Section 17 - Seiad Valley to Ashland View Photos July 28 32 miles--a new personal record. I'm just 4 miles from the Oregon border. I climbed over 6,500 feet today: 4,500 feet out of Seiad Valley, a drop, and then over 2000 feet more. My feet are a little blistered but otherwise I feel OK. I left Seiad Valley early this morning after a relaxing day off. I did little except eat and do laundry. I parked in the restaurant as soon as it opened for breakfast yesterday and had a veggie cheese omelet, hashbrowns, toast, french toast, coffee, and a chocolate shake. I washed that down with two bananas and a quart of milk from the store next door. Then I went back to the restaurant and watched 4 others fail at the Pancake Challenge. No one was able to eat more than 2.5 pancakes and I felt slightly better about my own performance. A few more hikers straggled in yesterday and Tent City expanded into the suburbs. It shrank again when we pulled up stakes this morning but in another week or two the city will need its own local government. There are about 100 hikers stacked up behind us and nearly all of them will move into Tent City for at least a night. I'm glad I moved back to the country. I'm in the Siskious now. They're nice mountains but lack the lakes and sheer majesty of the Marble Mountains. I did get a good look back at the fires burning to the east of Seiad Valley, near the town of Happy Valley on the Kalamath River. Smoke filled the basin and spilled over into adjacent drainages. Fortunately for us, the PCT heads west and we soon left all traces of smoke behind. I'm camped with Charlotte, both Brians, Beth and Jamie at Bearground Spring. It should be called Cowground Spring. The spring and meadow have been trampled by rampaging cows in search of water and grass. Needless to say, I filtered the water. The cows are all around us, their cowbells betraying their presence, and the echoes make an eerie sound. July 29 23 miles. Oregon at last!!! Finally, after more than 3 months and 1,700 miles, I reached the state line at 7:10 a.m. There was no marching band, no governor with keys to the state, just a "Welcome to Oregon" sign and the deep satisfaction of having walked the length of California. Charlotte, New Hampshire Brian, Jamie, Beth, and I all shook hands, took a few pictures, and then set off again. One very long state down, two shorter ones to go. About 950 miles to Canada. I quit early today--4 p.m. My feet are blistered and sore and I don't have any energy anyway. Yesterday took a lot out of me; a lot more than I expected. I'm camped at the Forest Service campground on Mt. Ashland. The picnic table makes a nice bed. Cynthia is meeting me at the Mt. Ashland turnoff on I-5 at noon tomorrow, just 9 miles from here, so it will be a short walk in the morning. I can't wait to see her.