End of the Snow Barrier July 11th

It wasn't the bears, rattlesnakes, pumas or the lone jackalope that made John and Anthony postpone their trek. It was slippery, mushy snow on the steep mountain slopes. They gritted their teeth and retreated to their homes until such time as the snow would cease to be a hindrance. When the mountain snow reports indicated safer travel conditions they headed to Red Bluff, to Cass and Karen's ranchito. John and Anthony left extra supplies with Cass and Karen for the second leg of their "go around and catch up" where they had to go back to Etna. The boys got dropped off at the trailhead along 1-5, just north of Castella and next to the Sacramento River at 8:30 AM on July 11th. As they walked under the freeway, John looked for the jackalope he had seen when they were picked earlier.

They hiked 14 miles around a mountain their first day back on the trail. 

"I bet we could've done this part, even with a little snow," Anthony said when they chose a spot to settle in for the night. The wind blew hard and kept blowing out the fire on Anthony's camping stove. They heard a whooshing coming up the slope. The wind would not settle down. John came over and used his body as a windbreak. A twig fell from a tree and smacked him on the head. "It's a good thing we aren't in Hawaii and that twig wasn't a coconut," Anthony said and laughed. 

The following morning the sun illuminated their tents. John unzipped his tent and squinted in the bright sunlight. "Hurry and get up!" he yelled. "There's no wind and if you want hot coffee, you better get out here." They hiked almost 20 miles the following day and settled in for the night on the bank of Deadfall Lake. "Why do you suppose they call this Deadfall Lake,: Anthony asked. 

John looked up to the top of the ridge 750 above them. "Maybe some dude fell into the lake from up there,"' John said.