Tag: Etna

Day 60: Etna to Marble Mountain Lookout

Despite the prodigious amount of food I had stuffed in my face the previous afternoon and evening, the hiker hunger was back in full force when I awoke at the hostel in the early morning. I zeroed in on Bob’s Ranch House, a classic diner-style restaurant which I had heard made delicious cinnamon rolls (a personal favorite). Taking a seat at the counter, I was ecstatic when the waitress brought out a gooey hot roll the size of my head. I ordered a full omelette to go with it and ate it all, surprising the waitress with my seemingly bottomless stomach. Once again a small group of locals sitting nearby struck up a conversation and wished me well on my trek, further supporting Etna’s claim to be the friendliest town on the PCT.

The hostel had an arrangement with a local woman who would drive people up to the trailhead for $10, so I duly paid the fee and joined a couple other hikers for the twisting ride up the mountainside. Feeling refreshed and happy after my brief sojourn in town, neither the rocky trail sharply piercing through the thin soles of my trail running shoes nor the intense heat beating down through the burned out forest could dampen my spirits. I soon emerged from the burn zone and hiked past several small lakes to a bluff overlooking the distinctively white (and aptly named) Marble Mountain, where I set up camp amidst the rocks and yellow brush flowers.

Day 59: Saddle to Etna

Eager to get to the trail town of Etna (originally named “Rough and Ready”) in time for a hot lunch, I broke camp at dawn and hiked the 13 miles to the road at a quick pace. My stomach was rumbling by the time I caught up to Vick and Ronan at the trailhead. I had barely caught my breath before a truck drove by and I waved it down for a hitch, yelling goodbye to my friends as I ran after it.

The driver was a retired local firefighter heading back to Etna after visiting family on the other side of the ridge. His toddler grandson sat in the backseat, occasionally adding nonsensical comments to the conversation. He dropped me off in town at the Etna Hiker Hostel, where I booked a bed and enjoyed some care package brownies from a nice sobo couple (short for southbound, meaning hikers who start at the Canadian border and trek down to Mexico).

I made the short walk into the small downtown and got an extremely satisfying smoothie and giant burrito at the local coffeehouse, before proceeding to what appeared to be the local tavern for a drink. Once inside I felt like I had been instantly transported to a fancy cocktail bar in San Francisco, complete with house-distilled gin tasting room and a gourmet menu. Feeling very out of place with my ragged hiking clothes and unkempt facial hair, I was nonetheless welcomed by the friendly staff. I sampled a flight of the various types of gin which quickly made my head swim. I then ordered two large plates of food, eventually shambling back to the hostel full and content.