Day 23: Deep creek

13th May 2013
Mile 286 to mile 308 : Burnt campsite to Deep creek hot springs.
Mileage : 22
Today was less about hw hiking and more about what happened at the beginning, middle and end. Just before going to bed i heard 2 hikers up on ridgeline  heading towards the campsite making a huge about of noise given it was after hiker midnight. This morning we got the story for what happened : They think they saw a mountain lion, but really all they saw were two great big eyes staring at them for a minute from father up the trail. It is fair to say they were pretty freaked out by experience, and rightly so. Although confirmed mountain lion sitings are very rare, they do happen from time to time, so maybe the did see one? This wasn't the only animal encounter of the day as i saw my first rattlesnake today, and although saying i was freaked out would be going a bit far, i was definitely a tad un-nerved. It was big for a start, though everyone else said it was small, and with its tail doing its thing it was very menacing eventhough it was trying  to slither out of sight when Kat saw. I hope i dont encounter too many more of them to be honest.
The major pause for the day was just after midday, at the entrance to Deep Creek, a well known local canyon with hot springs at one end. A sign a the bridge over he creek directed us to trail magic from Donna and Keith, two section hikers about to start on their own PCT adventure and wanting to fill their Karma bank before setting off. Also at the stop was an Indian group having their monthly social gathering complete with the biggest spread of homemade food i have ever seen who offered us their leftovers. Much curry and many chipatis later we plodded on down the creek to our destination for he night, the hot springs. It was long and hot as we wound our way into the canyon, the heat i think is here to stay until we get to the Sierra in 300 miles time, it is going to be painful.
Eventually the hot springs came into view, and with it lots of lardy middle aged naked men and women as the springs are 'clothing optional'. The springs themselves were hot, and on a cool day must be very welcome, but after.our ordeal too hot for anyone to stomach fo more than a couple minutes. A fairly anti climactic end to the day.

My first rattler did not want to be photographed and was disappearing before I could get a good picture, but his tail is proof!

Deep Creek Hot Springs, thankfully in this shot devoid of naked plump middle aged men