@40.44262,-121.39420
Had breakfast and bade farewell to Chester, a town of gracious friendly people. The motel owner popped out to tell me he would be happy to give me a ride back to the trail if I had trouble hitching and then popped out again a few moments later to point out the regional transit bus pulling up to the grocery store that would stop at the PCT trailhead if requested. I paid my $3 and was on the trail and hiking by 9.
The trail was a good deal less dusty on this side of the highway and the forest more park like, featuring many sugar pines of 150 feet or more. Lassen was visible from the high spots as well, making for a pleasant and scenic hike. 
Had lunch at YAFFR (yet another fork of the Feather River), seems like this is the fifth or sixth one I’ve crossed. Unlike the others, this one required only a thousand foot climb in and out of its valley. 
I took a detour down to see Terminal Geyser, which is not actually a geyser but a prolific steam vent chugging away. I sat for a while and tried to hear voices in the steam – the Delphic Oracle of the ancient Greeks was a vent whose murmurings spoke prophecy to its priestesses – but heard only steam escaping from the underworld. As usual, I am much too literal and analytical to be any fun at parties.
Also took the side loop around Boiling Springs Lake which looks like a giant lake of perfectly smooth guacamole but of course smells like rotten eggs.
Camped at the car CG at Warner Valley, which has bear lockers and thus allows me to circumvent the Parks requirement for bear canisters. But bearproof lockers are rarely mouse proof. I’ll leave my food in its Opsak inside my pack and trust that the bears have learned not to freeload at this campground.
Also just now scored some fresh fruit for breakfast from a fellow camper, a nice little touch of trail magic. Hoping for continued smooth sailing tomorrow.