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PCT Trailhead Transportation - Addendum Sections P, Q, and R
by Wandering Bob Bankhead
PCT Sections P, Q, and R (Castle Crags State Park to Ashland, OR) encompass 215 miles of rocky terrain with four really long hills. You climb 5000 feet out of Castella, drop 5000 feet into Seiad Valley, climb Cardiac Hill - a 4400-footer, and finally drop 2800 feet down to I-5 near Ashland. During my summer trek, I discovered a way to go DOWN three of the four big hills in these three sections, thanks to the excellent Siskiyou County bus system, known as STAGE.
Based at 4th and Butte streets in Yreka, CA along I-5, STAGE provides regularly scheduled service to and from such PCT towns as Seaid Valley, Etna ($2.25 one way), and Dunsmuir. There is no service to Callahan at this time.
SEIAD VALLEY: STAGE bus leaves from the store at 8:00 am Monday and Friday only and runs to Yreka.
YREKA: STAGE buses leave for Etna from in front of the STAGE office at 4th and Butte Streets at 11:12 am, 2:05 pm, and 5:05 pm. The one-way fare is $2.25. Other STAGE buses run to places such as Dunsmuir and Mount Shasta. Greyhound has five buses stopping at the Yreka Texaco station daily. The northbound (to Shasta City/Ashland) buses stop at 1:15 pm and 3:40 pm; southbound (to Redding) at 8:50 am, 2:40 pm, and 8:50 pm
ETNA: STAGE buses to Yreka leave from City Hall at 6:55 am, 12:22 pm, and 3:12 pm. This allows you to go into Yreka for special needs and return to Etna the same day.
DUNSMUIR: STAGE buses run between Yreka and here daily. Amtrak service is available from Dunsmuir northbound to Seattle at 5:00 am; southbound to LA at 12:20 am. Greyhound buses can be flagged down in front of the Pizza Palace on Dunsmuir Avenue; northbound at 12:10 pm and 2:45 pm; southbound at 3:45 pm. CAVEAT: you must be out in the street to flag them, they don't stop otherwise unless someone is getting off.
Contact STAGE at 1-800-24STAGE or 530-842-8295. The schedules can be accessed on the Internet at www.co.siskiyou.ca.us. Click on "Public Interest" and then "STAGE Schedule,"
My sneaky section hiking method:
(1) Hike southbound
from Ashland to Seiad Valley (section R).
(2) Catch the Monday or Friday bus at the store at 8 am, or hitch a ride
to Yreka early in the morning.
(3) Catch the STAGE to Etna
(4) Stay overnight at the B&B in Etna and let them take you to Etna
Summit the next morning
(5) Hike section Q north back to Seiad Valley
(6) Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4
(7) Hike section P southbound to Castle Crags State Park
(8) Yogi a ride into Dunsmuir
(9) Take STAGE, Greyhound, or Amtrak to your next destination