Ashland continued 8/1-2

Feather tree? TC calls it. 

We arrived safely at the I-5 (a huge highway that stretches from Southern Ca. to Canada) once again. We have been crossing that speedway for 1700 miles. Tortuga's wife, Bat Shit Crazy Mama picked us up and drove us into Ashland. Tortuga then went back to Etna for a few days rest which is now turning into a few weeks since he has decided to volunteer his services in a consulting capacity to the busy Forest Service helping them to control the fires. This is the busy season for fires and he has a lot of experience. His adrenalin starts pumping and he wants to be part of this exciting time. Hopefully we will meet him again. He has been like a father to us eventhough FC and TC are probably older than him. 

       Ashland is a COOL town. Lot's of galleries, restaurants, incredible ice-cream parlours, Shakespeare festival, music venues, a large co-op with organic produce, first Fridays, three places to buy tea and a gong-fu tea room ( just like in Santa Cruz), big bookstore. It's another Santa Cruz but way hotter. There are only 17.000 people living there.

We did our usual shopping for food and supplies. Our motel happens to be right next to the best breakfast place in Ashland. It opens at 8:00 am and there is a line-up to get in every morning. That was convenient. 

FC ate dinner by herself in the Black Sheep Pub. She had a hankering for some soul food ( British ) and had Guinness stout on tap, bangers and mash with green peas. No one else would eat with her. Her soul food is largely frowned apon by the majority of her hiker family. She was so happy. Later she joined the rest of the group and ate some more. Sometimes she just needs to go back to her roots. This pub was big and spacious and had lots of British paraphanelia smattered about. It was the most relaxing eatery she has been to. She thinks even her brother would have been impressed and he is a frequent pub goer. The one missing link. was the absence of a beer and tobacco smell.

Mr. Sandals, Princess, Glitter, TC, Gladys,  Moxie. & FC. 

     Moxi's mother Gladys drove all the way to Ashland from Oakland to visit her daughter so there were 7 of us eating dinner at the Greenleaf. FC had already eaten but ate again. Then it was

 to the ice-cream place we went. 

Trail Angel Fire Weed takes us to trail. 

Half Mile- responsible for our GPS app.& maps for i-phone. He is famous-everyone uses his app.

Our time in Ashland was fun and as usual not too relaxing. There are too many details to take care of and a lot of eating to do. I would definitely revisit Ashland, maybe see some Shakespeare or hear some music. 

       We were driven to the trail on Sat. At 11:00  by trail angel Fireweed. She has done the PCT and is now working on section hiking the Colorado Divide Trail. She used to be a firefighter in Alaska. Seems we are surrounded by firefighters. It's a popular profession around here...FIRE. 

      Talking about fires, as we got back on trail the light was eerie and dreamy at the same time. The smoke softened the colors like mist. The sun was a shocking red-orange at sunset and the same the next morning at sunrise. It looked more like a planet and less like a star. Throughout the night and day ash fell around us. The light remained muted as we hiked today and we heard helicopters and planes flying all day. Parts of the PCT have been closed behind us. We just made it past Seiad and they closed the area. As far as we know there have been no more electrical storms close by. Rumor has it that there is a section in Washington that is closed but it may be open by the time we get there.