Woah We're Halfway There

It’s hard to believe I am now halfway through my trek from Mexico to Canada and what a trip it’s been. I just got into Old Station, and two days before that, I crossed the halfway point. It’s actually a bit of a debate where the midpoint lies. There is a halfway marker at mile 1325 but some of the recent reroutes added to the trail have made it slightly longer at an official 2,660 miles, moving the true marker 5 miles further north. However, some of the most recent detours added such as the Endangered Species detour (adding an extra three miles back in Southern California) pushes the true midpoint back to the current marker. This silly little game of trying to decide where is truly halfway. In the end, the PCT is just some route to get from Mexico to Canada that will always be shifting a little here and there to adjust to the ever changing trail conditions and land rights, so trying to pinpoint a random spot halfway between becomes a bit futile. Regardless, I will admit I spent a good five minutes skipping songs on my iPod shuffle until I could belt out the lyrics to Bon Jovi (I was just glad nobody was around to have heard me missing all the high notes, and I bet all of the animals are sick of that song by now).

What is important is knowing that I am now closer to Canada than to where I left in Mexico which is quite a strange feeling. Very rarely have I actually thought about the larger trail, and seeing the mileage to Mexico and Canada on that midpoint marker is one of those rare occasions where I actually stop to think about it. Most of the time, I have broken the trail down and only think of my trip as Sierra City to Belden or Idyllwild to Wrightwood. Even then, I didn’t get into all of the details and break it down further into  all the stream crossings, roads, side trips, and campsites in between. The idea of thinking of the miles to Canada becomes so abstract when I’m mostly concerned about getting eight more miles in before dark, knowing I have roughly 50 more to go to the next town. 

The other times I will notice the larger trip is when I pass one of the 100 mile points which are often marked by big rocks, sticks, or pinecones spelling out the mileage, but even then, I’m not thinking “great, now I’m at mile 800 which means about 1800 more to Canada;” it’s just a milestone on my way, and I just seem to keep adding them up with no apparent end in sight. If I did spend some time worrying about how far from Canada I am each day, I guarantee it would quickly destroy my morale and make finishing that minuscule 8 miles into camp tonight seem so much longer.

As I do take a moment to contemplate the bigger picture, I’ve been trying to think of good examples of other events in my life to compare this to. In the physical sense, I can draw many comparisons like reaching halfway in a race. I start off so anxious and nervous about what lies ahead, and then the flag is waved, and I’m in the race. By the time I’m halfway, I’m no longer worried and have found a nice steady rhythm to rely on to get me the rest of the way. I know at some points I’ll get tired keeping that pace, and at others, need to kick it up a notch. I also know that when I’ve now covered half the distance, the second half as I approach the finish, will have to be a bit faster. 

I reached halfway on day 71, and if I took 71 more days to get to Canada, that would have me finishing around October 1st, which is just fine. However, when I last sat down to figure out my dates, it’s looking like I’m more likely to get in that last week of September, which will certainly be the case for some of my fellow hiking friends who’ve started the trail two weeks before me. Two weeks into October has the potential to get cold and nasty. At the halfway point, I also looked back and am really glad I didn’t crash at the start and battle through the tough conditions but am still just as nervous that I’ll mess up and get out of the race on the second half. Luckily though, the PCT isn’t a race, and while I was very worried I may become competitive with my fellow hikers, I have managed to do a great job of avoiding those issues after a few good lessons early on. 

I’ve also drawn many comparisons between reaching the midpoint of the PCT and the middle day of summer camp as a kid. In that first stretch, there may have been times I got a bit homesick missing my family and friends but by now, I’d made new friends and formed a new community I loved and didn’t want to leave. While there were times the bugs drove me crazy, the food got old, and I’m dying for a little AC, by halfway, I’ve found ways to manage all these little issues and have accepted them as the new norm. I think an area I was always bad at as a kid (and I hope this doesn’t carry over to the PCT) is already worrying and getting sad about leaving. I know many times at a week long summer camp, I spent too much time Thursday and Friday dreading having it say goodbye to everyone and everything on Saturday. While I’m doing a much better job now of living in the moment and appreciate every day, I do find my thoughts starting to drift this way, and it is certainly something I will have to watch out for. 

I think I’ve found the most similarities between getting halfway through the PCT and halfway through college. They are both in the middle of a very distinct period in my life where I’m not in the real world, and I’ve become completely absorbed in this awesome period in my life. By now, I’ve forgotten what life was like before and don’t ever really feel like this will end (which, while things can be tough, and it would be amazing to stay here forever, never entering the “real world”). I’ve also made some amazing friends in this first half, and while I am excited to continue to get to know them better and share more adventures, I also can’t wait to meet new faces here who I’ve yet to cross paths with as I get into the second half. 

However, arguably, the biggest similarity is that I know I’ve matured and learned so much from this experience already, and while I may not be able to pinpoint exactly how this has changed me for the better, I know eventually when this is over and I enter the “real world,” thru-hiking the PCT will help me get through the tough times and achieve my goals. Who knows that the future has in store for me out here. I can only hope it is as exciting and inspiring as the first half of what this phenomenal adventure has been. 

Transitioning through California

If there is one thing I’ve learned on the PCT is that California is a freaking long state. I just got into Belden, California, which brings me just short of mile 1300. However, I still have at least 400 miles to go before I get to Oregon. Now when most people think of California, they know there is quite a difference between NorCal and SoCal. Well, to help keep our sanity, us PCT hikers break down California into 3 sections: Southern California, Central California, and Northern California; I am now just entering Northern California. The imaginary boundaries we set are (1) Kennedy Meadows (just before the trail enters the Sequoia National Forest, which I believe truly does sit directly on the dividing line between Southern California and Central California), and (2) Belden (or sometimes Sierra City, which separates Central California from Northern California). I would probably claim Sierra City as the true boundary because after finishing this last section, it certainly felt like I left the high passes of Central California and entered the beautiful and dense forests of Northern California. I believe the most exciting part of a thru-hike compared to a section hike or a weekend hike is experiencing the transition between one landscape to the next and seeing how the hot desert floor of the Mojave can turn into the high peaks of the Sierras. Seeing the transitions through this great state of California has been unbelievable, and I cannot wait to see what wonders still lie ahead. 

Southern California 

As one can imagine, much of Southern California is dominated by hot, dry, and sunny sections, but there were a lot of things I didn’t really expect. First, I would argue that there were a few times the trail went through true desert and actually most of the trail in Southern California traveled through the forests full of chaparral shrubs. I was actually a bit disappointed that the only time I saw fields full of different types of cacti was in the Anzo Borrego State Park just past the Scissors Crossing. It was also neat how the first half of Southern California was dominated by agave and yucca plants while the second half had fields of their closely related cousin, the Joshua Tree (which I had thought were endemic to the State Park). I was also throughly impressed with the giant peaks down in Southern California such as Mount San Jacinto and Mount Baden Powell. It was great to get relief of the higher altitudes with the nice pine forests and then dip back down into the chaparral. I was also very surprised how long the Southern California section lasted. After leaving Mojave around mile 550, I actually entered the start of the Sierras, but just because they’re called the Sierras doesn’t mean they are as cool and flowing with water as up in Yosemite. It truly wasn’t until I got to mile 700 and took an amazing little swim in the South Fork of the Kern River a mile or so outside Kennedy Meadows that I finally felt like I had finished Southern California.

Central California 

Honestly, the most distinctive feature of Central California are the high passes and monumental valleys up in the High Sierras. As I have described in previous posts, these passes take the hiker from majestic views of crystal clear alpine lakes, down rushing rivers, and into lush meadows and forests in the valley, and then just keep repeating. After I left Yosemite, the trail tended to stay down in the forests more, but all of a sudden, the trail would shoot up a ridge-line, and I had phenomenal views out across the mountains. In Central California, I was almost always at altitude and even 10,000 feet seems low at times. I remember the forests here can be a bit different as well only rooted in a little rock and gravel. One view out in Sequoia National Park, I could just see a wide view of trees with a layer of grey underneath. I would also have to give a shout out to all the beautiful lakes and meadows in this region that were always lit up by the sunny blue skies. The Desolation Wilderness, to the west of massive Lake Tahoe, was teaming with lakes which I’m sure would have been great to just relax and spend the day if I didn’t need to keep moving. I would say only after leaving Donner Pass (where I-80 manages to cut through the mountains and the site of the infamous Donner Party), did the trail start to transition out of these higher passes and ridges of Central California as I entered Sierra City. Central California was so beautiful almost to the point that it was too much. I felt by putting in 20+ mile days, it was harder to appreciate the great view which just means I’ll have to come back many more times to truly soak in all the beauty this region has to offer.

Northern California 

As I said before, while in this last section from Sierra City to Belden contains some of the features of Central California such as the impressive Sierra Buttes, it started to feel quite a bit different as I was hiking. Up here, the trail starts to go through more heavily forested areas, but I still got great views even though I was not always up above the timberline. The views were every couple of miles or so, sometimes through the trees which is a lot more manageable and really reminds me of hiking on the East Coast with nicer West Coast grades. I was saying to another thru-hiker that this is the best area to thru-hike because it is easy to appreciate everything around and still put in the big miles. Plus, I love hiking in these dense forests. The other big difference I’ve noticed from Central California is there are more road crossings and logging roads. In Central California, much of the area was simply inaccessible to logging due to all of the mountains and lower density of trees leaving thousands of prime acres to be saved as wilderness areas. I also noticed that whenever I did come to a road, it would be some famous pass such as Sonora Pass, Carson Pass, or Donner Pass which settlers had to brave just over 150 years ago. It’s funny ho the PCT only crosses I-10, and then skips up to I-80 for the major east-west interstates because all the highway engineers must have said, “no way am I building a road across those mountains, drivers can just drive around them,” and I’m very glad they did. However, up here in Northern California, I crossed a few more roads which I’m actually starting to see as a nice reminder of civilization and how great it is to be just hiking out in the woods.

As far what as the rest of Northern California holds for me, I cannot be too sure. I’ve heard many crazy rumors of things such as the unbearable 30 mile waterless stretch across Hat Creek Rim, crazy forest raves you can hear from miles away, insane ATV riders who aren’t afraid to run hikers down, Leprechauns, and other alien and supernatural encounters around Mount Shasta, California, so it will be hard to be let down. I expected the worst in Southern California and was greatly surprised. I had high expectations for Central California which somehow still were exceeded by the unforgettable views. Now, I can sit back, cruise, and take it all in. I cannot wait to see what’s lying ahead of me on this awesome trail, and then I still have two more states to pass through.  

Hope for Mankind

If you ever loose your faith in humanity I highly recommend a thru-hike of the PCT to restore it because I have met so many people who go far above and beyond the kindness you would expect and so far out of their way to help us hikers. If you think about it the very nature of a thru-hike is quite selfish. You aren't contributing to society by not working, you have temporarily ditched all your family, friends and close relationships and then you rely on the kindness of strangers to get you through. There is a whole network of people who aid thru-hikers in their trek and since I'm currently staying with yet another pair of amazing trail angels here at the Red Moose Inn in Sierra City I thought I'd introduce you to all the wonderful types of people you meet along the trail.

Trail Angels

While this term is used loosely for anyone who helps a thru-hiker it is most commonly associated with someone who opens their home to let a whole herd of hiker trash come take advantage of all their many resources. While it varies from place to place at these trail angel stops you may be offered showers, laundry, internet access from their computer, water, camping or a bed/cot, a place to relax for the afternoon, shade, foot baths, snacks, info and sometimes even meals all just out of the trail angels' generosity. Many of us keep asking what motivates these acts of kindness and most time we just get the quick reply of "what motivates you to hike from Mexico to Canada?" I think the answer lies in all of the fun people trail angels get to meet, the appreciation, gratitude, and thanks we all try to show for their hospitality and the fact that they get to play a direct role in helping someone else achieve their dream of completing the PCT (but this is just my best guess).

Trail angels are probably my favorite part of the PCT and its so interesting to hear their stories and see all the support they give each year to hundreds of strangers. They foster the culture of the trail too providing gathering places for hikers to rest and meet each other when they may not cross paths out on the trail. So many of the fellow hikers I have met have been at trail angel stops and it is so exciting when you can reunite with people you haven't seen for weeks. I have so many great memories at the different trail angel homes once again making the off trail experiences so much a part of the PCT. Trail angels truly do make the PCT what it is and I'm sure they have helped many people finish by providing the extra support every thru-hiker needs at times.

Rides/Hitching

Before this trip I had only hitchhiked twice in my life. Once for a short trip while I was working in the Wasatch Cache National Forest in Utah and another when I was coming back from the Juan de Fuca trail on Vancouver Island (which was such and easy hitch because Canadians are so friendly). At first I was very intimidated by the idea that I'd have to hitch and find rides but it has turned out to just add to the adventure. Its amazing how few times you actually have to stick your thumb out by the road because oftentimes you meet people at the trailheads or in town. One of my favorite rides was from this pastor/psychologist I met in Wrightwood who offered me a ride out the next day. I had forgotten his address but it turned out the town was small enough that I ran into him the next day at a cafe and got a ride out to the trail.

Hitching can be a bit more hit or miss. I think its usually easier to catch a ride into town than get a ride out to the trail. My theory is that cars can easily figure out you are a PCT hiker when you are coming from the trailhead but when you are leaving from town you could just be any old bum. My strategy for hitching is to look as clean as possible, smile (but not like a crazy person), stick out my thumb, then when they are about 100 ft from me I'll start to wave (which I do as a friendly gesture to show that even if they don't stop thanks anyways) which is my final chance to get them to stop. I'm starting to pick up some of the hitching signals too. For example if someone holds up their hand like they are trying to squish a bug between their thumb and fingers it means they are just going a little bit further down the road. Its amazing how some hikers are so good at hitching and can get rides from the toughest spots. I think the key is patience and persistence and only once so far did I cave in and split a taxi with a fellow hiker. The best way to get a ride to the trail though is to make friends with people at the trailhead or locals in town. Regardless there would be a lot more hiking dangerous roads if it weren't for these generous drivers. I am so grateful for all their help even if I do prefer hiking over driving.

Water Caches

One of the most important forms of support trail angels offer is by supplying water caches int he dry parts of the trail. Imagine buying water or filling 20-50 gallons of milk jugs or two liters then hauling that water up remote dirt roads miles from civilization to leave for strangers you likely will never see or meet and you get nothing in return. Plus if you commit to leave a cache hikers may start to depend on it meaning you have to worry about keeping it resupplied at all times for the 500+ hikers who come through meaning you will have to make many trips back to resupply it. Lately we haven't needed any water caches in the Sierras, but I'm afraid I will be looking for them again soon in the arid stretches up ahead in northern California and southern Oregon.

One of the lessons I have learned is to never rely on a water cache and instead use it as a great treat to rehydrate with. You never know when it may go dry and don't want to be stuck without any water for another 10-20 miles. I also always have a bit of a moral dilemma when I get close to a cache that is running low. You don't want to take too much water but never know if it may be refilled soon after meaning you may have missed an opportunity to take more water. Also I always feel guilty because these people, who arguably help us where we need it the most, rarely get to meet all the hikers they help. All we can do is leave a note of appreciation which can never capture how much they actually helped us. I heard that the Third Gate Cache in the San Felipe Hills (yes, the ones we really depend on have well known names) is stocked by a couple in their 70's who have to actually hike the water in a ways to get it close enough to the trail for us. I have the most respect for these anonymous heroes who help keep me hydrated on some of the toughest stretches of the PCT

Trail Magic

Trail magic is one of the most exciting parts of the trail and I sadly missed so much of it by starting later. Trail magic occurs when you are hiking along and come across a cooler, or better yet some people camped out, who have food, drinks and other goodies just for PCT hikers to indulge themselves with. I had come across some coolers in southern California which were such a welcomed treat but when I got to Walker Pass at highway 178 there were two awesome trail angels, Okie Girl and Jackalope, who were cooking up food and had so many snacks and drinks which was a total surprise and blew me away. This type of trail magic is like a big tailgate for hikers and is pure awesomeness! Talking with other hikers there was lots of trail magic like this following the herd through southern California including some margarita magic outside Idyllwild for Cinco de Mayo.

Trail magic tends to be found next to roads so when we were up in the Sierras without crossing a road for hundreds of miles there wasn't much either (except for the awesome John Muir Trail hikers or weekend hikers who wanted to lighten their load by offering some of their food to us starving PCT hikers). However after Yosemite whenever you reach one of the passes when the highway managed to cut through the mountains you could almost always count on there to be trail magic waiting for you. I was turning into a park bear because where I knew we were about to cross a road in the back of my mind I was always expecting there to be treats waiting for me. Luckily I didn't start raiding picnics or charging peoples cars when there wasn't food and no rangers had to come and put me down. However warning to anyone who offers trail magic, if you feed thru-hikers they can get accustomed to people food which can lead to bad things. Unfortunately now that the herd is spread out and hikers come by in more of a steady stream instead of larger groups, we will likely see less and less trail magic. There is never a better feeling than seeing a smiling face waiting for you with candy and chips and a cooler full of pop and beer.

Want to Learn More?

Well you are in luck because one of the hikers I met on the trail this year, VirGo, has been working on a documentary about trail angels on the PCT. He started interviewing people last year and this year is hiking the trail and taking more footage as he goes. It sounds like an awesome project and I have lots of respect for him hiking and working on this because it takes a lot to find the energy to do interviews and get the shots while you are trying to hike the trail at the same time. I wish VirGo the best of luck with this project and you should all check out his website below.

PCT Trail Angels

A Day in the Life

I just made it into South Lake Tahoe and am very excited to spend a few days off my feet visiting with my mom who came out to California for a little West Coast vacation of her own. I am even more excited because in this last section I passed the 1,000 mile mark! Even though this past section was not the high Sierras, the rest of the Sierras between Yosemite and Tahoe were still gorgeous. Its kinda funny how I think my least favorite part of the PCT in the Sierras was actually Yosemite. Not that it wasn't awesome, we were just up in the higher country not down in the Yosemite valley which is arguably the most beautiful part of that park (and I took the bus down to go see the falls, Half Dome and El Capitan). Instead, we went up through the north part of the park where you just hop from one canyon/valley to the next with so many ups and downs that were almost more tiring than the high Sierras plus the fact that the mosquitoes were terrible. We were all laughing though because we were complaining about this section of the Sierras when most years people must love this section because they are finally done postholing through the big snowpacks. Now that I have made it past the 1,000 mile mark and am getting closer to the halfway point I thought I'd do a blog post to go through my average routine on the trail that has gotten me where I am today.

Early Rising

My day tends to start more or less with the sunrise which has been coming up around 5 to 5:30 each morning. I will usually lie there in my hammock for a bit curled up in my sleeping bag but have been surprised how there have yet to be any mornings where I dread getting up and having to hike. Most mornings I just like staying nice and warm in my sleeping bag and will "sleep in" until 6:30 or 7. Each morning I try to pack up within a half an hour and grab a breakfast of cold oatmeal which has yet to get old for me. Then I lace up my shoes, throw on my pack, and hit the trail.

Pop Tart Break

I have found the early morning miles tend to fly by and like to take advantage of that. I think it is because everything always looks so bright in the morning and you just want to see more of what's ahead. Plus its usually cooler so good to get the blood flowing and moving. In the morning I tend to hike for about 2 hours before my first break which is my favorite break of the day; my pop tart break. During this first break I will sit down and go through my maps for the day, planning out where I want to grab lunch and try to camp out for the night. Most of the time you have an idea of how many miles you want to do each day in a certain section but you don't really need to get bogged down in the details of where you want to stop and what the elevation profile looks like until that day. At my pop tart break I finally figure out all of these detail while I enjoy my favorite treat of the day. Of the pop tart varities my favorite is brown sugar cinnamon by far, but I also like cookies and cream, chocolate fudge, cookie dough and smores.

Lunch Time

After my pop tart break I will usually take at least one more shorter break where I grab some sort of Nature Valley bar or other type of granola bar before lunch. When it is possible I like to grab lunch near a water source. This way I can refill my camelbak, water bottle and have water to cook with. I also may take a quick dip in the lake or wash my always dirty feet off in the creek. Only problem with having lunch near water is that the mosquitoes can be pretty bad sometime but I have finally given in to using DEET to keep them off. Also when its really sunny out it is key to get some nice shade and stay hidden from the sun as much as possible. I typically will have my one cooked meal for lunch which will be some sort of pasta, rice, potatoes or other just add hot water meals. I like to take a long break for lunch, at least an hour or longer, depending on how many miles I'm trying to get in. The best days are when I lay out in the sun and take a nap basking this the sunshine like a marmot lying out on the rocks. It is always toughest to get back into hiking mode after these awesome naps though.

Afternoon Hiking

I like to take my lunch break when I'm at least more than halfway done for the day because I find I tend to move better in the morning. In the afternoon its great to take more shorter breaks here and there to appreciate the views and I usually start to get a bit more tired. Each break I will grab some sort of a snack as well and usually like to have some sort of power bar before I do a big climb to help get me over. I'm never sure if it actually gives me extra energy or if its just a placebo, either way it tends to work.

Settling Down for the Night

I am always excited to get into camp and finally take off my shoes, rest and grabs some dinner. When I first get into camp I'll always grab water and get my gravity filter started then set up my sleeping bag and start to chow down. When the mosquitoes aren't bad or I'm not being lazy I'll also do some stretching. I know I should make this a priority but its amazing how many of my fellow hikers never stretch. Many nights I will tuck myself into my sleeping bag before the sun has even set. In bed I will pull out the maps for the next day and give them a quick glance over and then write in my journal for the night. Then I will stare off at the sunset or the stars until I fall asleep

30 Mile Days

When I do choose to hike the bigger 30 mile days, its amazing how my routine does not need to change that much. I've found the key to hiking the bigger days isn't hiking faster, its just about taking shorter breaks and staying on the trail longer. I'll usually have to hit the trail by 7 and stay on the trail til 7. I'll still take a longer lunch break but the other breaks will be quicker and I'll tend to hike for 2 hour stretches between each break. I find I have a pretty consistent pace of around 3 miles an hour but that will slow down with big climbs or when I'm up at higher elevation. Its amazing though how well I can depend on my pace and I can actually figure out how far I've hiked just based on the time. While a 30 mile day sounds intimidating when the elevation isn't too bad, you have good tread and you get out on the trail for the full day it is surprising how far you can go in a day.

June: Highs and Lows

It's hard to believe that June is already over. It has been such an eventful month finishing Southern California and hiking through the Sierras which has been the best backpacking I've done in my life. I am resting out in Tuolumne Meadows in the north end of Yosemite being a tourist for a few days instead of a hiker and recharging after the Sierras before I head off to finish the rest of California in July. I have now hiked 942.5 miles from the Mexican border which puts me past a third of the trip, but there is still a lot of trail ahead of me (by the way, that is about the distance from Toledo to Jacksonville, Florida, or the distance between New York City and Saint Louis, Missouri). Anyway, it has been an awesome June with some minor snags, and I thought I'd share some of the best moments, and the hard times as well.

High: Trail Angels in the Desert (Mile 454 and 478)

In June, I got to visit two of the PCT landmarks; the Saufley's Hiker Haven and Anderson's Casa de Luna. Both of the Trail Angels are located smack dab in the middle of the rough desert section, and without their kindess and generocity, I'm sure a lot fewer hikers would finish Southern California. The Saufley's was such a wonderful place to get off your feet and take care of long overdue chores. They did my laundry for me, had internet access, even helped me mail out my resupply to Kennedy Meadows, and offered bikes to ride to the grocery store. We also had a great campfire where I got to meet many new hikers and hear their stories from the trail and from their lives while sharing some well deserved drinks. Then, just 24 miles down the trail, I got to experience hippy day care at Casa de Luna. Originally, Mark (the hiker I was traveling with at the time) and I were just going to stop by for an afternoon break but the power of the Hawaiian shirts (which everyone must wear) and the great people kept us there for the night. Right when I put on that Hawaiian shirt, I decided I needed a 6-pack and some milkshakes and took it easy the rest of the day. They had a painting station where we could help paint the Class of 2012 rock garden and offered us an amazing taco salad for dinner as well as pancakes for breakfast. I also got to camp in their Manzanita Grove which was one of the most peaceful night's sleep I've had on the trip. The generocity of these trail angels was unforgetable and certainly helped me through this rough stretch.

High: Night Hiking in the Fog (Mile 456-462)

Between the Trail Angel compounds, I had one of the most amazing night hikes. Mark and I set off in the late afternoon into a stretch that is usually hot and dry, but that is not at all what we experienced. I am usually not a big fan of night hiking because I don't like to use my headlamp, and it's hard to see the rocks and roots in the moonlight. We were lucky though because it was a full moon which lit up everything. As we went up, we started to get into a thick fog, and after a while, everything began to look just like a giant watercolor painting where we could make out only the shapes as there were no distinct lines or edges even with the high grasses surrounding us. The mountain kept changing ecosystems as well, and all of a sudden, we'd be in a grove of trees or then bare rock. Mark was saying how part of it felt like we were walking on the bottom of the ocean. It was neat that we also kept running into other hikers who we had met at the Saufley's who we couldn't actually see until they were 3 feet in front of us. Even though we got lost on top of the mountain for a bit, it was one of the most memorable experiences on the trail.

Low: The Desert Strikes Back (Mile 624-631)

Just as a I was a couple of days outside of Kennedy Meadows thinking I had passed the worst of Southern California, the desert came back with one final sucker punch. I had just finished a beautiful section full of pine trees, streams, and meadows thinking the rest of Southern California would be like this only to look out to see a moonscape of trail ahead of me, dropping back into the desert with no shade except for a couple of Joshua Trees. Even worse, there was no water to be found for 20 miles in this scorching heat except for 2 water caches replenished by one of the best trail angels. Hikers really rely on these caches to help them through, and I usually don't like to depend on caches but really needed these. I had also dropped all my rules to help me through the desery and was blindly pushing 30-mile days to get to Kennedy Meadows (that means I was hiking through the heat of the day right under the hot sun. I came to the second water cache which was harder to resupply, and it only had one gallon left. I was out of water and felt guilty for taking 2 liters but I needed water so badly. It gets to be a dog-eat-dog world, and while we do like to help each other out, we all need water. Finishing that hot miserable stretch was great, but it was not fun making it through that final blow from the Southern California desert.

High: Arriving at Kennedy Meadows (Mile 702)

After 700 miles of hot, dirty Southern California desert, it was amazing to finally reach the huge valley full of water and trees, and I knew were were now in Central Califonia. Swimming in the south fork of the Kern River was fantastic and so refreshing after not having any water for so long. I then got to have my first zero hanging out at the Kennedy Meadows General Store; it was like Christmas in June: getting my 7 packages and opening them up to find food, new dhoes, more food, a fleece, and even more food. I even got a surprise vist from my friend Emma who was out in California for her sister's graduation and decided to make a visit. I had an excellent day off just relaxing, hanging out by the creek, and eating lots of food. There were also so many new faces I got to meet and so much energy from everyone anxious to get to the Sierras. Even though my hammock had broken the first night I was there, hanging out at Kennedy Meadows was such an epic part of the PCT. Never again would I be going through long waterless stretches of Southern California (now just those of Northern California and Oregon), and I had finally reached the area all hikers dream of: the High Sierras.

Low: Breaking in the New Shoes (Mile 702 onwards)

I think one of my biggest bist of advice I can give future PCT hikers is to be careful about switching shoes midtrip, especially when you are about to hike 240 miles of trail without crossing a single road. Find a pair that works and stick with them. My shoes were working great but then I wore the soles down so badly I could bend them in half, and they were an older model therefore harder to replace. I heard great things about the Montrail Sabinas, and they did work great for me on the trail for my left foot. Unfortunately, my right foot had not developed any sort of ankle callus so these new shoes started to rub them raw. Within a day, I was already starting to develop a blister the size of a yoyo. By the next day, the skin had peeled off from the duct tape I had used to cover it and had now exposed raw flesh. Then I had to climb Mount Whitney and all the passes on this badly blistered foot which was not too fun. However, once I got going, I stopped feeling the pain. Still today, there is a good amount of the blister even though a lot has callused over, and I cannot wait until it heals completely and goes away.

High: High Sierra Trail Magic (Mile 750 and 859)

I have already mentioned some of the trail magic that has occurred when kind strangers leave water caches or coolers of goodies out by the trail heads or roads the PCT crosses for hikers, but it also turns out that this magic happens in the High Sierras. The first time, Shepard and I ran into a crowd of weekend hikers heading down through Cottonwood Pass who proceeded to give their remaining tuna rice mix, pistachios, bars, and sunflower seeds to us, which gave me a much-needed extra days ration of food for my long stretch without a resupply.
 
A second High Sierra Trail Magic occured when I went to Muir Trail Ranch and ran into a similar situation. Earlier that day, I also got the treat of reuniting with Birdy who I hadn't seen since the Saufley's Camp some hundred miles back. Both of us could have used some extra food before we got into Mammoth so we stopped by to check out the Ranch's hiker box where people leave extra food from their resupplies. We got a few good treats, but the true magic came from 3 generous hikers leaving for a different trail that day. The first started to give us a bar or two then the food kept coming until both Birdy and I had enough to feast for the next 2 days to get us to Mammoth. I cannot thank those hikers enough, and the trail magic really helped make the High Sierras even better.

High: Summiting the Highest Peak in the Lower 48 (Mile 766)

One of the highlights of the PCT is that the trail comes within 8.5 miles of the summit of Mount Whitney; the tallest mountain in the continental United States towering at 4,505 feet, of which I only had to climb 4,000 feet of as I was starting at Crabtree Meadowes (one of
my favorite spots in the High Sierras). I climbed through some beautiful alpine lakes and then enter a giant basin with just a wall of rock towering around you. At first, I questioned how the trail would ever get me up but eventually I reached a long set of switchbacks to get to the top. As I climbed, I slowly got to see more peaks around me. I hit a junction with about 2 more miles to the top, and I was getting so anxious to get to the top and got to climb around some of the tips of the rocky cliffs I had seen from below. Eventually, I reached the snow-free top, and I just ate up the view. I could certainly feel the altitude at the end of the climb, and it was crazy to think how I may never again be higher than where I am now. I could see more of other High Sierra peaks 360 degrees around me; it was incredible. Sadly, the winds got to me even with my jacket and gloves, so I had to head down but it was such an unforgettable hike that really wasn't too strenuous or difficult. Plus, the herds of day-hikers who also summited with me confirmed that.

Low: Sierra Skinniness (throughout the Sierras)

As I had mentioned a few times, the one downfall to my plan of getting straight through the High Sierras without having to go into town to resupply was that I had to carry 11 days worth of food. This lead to me rationing food when I was burning so many calories climbing
the passes each day. I remember one day on my way up to Pinchet Pass I was cooling off in a streat around lunch, and I took my shirt off to clean it and was shocked at how thin and bony I had become. I'm afraid to get on a scale because I don't want to see myself weighing under 200 pounds. I guess I will just have to hit the gym to build back my upper body once I am done with this trip.

High: Climbing my Hero's Pass (Mile 827-838)

Maybe it was becase it's named after my all-time favorite person, but Muir Pass may have been my favorite of the High Sierra passes. I started heading up this pass in the evening and saw some of the best sunsets in the low lying meadows. These sunsets started at 5 and went until 8 in the evening due to the towering peaks surrounding the valley. Also, that night, I had a friendly 4 point buck strolling around my campsite who came within 10 feet of my bed. The next morning, I would climb up alongside beautiful waterfalls to see minor rock strabbles which were also fun. Eventually, I reached the giant basin at the top that still had some snow left. Even though I first started heading to the wrong pass and had to work my way across snowfields to get to Muir Pass, I still ahd the best time climbing this pass. The cherry on top was this awesome stone that the Sierra Club had built over 75 years ago for protection from the cold and storms. I loved hiking Muir Pass and will someday have to come back and see what it's like to live with more snow cover. Hopefully next time, I'll head for the right pass the whole time.
 
As most every hiker knows with large amounts of fresh water come mosquitos. These little buggers can be enough to drive any thru-hiker crazy at times. My first really bad night was just after Crabtree Meadow when I set up camp and they swarmed me like crazy through the night only stopping from midnight to sunrise when it was cooler. Between putting on my mosquito suit which prevents me from exposing my skin and getting bitten and my 100% DEET, I have been able to keep them at bay, but it would have been nice to have a night where I could stretch, eat my dinner, and sleep in peace. One of my worst encounters
was along Bear Creek where I swear the bugs would strategically wait in swarms at the most challenging creek crossings (where they know us hikers are most vulnerable, slowing down, stopping, planning our cross, and trying to keep our balance while swat them away). I hope I will learn how to chose the most mosquito-free campsites, and I recently armed myself with a new headnet but also know they are supposed to get worse on the way to Tahoe. I hope I can keep these bugs from continuing to chip away at my morale but have managed so far and hope it doesn't get too much worse.

High: Recharging at Mammoth (Mile 907)

After 11 days of hiking through some of the highest passes of the trail and seeing so many amazing sites day after day, I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed. My last day I was actually looking forward to just lying in a hotel bed all afternoon long and getting off my feet. I got super lucky too because I managed to get a hitch on a road that had been closed due to all of the downed trees in the Sierras which saved me from hiking an extra 4 miles uphill.


Mammoth was a cool town with plenty of stores, gear, shops, and even a free trolly to get around town. I just grabbed a bunch of food, including an entire chocolate cake and ate it all in my hotel room which felt great. I also got to sample beers from the Mammoth Brewery which were so good especially their 395 IPA which was infused with Juniper Berries, and I normally don't like IPAs. I've found that while the trail is great, you need to clean up and recharge from time to time which is just what I needed. To top it off, the next evening I hiked the 4 miles back to Reds Meadow where I left the trail and met some really fun JMT Hikers and PCT Hikers. We all went over to hit up some nearby hot springs and then camped out together which was another great time to meet fun new people. The next day when I was back on the trail, I could appreciate everything even more which was such a great feeling, and I can't wait to see what this next month has in store for me.