Day 83 -Belden Town

7/6

Miles: 1282.4 to 1295.5

Trail Miles: 13.1

Sunrise from the ridge above Belden Town

I’d checked the delivery status of my new trekking poles when I briefly had cell service last night. They weren’t projected to arrive in Belden until tomorrow. So much for paying extra for expedited shipping. Part of me still had hope they’d arrive at the trail angel’s house in time. Either way, most of my day was going to be spent in Belden vice on the trail.

I’d camped 5 miles before the town, on a ridge above the North Fork of the Feather River. I’d wanted to camp closer but the mountainside was very steep. The map and guides showed few, if any, flat contours that were closer.

I’d been told there was a Rave in Belden this weekend – a big party/music fest. That didn’t interest me, so my goal was to get in and get out as quickly as possible. I needed pick up my resupply box with 7 days of food. Mail 4 of those days ahead to another resupply stop up the trail, get a shower and wash my clothes.

It was 0830 when I walked into Belden. Not a lot was moving. Most festival goers were still sleeping in tents and hammocks. I went to the main building, one of a handful that make up Belden Town. It was the Belden Bar/Restaurant/Store. There was a small mix of hikers and festival goers watching the World Cup semifinals in the bar. The bartender was running the whole place, so I did a quick shelf check of the store. – I might have to come back after I picked up my resupply box. A package of twinkies and a bottle of chocolate milk caught my eye. As I was enjoying my 4th breakfast, a man wearing a ‘Belden Security’ shirt came up to talk with the bartender. After their conversation, I asked the security man if he knew where the trail angel’s place was. He immediately asked if I needed a ride there. Of course I did. It was a mile away along a busy road with no shoulder.

We hopped in his car and he waited while I picked up my resupply box before driving me to Caribou Crossroads, the market and diner another mile outside of Belden. I could wash my clothes, shower and get one of their famous blackberry milkshakes.

The milkshake lived up to its billing, even after a breakfast of eggs, sausage and hash browns. I was still figuring out this nutrition/energy thing so I ate like I had the metabolism of a 12-year old kid.

I had all my chores completed when the trail angel arrived to check her mail — Caribou Crossroads also served as the area’s post office. As I was talking to her about my trekking poles, the UPS truck pulled up. No luck – no poles. I gave her my phone number and some money to mail them up the trail when they did arrive. She then gave me and several others a ride back to Belden Town.

As she dropped us off I managed to split the seat of my shorts open 6 inches while bending over to pick something up. My shorts were baggy with my moderate weight loss, so I used the hip belt of my pack to help hold them up. Well, that stressed the seam a bit when I sat or bent over. I didn’t have time to stop and fix it. Rather, I needed to get on the trail. I had a 13-mile climb ahead of me, and it was getting late. I could probably use the extra air flow given how hot it still was at 3:30pm.

The party was just getting started when I was leaving

As I walked by the Belden Bar I saw several hikers I knew mingling in with the festival goers. They teased me, trying to get me to stay. I laughed – it looked like fun – but I kept to my plan. I needed to get as much of the climb out of the way as possible. I was hoping to catch up to Smokebeard. He planned to camp at the top of the climb and he had a good 5 hr head start on me.

In the end, I didn’t catch Smokebeard that night, or for a few days. I did get a respectable 8 miles of the climb done though. It was tough and hot – the longest sustained climb of the trail yet. I solo camped next to a creek and fell asleep to the sound of tumbling water. Life was good.

North Fork of the Feather River. Early in the climb

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