NO. 16 OF 26 · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA · MILES 1503 TO 1602 · ELEVATION 2,100 TO 7,600 FTPHOTO #1825 · DAY 88 · ROUTE: TRAIL LINE + STRAVA
DAY 87 · JUL 25, 2021 · CAMP ESTIMATED
“PCT day 87: big climbin to Porcupine Lake”
23.9 mi5,804 ft7:583.0 mph
trail mi 1503 · 2,133 ft2,133 to 6,757 ft
DAY 88 · JUL 26, 2021 · CAMP ESTIMATED
“PCT day 88: Trinity Alps”
29.3 mi1,568 ft9:473.0 mph
trail mi 1529 · 6,613 ft6,023 to 7,526 ft
DAY 89 · JUL 27, 2021
“PCT day 89: Crazy busy camp”
26.0 mi5,207 ft9:152.8 mph
trail mi 1560 · 6,051 ft5,461 to 7,406 ft
DAY 90 · JUL 28, 2021
“PCT day 90 (p2): out of Etna · PCT day 90 (p1): into Etna”
21.5 mi3,343 ft7:442.8 mph
trail mi 1588 · 7,165 ft5,951 to 7,165 ft
100.7 miles tracked·4 days, July 2021·25.2 miles a day·Strava crown Castle CragsNorthern California, leg 16 of 26
Shasta to Etna
Up the Castle Crags climb fast enough for a Strava crown, through the Trinity Alps at 25 miles a day, and into and out of Etna on day 90.
By Jeffrey “Atlas” Combs · walked Jul 25–28, 2021 · published · updated
Day 87 I titled “big climbin to Porcupine Lake.” The climb out of Castle Crags has a Strava segment, Pacific Crest Trail Climb, 2.9 miles and 1,844 feet at a 12 percent average grade. My 1:04:07 that day was the course record. I held it for six days, until someone ran it in 57:14 on July 31. As of October 2026 I’m 15th of 426 on it.
All I remember of the climb is that I think I just went off and climbed. The day ended by a clear green lake in the granite.
Quoted lines are from my 2021 logs, verbatim.
Day 88 was 29.3 miles, titled “Trinity Alps,” and it started with a smoky sunrise over a lake basin. Day 89 was 26 more, past 2,500 kilometers laid out in sticks and into the Trinity Alps Wilderness with the range out in front of me.
Strava calls day 89 “Crazy busy camp.” My FarOut comment from that site, at mile 1587.9: “If you thought this camp site would be busy you would be correct. Around 15 campers. There was a solo spot up the hill before this spot. Recommended if you don’t want someone farting in your face (literally).”
Day 90 I came across the ridges with Shasta back on the horizon, passed 1600 in sticks, and went into and out of Etna the same day. At Etna I left this on FarOut: “Skipping to Etna is completely unnecessary. Mild smoke day one out of dunsmuir/shasta, completely clear rest of the way.” On Instagram that day I posted “I’m really good at walking.”
Start // I-5 at Castella, mile 1503
Finish // Etna Summit, mile 1601.5, into town and out the same day
Camps // the crazy busy camp at mile 1587.9, about 15 campers
Water // Cub Bear Spring, mile 1609.1, just past Etna
The food, then and now
I don’t remember what I ate on this stretch, and I can’t tell you what I bought in Etna. What I remember there is moving food around, a library with public Wi-Fi, a nice outdoor store, and maybe a little cafe on one of the corners. Etna is also where I mailed my old tent home. The zipper had broken, REI took it back, and my dad sent the new Big Agnes Copper Spur ahead to Ashland, where it beat me there.
If you’re going now, Ray’s and Dollar General cover a standard shop with nothing vegan-specific, so bring your own protein. Hikers report vegan tacos and burritos at the Patito’s Tacos truck across from Dollar General (July 2026), and many places in town close Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you want bulk bean flakes for this stretch, buy them in Mount Shasta, where Berryvale had them in July 2026.
Artwork designed from my own trail photos, using AI-assisted image generation and enlargement. Instant downloads from my Etsy shop; nothing ships.
