Cave, underground tunnels created by ancient lava flows. Golden went exploring deep into the sections that were closed off to the public. With only a headlamp to find his way into the damp and dark depths, he squeezed his way passed a chainlink fence into the home of satanic rituals. Melted wax spotted the floor left over from calls to the dark one. The pentagrams and the numbers 666 sprayed on the cave walls could give anyone a shiver. He pushed deeper into the tunnels, climbing through cave-ins and over boulders that reminded him of the traps in well guarded temples. It made him feel like Indiana Jones seeking a wonderful treasure.
Although Golden made it out alive the night before, both he and Ex wanted to kill themselves hiking a 30 mile dry stretch along Hat Creek Rim. We were reminded of how much we did not miss the desert. Unbeknownst to us, that would be the last night we would hike with Solstice.
Burney Falls had many surprises in store for us. Golden Boy's friends had sent him a surprise package of freshly baked funfetti cookies, dots (his favorite candy), airplane bottles of liquor, and letters from home. Chops' mom, Valerie, was excited to become a trail angel and provided us with sugarcane soda pop, chips, sunblock, and a ride to the grocery store. Explagrance was excited to have the opportunity to tell her what a spectacular job she did raising her son, Bill Parnell. An impressed camper even gave Golden and Busted a bottle of wine. As Ex was behind them hiking in, she didn't get to partake since they were selfish brats. We hiked out of Burney Falls after the heat of the day to make our way to Castella/Mt Shasta. Although the trail was extremely overgrown, we had our first awe inspiring views of Mount Shasta. She stands thousands of feet higher than those surrounding her and is the root chakra of the world. Watching her silhouetted in the sunset the night before we made it into town was a privilege and excited us all the more.
When we arrived in Castella we found more love in the form of a surprise package from our Aunt Jodi and Uncle Rodney. Home made fudge, whipped honey, Mountain House meals, Nutella (which Ryan eats in disgusting quantities), trail mix, and other goodies, along with much appreciated words of encouragement cheered us. Getting these packages from home provides us with an overwhelming feeling of love and support, easing our home sickness, and pushes us to carry on in our journey. We love and miss you all!