September 12

We spent most of the day on top of the Hat Creek Rim with views of the valley below and rising mountains on either side. We did see one fat rattlesnake that didn't seem interested in posing for a picture. Clouds were in the sky, but they were nice clouds with no rain that blocked the sun all day. It was a 29 mile waterless section, but there were water caches every 10 miles and it was never an issue. We hiked to the Subway Tunnel cave site that was only a half of a mile off of the trail and found it to be better than expected. It is a cave formed by lava flows that makes a long smooth tube with expansive rooms. I found it to be a very interesting geological formation and really fun to read about how the tunnels were formed. Upon leaving the cave, we noticed it was almost 3:00 and the post office in Old Station would close at 4:30 and it was 3 miles away. We stood on the road for an hour trying to get a hitch before we got desperate. I suggested walking through the campground nearby to find someone with a vehicle to drive us in, and we found someone who got us to the post office at 4:15. I got my resupply box, we pigged out on food and ice cream and hike 5 miles to Hat Creek for our campsite tonight. The water is perfect for a swim and a bath and I feel clean, full and ready for sleep.