Even where this pic was taken, 55 miles off of the PCT, I am still running into strange little signs and signals that I am where I'm supposed to be, where I'm MEANT to be. And dudes, I'm not much of a superstitious person. Read this above thing that I encountered at Indian Falls. Explains how Coyote (that person/spirit/energy that I've had trouble shaking) played a role in reminding the Maidu natives who lived here before the whites came through "that life is not always easy and we have to work for the things most important to us." Creepy implications there, that I was targeted by a powerful Coyote spirit to be taught a lesson about life's difficulties. HA! I feel lucky in a way. = )

Update: Sitting in the Chester library there is a little attached museum. In a book about the Maidu... Part of the Maidu creation myth: "The earth was flat when first made but received mountains and streams from the Creator and Coyote. The mountains were created chiefly by Coyote and it is he, therefore who is responsible for the extreme roughness of the land." Wow. Things are becoming clearer now... let's read on...

"... Earth-namer tried to put and end to Coyote whose ways were evil and caused death to become part of creation. The Creator wanted to make life easy, happy, and deathless, but Coyote, who is characterized as a trickster and rogue, made life difficult for man with the result that man's lot is to suffer and finally die."

Holy crap! Well to all out there reading this, understand that I don't harbor any hard feelings about what happened. It was the very nature of the spirit to cause pain and suffering and all that and so I'm learning about the order of life. Nothing personal.


The falls that the wiley 'ole Coyote moved to pester the Maidu. I had a good swim and contemplation here. Took a long lunch break which was why I didn't get to camp until just before 11pm yesterday.


Perhaps difficult to see in this wide angle shot but that's Bobcat flying off of a nice 15 foot cliff into the warmish waters below the falls.


Hehehe, you're telling me.


Ahhh, and now we arrive in Greenville, absolutely the vilest and least friendly place I've passed through on my trail so far. I don't say "the" trail because the fire closure means that this place is not on the normal PCT and in fact many hikers are just skipping this section altogether and heading farther up north. Not I, got to keep those unbroken footsteps even in a hellhole little town like this place. This poor Native American knows what I'm talking about.