At the top of that beautiful hike, however, we came upon a ridge a bit earlier than we had planned on stopping, but it was the perfect reward for a tough day. From our camp spot, we had a view of Shasta and Castle Crags, epic stars on a moonless night, and got to watch the sunrise over the mountain in the morning. Can't complain.
A man in a pick-up truck who had just gotten off of work as a logger was driving by. He pulled over for us, and said if we could fit, he would take us. So, after maneuvering his chain saw in the back, the four boys hopped into the bed of the truck, and I took shotgun. Ray (AKA NRA Ray given the stickers on his car), our driver, was a super polite hitch, and had lived just outside of Etna for 30 years. So, on the way down, he told me about the surrounding wilderness, the farmers (alfalfa farmers to be exact), and the water shortage. When he pulled into downtown Etna (AKA, the street that is Etna), I hopped out and thanked him for the ride and the delightful conversation... only to find out that I had been sitting on his gun the entire ride down. Whoops! Glad I didn't wiggle too much on the ride down!
As a side note, hitch-hiking has really enhanced my faith in humanity. There are so many wonderful, interesting, kind, laid-back souls in this world, and when someone lets you into their car and takes you where you're going with no expectations, and no preoccupations, it's pretty incredible. People are good. Far better than we often give them credit for.
On that journey to Etna, there was one tragedy I should mention. Adam lost his Dodgers hat. I thought he might cry, but he held it together. It blew off as the pickup took off down the mountain, and it's really not good manners to ask your hitch to turn around, so he bid it farewell and picked up this fly little number at the Etna thrift shop... Not bad if you ask me. A little bright, but at least hunters can see him!
Between Sealegs and I, we really had the hitch to Ashland covered. Older gentleman and a girl is a recipe for success. We just needed Adam to keep his distance while we worked our magic. We got a ride quickly, and while it wasn't the way we planned on crossing the Oregon border, it was part of the journey, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.