Etna, CA ~ my last little mountain town in Cali

Greetings all.  Boy it has been awhile since the last time I sat at a computer.  Rest asured it has been wild a and wonderful time in northern california.  Now at 1606 miles and just 100 more to go until Oregon, I simply can't believe I'm almost there from simply putting one foot in front of the other.  And I can surely attest that California is  HUGE STATE.   One of my favorite moments of the hike is reaching the top of Frog mountain and getting a glimps of Mt Shasta for the first time... this was the first mountain that was familiar to me and a proud moment to finally have some real perspective of how far I had come.  The views keep coming and it is hard to believe I've been hiking for nearly 3 months but every single day  has been a wonderful experience.  I am so incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to travel through some of the most beautiful mountains in the world every day.  To walk on the rocks and soil and hug the trees and watch the birds and be in the middle of it all.  It's a great feeling.

Etna is a another small little mountain town that loves to see hikers, and they  have everything a tired and hungry hiker could possibly want.  They have a hostel, library, coffee shop with excellent ice cream, and of course a brew pub =-) With nearly every hiker coming into town for a little rest and relaxation it is yet another valuble experience of being on the trail, sitting around a table with friends sharing stories and laughing until well after hiker midnight (9pm).  Many of these friends were perfect strangers until a mere 5 minutes before but they become family imediately, yet another example of magic on the trail.

I will soon be in Ashland and actually plan on taking a few days off to rest and take the opportunity to go to some plays at the Shakespere Festival in town.  My right ankle has been protesting a little more than normal as of late and it needs to take me to Canada so I better take the time to let it heal.

Peace, Love, and Happy Trails
~Beads

ps, sorry for no pictures yet, I'll be sure to find a comptuer in Ashland that can handle it, lol