Decided against hurrying all the way into Ashland today. I have plenty of supplies and the weather is hot but fine.
At least, it started out fine. The smoke began filling up the valleys and creeping up to the ridges. The smell of smoke grew stronger through the afternoon.
After hiking through the remote and unpopulated areas of NorCal (or, if you prefer, the State of Jefferson), I began seeing signs of civilization. An observatory on what I think is Mount Ashland became visible. I passed through an old ski resort. Trail runners and day hikers appeared, a sure sign that coffee shops and brewpubs are not too distant. Best of all, I encountered some trail magic in the form of cool not cold (but still greatly appreciated) sodas. It has been a hot and thirsty hike, and a chance to drink something other than lukewarm water is a treat.
The log book on top of the coolers showed about 20 people on the trail ahead of me today, about 50 yesterday. The latter are probably Etna refugees that made it to Seiad without their ride breaking down. Hope they don’t clear out all the good stuff in town.
The north wind rose about 5pm and is still rising, it should blow out the smoke. My cowboy camp is a bit breezy but in deep forest. I’ll be fine if all the trees remain in their present locations. With all the tree death that has occurred during the current megadrought, scouting campsites for potential widowmakers has become another new but essential skill for hikers.