When I crossed Mather Pass on the PCT, a snow-spotted wonderland opened up before me. Monstrous peaks in the distance towered over a valley where the Palisade Lakes were hidden. In that moment I dreamed about climbing those distant mountains while resigned to the thought that such an endeavor was beyond me. This past weekend, […]
PCT Epilogue
We hitched out of Rainy Pass in the morning – first to Mazama so Couscous could pick up his bounce box, and then to Winthrop where we ate breakfast at the Duck Restaurant. My parents joined us for lunch and gave us a ride into Canada. Yesterday we decided to hike to the monument from […]
Day 30
June 8, 2018 | miles 709.2 to 735.3 (26.1 miles) Cheap says he’s going to teach me how to slow down and enjoy the outdoors more than just my raw focus on hiking. I agreed to camp with him for as long as we’re together in the Sierras. Also hello Sierras! These first miles didn’t […]
Day 29
June 7, 2018 | miles 689.1 to 709.2 (20.1 miles) Hello Sierras! Mugwort was feeling much better by morning having regained much of his appetite – especially with some food variety from me to select from. We cruised into Kennedy Meadows by 10 AM, excited for what lay ahead. A familiar face greeted us at […]
Day 28
June 6, 2018 | miles 654.0 to 689.1 (35.1 miles) Mileage creep is real! I thought I was taking it easy today after a poor night’s sleep, even taking photos and short rest breaks occasionally in addition to an hour long siesta, an hour long water, and a 1.5-hour dinner break. Yet here I am […]
Day 27
June 5, 2018 | miles 619.8 to 654.0 (34.2 miles) 619.8 to 654.0 (34.2 miles) A late morning typically signifies a slow day, but that today was not. After late-night hiking with Spoccoli we slept in to 6 am and didn’t leave camp until 7. Eleven miles to the next water we thought. A […]
Day 26
June 4, 2018 | miles 587.2 To 619.8 587.2 to 619.8 (32.6 miles) The morning started fast; we had lots of cover and shade throughout the morning, enjoying the pine forests which have been so rare up to this point. The shade provided amazing reprieve from the reality that we were hiking through the […]
Day 25
June 3, 2018 | miles 566.4 To 587.2 A very long and late nero today was. To me it’ll be a day of departures. I departed from Tehachapi – a nice city with wonderful people, but I’m here to enjoy the Pacific Crest Trail and not the PCT town tour. Goodbye Tehachapi and your […]
Day 24
June 2, 2018 | miles 534.7 To 566.5 | Tehachapi While yesterday was my most challenging day physically to date, today pushed me to the limit mentally. I was stuck between two groups – my original who had pushed on ahead to Tehachapi and were rearing to move on, and the group with Felix, […]
Day 23
June 1, 2018 | miles 494.2 to 534.7 | LA Aqueduct Today I hiked a lot. For now I’ll take shelter near the wind farms. Tomorrow I will hike more. [Note from later: Decided to push for (and succeeded in) my first 40-mile day. I got to say goodbye to Felix one final time […]