PCT Hawk
Latitude:40.75238
Longitude:-121.40649
GPS location Date/Time:07/31/2015 22:55:56 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PUdYd/40.75238N/121.40649W
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Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:40.60726
Longitude:-121.47235
GPS location Date/Time:07/30/2015 20:51:43 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PSkdi/40.60726N/121.47235W
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Latitude:40.60726
Longitude:-121.47235
GPS location Date/Time:07/30/2015 20:51:43 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PSkdi/40.60726N/121.47235W
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Tuesday, July 28, 2015
HALFWAY!
I passed the halfway point today! It's crazy to think that finally there are fewer miles in front of me than behind me! I'm now closer to Canada (along the PCT) than I am to Mexico. This means that I've spent about 2.5 months hiking (precisely 77 days) about 1325 miles (tonight I'm at PCT mile 1335.4).
A little intro to this blog if you're just jumping in now: I post to my blog every night with the GPS coordinates of where I'm camping. I also do a couple posts when I get to a town with a summary of each day (since the last town) and sometimes some random posts (like interesting creatures I've seen). And feel free to comment on posts! If you ask a question in the comments, I always try to respond and answer your question.
If you're looking to catch up on my blog, here you can see just the posts where I summarize each day thus far: goo.gl/FbGLmj . If you're looking to see all non-automated posts (summaries and the "special posts" such as creatures I've seen), here's a link to all of those: goo.gl/KHMpWQ . And here's where I upload the photos I've taken on the trip: goo.gl/alU0ei
Feel free to share this with whomever you please! Looking forward to sharing my journey with you!
A little intro to this blog if you're just jumping in now: I post to my blog every night with the GPS coordinates of where I'm camping. I also do a couple posts when I get to a town with a summary of each day (since the last town) and sometimes some random posts (like interesting creatures I've seen). And feel free to comment on posts! If you ask a question in the comments, I always try to respond and answer your question.
If you're looking to catch up on my blog, here you can see just the posts where I summarize each day thus far: goo.gl/FbGLmj . If you're looking to see all non-automated posts (summaries and the "special posts" such as creatures I've seen), here's a link to all of those: goo.gl/KHMpWQ . And here's where I upload the photos I've taken on the trip: goo.gl/alU0ei
Feel free to share this with whomever you please! Looking forward to sharing my journey with you!
Woah, what happened?
[Ok, if you're following my GPS posts, you may be like "dude, you're hiking so fast!" and I'm like "Yeah, I'm hiking so fast I smell burning rubber!". But really....no. That's absurd. I'm trying to get to home (Bend, Oregon) by my birthday (September 2nd) because I can. It's in the realm of possibility and- because I'm hiking for the experience and not for the purity of the hike- I'm going for it. I jumped from Gold Lake Lodge to Buck's Lake and I will be jumping from Highway 3 to Etna later. This should put me on track. Now, back to our "regularly scheduled" (pssh) summaries post...]
7/25: (2.5 miles) Woah, big day! Just kidding. I spent the morning hanging out at Gold Lake Lodge. I stayed there "taking care of things" (they had WiFi and it was a decent speed...just not reliable at all) until about noon. Once I got frustrated with the WiFi and decided I had used it to its full extent, I made a sign that said "PCT Hiker to Quincy" out of the box that I received my next shipment of food in. I stood next to the Gold Lake Highway (not a very busy highway at all) and waited. After about half an hour (and about 3 cars going my way) one pulled over and gave me a ride to Graeagle (the next closest town). I went into the tiny store, bought an ice cream, Cock n Bull ginger beer (booyah!) and lunch: a banana and king-size Snickers. Then started hitching outside the store with the same sign and after about 45 minutes (and way more cars- but none stopped) the guy that gave me a ride was the Graeagle pastor going to see his in-laws in Quincy! They insisted I stay for dinner so I got steak, salad, bread, and more ice cream! Then I decided if I'm going to get to Ashland by the 18th (and Bend by my birthday- see bracketed statement above), I should take advantage of the opportunity (the in-laws house was about halfway between the Buck's Lake and Quincy access points). So I had him take me up there and I did about 2.5 miles of hiking before it got dark (and skipped about 52 miles today).
7/26: (16.3 miles) Lower day, but in to Belden! Lots and LOTS of downhill. Seriously, if you have the capability, look up the PCT descent into Belden (northbound). The elevation vs. PCT mile graph looks like it dropped off a cliff. Belden is a tiny, tiny town in a canyon. The hike to the canyon was beautiful and full of lush forest but the hike down alternated between forest and exposed desert. Belden's main building is the Belden Resort and I got a soda at their tiny convenience store. I was expecting to stay with the Braatens trail angels that call their place "Little Haven" but they have closed early this year. They have closed early because some [pardon the crude, but very appropriate, expression] asshole hikers were rude and not grateful (I heard a rumor that one hiker got drunk and started yelling at Mrs. Braaten in the middle of the night). So they brought me the box I had sent to their house but I had to find somewhere else to stay. A biker (as in motorcycle) couple saw me sitting outside the Resort and invited me and another hiker couple to camp with them. So we got "vortexed". They bought us beer (I got a 2-liter of root beer), made us pork chops, veggies, and salad. It was marvelous. A little later some other hikers joined the party and marijuana and mushrooms were passed around. That's when I went to bed.
7/27: (21.3 miles) Alright, the plan: get to Chester (46 miles away) by tomorrow night. Why? Well, there's a place with really good milkshakes but the main reason is that I didn't get to stay in a real bed in Belden so I want to do that (also I forgot to charge my external battery pack so that needs to be done). I was trying to do 26 miles today, but 26 miles up the other side of the canyon (not as steep but still daunting) was not happening. I finally made it up there and was exhausted. So I hiked a bit farther and compromised for just doing over 20 miles.
7/28: (25.1 miles) Well, because yesterday didn't go according to plan, that means that today I have to make up the difference. 25.1 miles! A new record! I hiked as quickly as I could but it was agonizing up the hot exposed ridges (here it's more like the desert again). I only made it 8.9 miles before lunch at 1:30pm. Shameful. But I powered up the hill to get to the halfway marker (FREAKIN' HALFWAY TO CANADA!), then it was all downhill from there (which means 3.2+ mph). I barely made it to the highway before dark but there was a trail angel dropping off hikers 5 minutes after I got there and I'm staying in the RV that they have parked in front of their house. These people are awesome! Milkshake tomorrow, then back on the trail.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:40.12071
Longitude:-121.39595
GPS location Date/Time:07/27/2015 20:44:09 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PNDwY/40.12071N/121.39595W
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Latitude:40.12071
Longitude:-121.39595
GPS location Date/Time:07/27/2015 20:44:09 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PNDwY/40.12071N/121.39595W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Sunday, July 26, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:40.00558
Longitude:-121.25352
GPS location Date/Time:07/26/2015 20:34:17 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PLVfk/40.00558N/121.25352W
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Latitude:40.00558
Longitude:-121.25352
GPS location Date/Time:07/26/2015 20:34:17 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PLVfk/40.00558N/121.25352W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Saturday, July 25, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:39.91043
Longitude:-121.13033
GPS location Date/Time:07/25/2015 20:27:44 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PJmmB/39.91043N/121.13033W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Latitude:39.91043
Longitude:-121.13033
GPS location Date/Time:07/25/2015 20:27:44 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PJmmB/39.91043N/121.13033W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Let me catch you up to speed..
7/21: (7.3 miles) This morning I hung around town a bit before heading out. And I had some family come up to meet me in Truckee who insisted on treating me to lunch (we went to Jax at the Tracks and it was delicious). They brought my box from Soda Springs and I did my food planning and sorting at the trail angel's house. As we were on our way back to the trail angel's house, the heavens opened up and all hail broke loose (it hailed like crazy- like a couple inches deep of hail everywhere). So I decided to hang out a little bit longer in Truckee. The trail angel mentioned there's a back country ski hut on the PCT and I decided to get there and stay there. The Peter Grubb hut was amazing!
7/22: (22.9 miles) At the Peter Grubb hut there were also some equestrian riders doing a short trip. Because they had pack mules and everything with them they don't have to worry about weight and they can bring lots of luxuries. They fed me breakfast! Hashbrowns and sausage! So without having to make my own breakfast, I got going early (about 8:15). Today had some significant breaks in it, but I kept up 3 mph basically all day so I was able to make up for it. Got to a paved road near a couple campgrounds at the end of the day. I walked down, picked the nearest open one, and set up my tent there. Camping in luxury!
7/23: (15 miles) Left the campground and did a couple small hills like no one's business. But then it started to get hot. Lots of downhill took me to the highway into Sierra City around lunch time. I didn't have a box there so I decided if I got a hitch in 15 minutes or less I would stay a couple hours, get food, then hike on. It took me 5 minutes to get a hitch! I met some hiker friends I hadn't seen in forever, got a good burger, and sat on the "January's molasses" Wi-Fi for about 3 hours catching up on email and downloading some videos. Hitched out and hiked up the big steep hill ahead. All the switchbacks!
7/24: (12.3 miles) Started off the day with lots of rocky terrain. Worst kind of trail ever. Was also out of water and really thirsty for the day's first 5 miles or so. But I was mostly able to keep up a good pace till lunchtime. Then about 1.2 miles and I took the 3-mile side trail to Gold Lake Lodge and my box (for some reason I was an idiot when planning and sent a box here instead of Sierra City). But it all worked out because they gave me a tent to stay in for free (what you would bring on a car camping trip) with a couple mattresses from the cabins- I just paid for whatever food I ordered in the restaurant (which was delicious). Wi-Fi here isn't great, but it's working. Might hitch up to Quincy, CA and skip about 20 miles (I'm trying to get to Oregon by about the 18th or so of August so I can get to home for my birthday on 9/2. So I might be doing a bit of hopping here and there).
Friday, July 24, 2015
Photos Uploaded
Just updated the photos folder
https://drive.google.com/folder/d/0B_-6KdFaC6WiZDdZaE5zaE9TdFE/edit
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:39.69309
Longitude:-120.65874
GPS location Date/Time:07/24/2015 16:12:54 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PHjWS/39.69309N/120.65874W
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Latitude:39.69309
Longitude:-120.65874
GPS location Date/Time:07/24/2015 16:12:54 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PHjWS/39.69309N/120.65874W
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Thursday, July 23, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:39.58434
Longitude:-120.61870
GPS location Date/Time:07/23/2015 20:06:10 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PF-XG/39.58434N/120.61870W
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Latitude:39.58434
Longitude:-120.61870
GPS location Date/Time:07/23/2015 20:06:10 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PF-XG/39.58434N/120.61870W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:39.50100
Longitude:-120.53265
GPS location Date/Time:07/22/2015 20:16:03 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PEG55/39.50100N/120.53265W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Latitude:39.50100
Longitude:-120.53265
GPS location Date/Time:07/22/2015 20:16:03 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PEG55/39.50100N/120.53265W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.50100,-120.53265&ll=39.50100,-120.53265&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
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SPOT GPS inaccuracies
I use the SPOT Gen 3 device to check in almost every night. A few nights this has failed. The device gives me no indication of this and after calling the company, they don't think my device is defective, but they don't know what the problem is. But about 3 failures out of about 69 days of hiking means a failure rate of about 4%. I can live with that. So don't worry if my GPS message doesn't get posted for the night.
(As to last night- I forgot. But I stayed at the Peter Grubb Hut. It was amazing)
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Recaps
7/18: (20.3 miles) Got up early this morning because my little cousin had a swim meet. She's 4 years old and she does 3-4 25 yard races every Saturday! When I was 4, I'm pretty sure I'd just be content sitting around on my butt all day. So most of the family got dropped off at the swim meet, then I got dropped off at the trail. I started about 8 am (at least an hour earlier than I usually start), but I got a full day of hiking in! Went over the very pitiful Dick's Pass (pitiful because it's only at about 9000 feet). Wanted to do a couple more miles but the motivation wasn't having it.
7/19: (23.3 miles) Now that's what I'm talking about! Today was a little rough going in the morning, but I was able to convince myself to not stop for lunch until I got to the parking lot with the picnic tables (the trail crosses through it). That was about 12 miles in and I made it there about 3 pm. After lunch it started drizzling but I was much happier because up the hill immediately after lunch I had cell phone service and data! Not like it matters a whole lot- I was just at a town the day before- but it's nice to have. Lots of hiking along the mountain ridges and entered a skiing area (the trail weaves right along the top edge of the ski boundary). Hiked a couple miles downhill and got to my campsite just as it was getting dark.
7/20: (17.5 miles) Hiking up the next hill was not fun today. It took FOREVER. It wasn't the most horrible hill I've been on, but all morning the motivation wasn't feeling it, I had the #1 distraction in the form of 3G, and the combination killed my pace. But I eventually made it up there. Down in the valley before the next big hill I took my lunch break. Had about 10 miles to go, but I took my time eating. Was able to convince myself to get up the next hill (about the same in steepness and height as the first one) without stopping! Right at the top there was a sign that said "Truckee" and I thought "Perfect! That's where I'm headed, so this must be the way". About 0.2 miles later down the steep, gravel-y hill I came to 2 trails and a road. After a bit of confusion, I realized that the "Truckee" sign wasn't where I was supposed to go at all but apparently this trail still leads into Truckee (it's called the Coldstream trail). So I said "Screw it" and followed the dirt road. I followed it FOREVER downhill until it finally turned into a paved road, then connected to a busy road where, after about 30 minutes, I was able to hitch a ride into Truckee. Got dinner at the Circle K and stayed the night at a trail angel's house.
7/19: (23.3 miles) Now that's what I'm talking about! Today was a little rough going in the morning, but I was able to convince myself to not stop for lunch until I got to the parking lot with the picnic tables (the trail crosses through it). That was about 12 miles in and I made it there about 3 pm. After lunch it started drizzling but I was much happier because up the hill immediately after lunch I had cell phone service and data! Not like it matters a whole lot- I was just at a town the day before- but it's nice to have. Lots of hiking along the mountain ridges and entered a skiing area (the trail weaves right along the top edge of the ski boundary). Hiked a couple miles downhill and got to my campsite just as it was getting dark.
7/20: (17.5 miles) Hiking up the next hill was not fun today. It took FOREVER. It wasn't the most horrible hill I've been on, but all morning the motivation wasn't feeling it, I had the #1 distraction in the form of 3G, and the combination killed my pace. But I eventually made it up there. Down in the valley before the next big hill I took my lunch break. Had about 10 miles to go, but I took my time eating. Was able to convince myself to get up the next hill (about the same in steepness and height as the first one) without stopping! Right at the top there was a sign that said "Truckee" and I thought "Perfect! That's where I'm headed, so this must be the way". About 0.2 miles later down the steep, gravel-y hill I came to 2 trails and a road. After a bit of confusion, I realized that the "Truckee" sign wasn't where I was supposed to go at all but apparently this trail still leads into Truckee (it's called the Coldstream trail). So I said "Screw it" and followed the dirt road. I followed it FOREVER downhill until it finally turned into a paved road, then connected to a busy road where, after about 30 minutes, I was able to hitch a ride into Truckee. Got dinner at the Circle K and stayed the night at a trail angel's house.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Custom message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:39.32777
Longitude:-120.18556
GPS location Date/Time:07/20/2015 21:28:34 PDT
Message:I've reached a town! Here's where I'm at:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PApQh/39.32777N/120.18556W
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Latitude:39.32777
Longitude:-120.18556
GPS location Date/Time:07/20/2015 21:28:34 PDT
Message:I've reached a town! Here's where I'm at:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/PApQh/39.32777N/120.18556W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Photos Uploaded
Just updated the photos folder
https://drive.google.com/folder/d/0B_-6KdFaC6WiZDdZaE5zaE9TdFE/edit
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:38.96231
Longitude:-120.17195
GPS location Date/Time:07/18/2015 20:24:55 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/P7bfk/38.96231N/120.17195W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
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Latitude:38.96231
Longitude:-120.17195
GPS location Date/Time:07/18/2015 20:24:55 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/P7bfk/38.96231N/120.17195W
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.96231,-120.17195&ll=38.96231,-120.17195&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
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Thursday, July 16, 2015
Synopses
Wow, it's been awhile. I was hoping to have internet access at North Kennedy Meadows, but that wasn't happening. I could've written up a summaries post up to there, then just published it when I got service yesterday (7/15), but I felt lazy. A physical, full-size keyboard is one of the luxuries I try to indulge in when I get into a town.
7/6: (ZERO) Today was an unintended zero day. I spent most of the morning doing what I usually do in town: go to the library to use the computer, do some shopping to mess around with my food stash a little (and to buy a couple "indulgence items" like soda), etc. Mammoth Lakes is great! In the summer they have free shuttles that run you all around to basically within a block or two of anywhere you need to go. Around noon I found out that there is a bus that goes from Mammoth Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows (exactly where I want to go!) for $9 one-way. One problem- it only runs in the morning (and I just missed the last one). So I figured I'll hitch hike out later. Just as I'm finishing up hanging around town (around 4pm) and decide I'll go back to the hostel, grab my stuff, then hitch out the skies darken and rain starts a-pourin'. So I stayed at the hostel another night...
7/7: (14.2 miles) This morning I woke up early and took the first bus out to Tuolumne Meadows (6 am bus). It was just me and one other PCT hiker the whole ~2hr ride! [As I mentioned in my last summary, I'm jumping ahead to Tuolumne because I went into Mammoth for fun- thereby royally stabbing my schedule in the gut- so originally the jump ahead was supposed to allow me to enjoy Mammoth and also get me back a little closer to my original schedule. But because of yesterday's unintended zero, I'm still the same behind schedule as I was before (but I still got to enjoy Mammoth)]. I had to wait at the post office because the tiny, little window that is the post office doesn't give out hiker boxes until 10 am. No, they open at 9 am, but they refuse to give out hiker boxes anytime except 10 to 4 (on the hour only). So I got a box from Amazon.com that I had ordered back in Independence (real sun gloves, some notebooks so I can write my thoughts on something other than the back of maps, and a large external battery pack- so I can charge my phone as often as I want, even on 6-day stretches). Punched out 14.2 miles from the Post Office (which I think is pretty good for an "afternoon-only" hike).
7/8: (16.4 miles) Yeah, a smaller day. But because of where I camped last night, if I wanted to add another 4 miles or so, I'd have to make some significant progress up the next pass (which is horrendous to do steep uphills late in the day). So I camped at the bottom of the valley and saved it for the next day). Nothing particularly exciting about today. Just lots of hiking (with the classic "up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill,......" of the Sierras).
7/9: (16.6 miles) Ok, different day, a different excuse. Today's excuse: IT RAINED ALL FREAKING DAY. If you haven't seen the "dramatization" (quotes because it wasn't really a dramatization- that's what it was like), then I'll link it right here. Now it didn't rain all day. But it was drizzling when I woke up and packed up my stuff, poured until about 11am (where I was thankful to get a brief intermission to eat lunch in the sun), then it started raining again about 2pm, and poured through the night (yes, I had to set up my tent in the pouring down rain. I'll let that post explain the rest of today. [I promise, I really did intend to do 20+ miles today but the rain destroyed my hopes and dreams]
7/10: (18.1 miles) A bigger day, but still not as much as I hoped. This morning it was still raining so I decided to stay in my tent for another 30 minutes (and I would pack up and leave no matter what). At 10 am (just about at the end of the 30 min) it stopped raining and I quickly packed up my stuff and took off. Pretty chill hiking today and not anything particularly special. It was overcast almost all day with a little bit of rain here and there. Today I stopped for two reasons combined. At the end of the day I had a big hill climb but was intending to push through and camp on top of the hill. The reason I stopped early was because a big storm cloud was rolling in and we all know how much I love hiking in the rain. So I hiked about 1/3 of the way up the hill and camped there.
7/11: (10.6 miles) Finished hiking over that hill (and as Beck might say- it was a bugger!). This morning was nice and sunny, but as soon as I got over that hill, I immediately regretted sending my thick gloves back home at Tuolumne Meadows. It was freezing wind for most of the morning and at high altitude (above 10,400 feet for the rest of the day). Finally, around noon I saw the highway down below and booked it down the hill into Sonora Pass. After about 45 minutes I hitched a ride with a couple other hikers into North Kennedy Meadows (not to be confused with Kennedy Meadows at the start of the Sierras). As I got there, I realized that there was no internet and little cell phone service (not what I was hoping for...). I did have access to roaming data, but my provider (while it is nice and cheap for unlimited everything: Republic Wireless) doesn't have unlimited roaming data (only 25 MB a month!). So needless to say, I didn't have internet access. I wanted to grab my box, then hitch a ride in the opposite direction (across the PCT and going the other way) to Bridgeport, but when I saw that N Kennedy Meadows had a bed, shower, and laundry for $35, I stayed. Instead I just texted my dad, mom, and others for the rest of the afternoon and evening- having them look up things for me (thank you!). I had dinner at the restaurant there which wasn't the most high quality but was very filling! Salmon (because the burgers looked like crap) which came with a baked potato, corn on the cob, soup, salad, a roll, and I also got ordered the bottomless root beer! Slept well tonight! [Also I was able to ditch my stupid extra required 2 lbs that is the bear canister. It's not required from here on out so good riddance!]
7/12: (14 miles) Woke up this morning and immediately went downstairs to check out the breakfast menu. $5.95 for pancakes? And then tax? I can do better than that. So my breakfast was a Clif Builder's Bar, a sleeve of mini powdered doughnuts, and a Hostess Apple Pie from the store for about $4.50 total. Boom. After finally organizing all my new food and supplies, I checked out at 11am (check out times are way too early). I decided to sit outside and munch on some lunch (a roast beef sandwich from the store's fridge) for an hour before I tried to find a ride. About halfway through my sandwich, a guy starts talking to me about the PCT and offers me a ride back up to Sonora Pass! So much better than a hitch! When I get back to the trailhead, there's a trail angel in his camper giving out hotdogs, beans, cookies, and sodas! Unfortunately, I just ate lunch....but I'm never out of room for soda and a cookie! Hiked up the big hill immediately out of the trailhead, then a big downhill on the other side.
7/13: (20.1 miles) Finally got some decent miles in again! I'm meeting family at Echo Lake that will take me home to Sacramento and I'll spend a zero day there (the main reason I wanted data earlier because I prefer email). Because I'm meeting them on the 16th, the only reason to do 20 miles today is to make the next two days easier. Today is a pretty easy day. One big hill (and it's not even really that steep). Not too much special about today....except that today marks two months in! See my post about that here.
7/14: (16.3 miles) Yeah, a nice easy day. Woke up and took my time getting going. It was also really nice to be able to just sit and read on my Kindle because I could and not because I felt I had to in order to keep my motivation up. I still hiked fast (trying to keep my pace high) but I took lots of breaks to read.
7/15: (15.4 miles) Did a little more than I needed to yesterday, so I was able to do even a little less today. My day started off with finishing off the uphill I started yesterday evening. Once I got to the top, there was a "hiker party" (about 6 other hikers that had gotten to the top of the hill and decided to take a rest/break). So I hung out for a bit, then left early. They hiked fast and caught up to me! We were just sitting down for lunch later at a lake (Frog Lake) and about 1.5 miles down the hill was a highway and information center. We figured we'd eat lunch at the lake, then check out the information center and see if they had a vending machine or something. We were about 10 minutes into lunch when another hiker (who was behind us) runs to the lake and says, "Guys, a volunteer on the trail just told me that down at the information center there's pineapple, fruit, cookies, and hotdogs!" Needless to say, we packed up our stuff as fast as we could and booked it down there. I hiked probably about 4 mph and passed all the day hikers "Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through!". We got there and there was the best on-trail (as opposed to town) trail magic I have ever seen! (See picture below). I ate two hotdogs, a Twinkie, a bag of Doritos, a bag of Cracker Jacks, a banana, an apple, two sodas, and two freshly-made cookies (they were burnt but still delicious). So the big reading breaks of yesterday turned into me taking one big break (2+ hrs) of just sitting at the information center at Carson Pass eating free food! Also, about 1.75 miles later I got full 3G and service on my phone! So that's where I posted the "Two months" and "Hiking in the Rain" posts from. I took an hour break there and read all the emails I had missed and such.
7/16: (10.3 miles) Echo Lake! Family! Sacramento (really Penryn, but close enough)! I left at 8 am this morning (pretty early considering I usually leave around 9:15 or later). I hiked the easy stuff from Showers Lake where I camped, then right before the big downhill into Echo Lake I got full phone service again! (This delayed me for only about 20 minutes this time because last time I was able to read emails- the big thing- but the service kept going in and out. This time I had full enough service to check other things such as Snapchat). I hiked down the hill quickly (again, around 3.5 mph or more) and got to Highway 50 around noon. The Highway 50 crossing is dangerous! Crossing 3 lanes of traffic that's moving quite quickly is dangerous. I booked it as fast as I could and still felt like I barely made it between that gap of cars. The last uphill push then I was at Echo Lake. Got my box from the tiny Post Office window and found out there was another hiker going into Sacramento with friends (earlier than my family was going to give me a ride). So I got a ride with him all the way to my family for free! Now hanging out here at my family's house and using a physical keyboard to write these posts! Haven't seen this family in about 3 years and it's nice to see them again (but weird to approach their house from the South instead of the North from Oregon like usual).
7/17: (ZERO) An on-purpose zero day! Preparing my new boots (only 2nd pair!) and relaxing! Not sure what else I'll do, but I'm sure that I'll be able to satiate any longings or "to-do list" items that have been accumulating on trail.
7/6: (ZERO) Today was an unintended zero day. I spent most of the morning doing what I usually do in town: go to the library to use the computer, do some shopping to mess around with my food stash a little (and to buy a couple "indulgence items" like soda), etc. Mammoth Lakes is great! In the summer they have free shuttles that run you all around to basically within a block or two of anywhere you need to go. Around noon I found out that there is a bus that goes from Mammoth Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows (exactly where I want to go!) for $9 one-way. One problem- it only runs in the morning (and I just missed the last one). So I figured I'll hitch hike out later. Just as I'm finishing up hanging around town (around 4pm) and decide I'll go back to the hostel, grab my stuff, then hitch out the skies darken and rain starts a-pourin'. So I stayed at the hostel another night...
7/7: (14.2 miles) This morning I woke up early and took the first bus out to Tuolumne Meadows (6 am bus). It was just me and one other PCT hiker the whole ~2hr ride! [As I mentioned in my last summary, I'm jumping ahead to Tuolumne because I went into Mammoth for fun- thereby royally stabbing my schedule in the gut- so originally the jump ahead was supposed to allow me to enjoy Mammoth and also get me back a little closer to my original schedule. But because of yesterday's unintended zero, I'm still the same behind schedule as I was before (but I still got to enjoy Mammoth)]. I had to wait at the post office because the tiny, little window that is the post office doesn't give out hiker boxes until 10 am. No, they open at 9 am, but they refuse to give out hiker boxes anytime except 10 to 4 (on the hour only). So I got a box from Amazon.com that I had ordered back in Independence (real sun gloves, some notebooks so I can write my thoughts on something other than the back of maps, and a large external battery pack- so I can charge my phone as often as I want, even on 6-day stretches). Punched out 14.2 miles from the Post Office (which I think is pretty good for an "afternoon-only" hike).
7/8: (16.4 miles) Yeah, a smaller day. But because of where I camped last night, if I wanted to add another 4 miles or so, I'd have to make some significant progress up the next pass (which is horrendous to do steep uphills late in the day). So I camped at the bottom of the valley and saved it for the next day). Nothing particularly exciting about today. Just lots of hiking (with the classic "up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill,......" of the Sierras).
7/9: (16.6 miles) Ok, different day, a different excuse. Today's excuse: IT RAINED ALL FREAKING DAY. If you haven't seen the "dramatization" (quotes because it wasn't really a dramatization- that's what it was like), then I'll link it right here. Now it didn't rain all day. But it was drizzling when I woke up and packed up my stuff, poured until about 11am (where I was thankful to get a brief intermission to eat lunch in the sun), then it started raining again about 2pm, and poured through the night (yes, I had to set up my tent in the pouring down rain. I'll let that post explain the rest of today. [I promise, I really did intend to do 20+ miles today but the rain destroyed my hopes and dreams]
7/10: (18.1 miles) A bigger day, but still not as much as I hoped. This morning it was still raining so I decided to stay in my tent for another 30 minutes (and I would pack up and leave no matter what). At 10 am (just about at the end of the 30 min) it stopped raining and I quickly packed up my stuff and took off. Pretty chill hiking today and not anything particularly special. It was overcast almost all day with a little bit of rain here and there. Today I stopped for two reasons combined. At the end of the day I had a big hill climb but was intending to push through and camp on top of the hill. The reason I stopped early was because a big storm cloud was rolling in and we all know how much I love hiking in the rain. So I hiked about 1/3 of the way up the hill and camped there.
7/11: (10.6 miles) Finished hiking over that hill (and as Beck might say- it was a bugger!). This morning was nice and sunny, but as soon as I got over that hill, I immediately regretted sending my thick gloves back home at Tuolumne Meadows. It was freezing wind for most of the morning and at high altitude (above 10,400 feet for the rest of the day). Finally, around noon I saw the highway down below and booked it down the hill into Sonora Pass. After about 45 minutes I hitched a ride with a couple other hikers into North Kennedy Meadows (not to be confused with Kennedy Meadows at the start of the Sierras). As I got there, I realized that there was no internet and little cell phone service (not what I was hoping for...). I did have access to roaming data, but my provider (while it is nice and cheap for unlimited everything: Republic Wireless) doesn't have unlimited roaming data (only 25 MB a month!). So needless to say, I didn't have internet access. I wanted to grab my box, then hitch a ride in the opposite direction (across the PCT and going the other way) to Bridgeport, but when I saw that N Kennedy Meadows had a bed, shower, and laundry for $35, I stayed. Instead I just texted my dad, mom, and others for the rest of the afternoon and evening- having them look up things for me (thank you!). I had dinner at the restaurant there which wasn't the most high quality but was very filling! Salmon (because the burgers looked like crap) which came with a baked potato, corn on the cob, soup, salad, a roll, and I also got ordered the bottomless root beer! Slept well tonight! [Also I was able to ditch my stupid extra required 2 lbs that is the bear canister. It's not required from here on out so good riddance!]
7/12: (14 miles) Woke up this morning and immediately went downstairs to check out the breakfast menu. $5.95 for pancakes? And then tax? I can do better than that. So my breakfast was a Clif Builder's Bar, a sleeve of mini powdered doughnuts, and a Hostess Apple Pie from the store for about $4.50 total. Boom. After finally organizing all my new food and supplies, I checked out at 11am (check out times are way too early). I decided to sit outside and munch on some lunch (a roast beef sandwich from the store's fridge) for an hour before I tried to find a ride. About halfway through my sandwich, a guy starts talking to me about the PCT and offers me a ride back up to Sonora Pass! So much better than a hitch! When I get back to the trailhead, there's a trail angel in his camper giving out hotdogs, beans, cookies, and sodas! Unfortunately, I just ate lunch....but I'm never out of room for soda and a cookie! Hiked up the big hill immediately out of the trailhead, then a big downhill on the other side.
7/13: (20.1 miles) Finally got some decent miles in again! I'm meeting family at Echo Lake that will take me home to Sacramento and I'll spend a zero day there (the main reason I wanted data earlier because I prefer email). Because I'm meeting them on the 16th, the only reason to do 20 miles today is to make the next two days easier. Today is a pretty easy day. One big hill (and it's not even really that steep). Not too much special about today....except that today marks two months in! See my post about that here.
7/14: (16.3 miles) Yeah, a nice easy day. Woke up and took my time getting going. It was also really nice to be able to just sit and read on my Kindle because I could and not because I felt I had to in order to keep my motivation up. I still hiked fast (trying to keep my pace high) but I took lots of breaks to read.
7/15: (15.4 miles) Did a little more than I needed to yesterday, so I was able to do even a little less today. My day started off with finishing off the uphill I started yesterday evening. Once I got to the top, there was a "hiker party" (about 6 other hikers that had gotten to the top of the hill and decided to take a rest/break). So I hung out for a bit, then left early. They hiked fast and caught up to me! We were just sitting down for lunch later at a lake (Frog Lake) and about 1.5 miles down the hill was a highway and information center. We figured we'd eat lunch at the lake, then check out the information center and see if they had a vending machine or something. We were about 10 minutes into lunch when another hiker (who was behind us) runs to the lake and says, "Guys, a volunteer on the trail just told me that down at the information center there's pineapple, fruit, cookies, and hotdogs!" Needless to say, we packed up our stuff as fast as we could and booked it down there. I hiked probably about 4 mph and passed all the day hikers "Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through!". We got there and there was the best on-trail (as opposed to town) trail magic I have ever seen! (See picture below). I ate two hotdogs, a Twinkie, a bag of Doritos, a bag of Cracker Jacks, a banana, an apple, two sodas, and two freshly-made cookies (they were burnt but still delicious). So the big reading breaks of yesterday turned into me taking one big break (2+ hrs) of just sitting at the information center at Carson Pass eating free food! Also, about 1.75 miles later I got full 3G and service on my phone! So that's where I posted the "Two months" and "Hiking in the Rain" posts from. I took an hour break there and read all the emails I had missed and such.
7/16: (10.3 miles) Echo Lake! Family! Sacramento (really Penryn, but close enough)! I left at 8 am this morning (pretty early considering I usually leave around 9:15 or later). I hiked the easy stuff from Showers Lake where I camped, then right before the big downhill into Echo Lake I got full phone service again! (This delayed me for only about 20 minutes this time because last time I was able to read emails- the big thing- but the service kept going in and out. This time I had full enough service to check other things such as Snapchat). I hiked down the hill quickly (again, around 3.5 mph or more) and got to Highway 50 around noon. The Highway 50 crossing is dangerous! Crossing 3 lanes of traffic that's moving quite quickly is dangerous. I booked it as fast as I could and still felt like I barely made it between that gap of cars. The last uphill push then I was at Echo Lake. Got my box from the tiny Post Office window and found out there was another hiker going into Sacramento with friends (earlier than my family was going to give me a ride). So I got a ride with him all the way to my family for free! Now hanging out here at my family's house and using a physical keyboard to write these posts! Haven't seen this family in about 3 years and it's nice to see them again (but weird to approach their house from the South instead of the North from Oregon like usual).
7/17: (ZERO) An on-purpose zero day! Preparing my new boots (only 2nd pair!) and relaxing! Not sure what else I'll do, but I'm sure that I'll be able to satiate any longings or "to-do list" items that have been accumulating on trail.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
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Two months in
July 13th! Two months in! I've crossed the 1000 mile mark and will cross the 40% (1060 miles) mark tomorrow (because I have to finish on October 13th- exactly 5 months from when I started- I'm pretty close to the absolute "slowest" I can be traveling). I'm a little over 100 miles behind my original schedule that had me finishing on the 1st of October, but I'm not that worried. If I need to, I'll be jumping from my parent's house in Bend to Government Camp (or even Timberline) which will boost me forward at least 100 miles. At this point I'm more into the "experience" of the PCT than the purity of it (taking a zero here and there with family or for a holiday). I'm making little hops here and there but my main rule still holds: except for the Government Camp/Timberline jump, I'll never jump from one resupply to the next (always less than that).
(This 1000 mile mark almost makes me feel entitled. Like I could go into a restaurant and say, "I have hiked over one thousand miles to get here, can I get a discount?" It's also a lot of fun to be able to say "thousand" in the answer to all the "how far have you come?" questions)
Motivation: more often now I run into days where I am not very motivated. Almost every day I'm getting up at 7:30 or 8 and not starting to hike till 9 or 9:30. But my mood usually turns up around lunchtime when I take an hour or so to relax, eat, and read. Then I can usually pound out enough miles post-lunch to still make at least 20 for the day.
Unfortunately the PCT has lost its initial thrill of adventure- but I guess that eventually happens with everything. Now I look forward to going into a resupply and taking a break from the trail (course it's not like I didn't before) and I get that boost of motivation after just leaving a "town".
Almost to halfway! Canada, here I come!
Say there, Mr. PCT hiker, what's it like hiking in the rain?
It sucks. It freaking sucks.
[This post was written on 7/9 after hiking for nearly 12 straight hours in the rain. I woke up to the rain, packed up my stuff in the rain, hiked in the rain, and set up camp in the rain. Every part of me is cold, wet, tired, and hungry- actually that part is just my stomach.]
"Explain yourself" you say? Very well. Go put on all your hiking gear. Go ahead, I'll wait. Yeah, rain gear too (like it will matter). Finished? Now have your friends dump buckets of water on you until you almost- almost but not quite- feel like you went swimming in a lake in all those clothes. Have them dump a bucket or two on your backpack too for good measure. Don't worry. All the important stuff like food, sleeping bag, and electronics are in waterproof containers. OK, now we're going for a hike.
You know that section of the PCT that you're currently hiking? Yeah the one where the elevation vs mileage graph looks like a readout from a heart rate monitor? You still have to hike that. But now it's raining. So about 90% of any section of trail that's flat is now a long puddle a couple inches deep and any up/down sections are now flowing rivers. A couple inches? That's not too bad! Oh wait, you're a PCT hiker. You're likely wearing trail running shoes or boots where the only waterproof part is the rubber sole. "So I'll just walk on the side of the trail and avoid all the puddles." Alright, go ahead. But over there is what we call "hikerwash" (very, very wet plants). It's almost just as bad as stepping in the puddles. And although you are in a forest, the trees aren't providing any significant shelter. No dry spot, no matter how well- sheltered, can maintain its sense of dryness in rain of this duration. Eventually, rain conquers all.
So after about 12 hours of this, you've learned that really the best word to associate with the rain is not "growth" as your kindergarten teacher, mom, Sunday school teacher, or whatever "positive Paula" may have taught you. The best word for the rain is "misery".
So now it's time to set up camp. You were hoping the rain would stop by now, but- Oh wait!- no, it hasn't. It's still pouring down buckets of misery on you. You look for a campsite and your choices are:
A) no shelter from rain
B) no shelter from rain
C) little shelter from rain!..... Crap, my tent won't fit
D) no shelter from rain
Let's go with B. As soon as you get out your tent it sounds like the drum line in a marching band. You set it up as quickly as possible yet setting it up requires you to temporarily expose the mesh netting to the elements. In the end, your tent is set up but with a couple puddles inside. You curse the world, shove your stuff inside, and sit down in one of the puddles. And as liquid misery shakes your tent all night long you pray that the thin membrane above your head doesn't have a leak somewhere or the morning will be much worse. You twist and contort your body in weird positions all night long to keep the sleeping bag away from the condensated walls of your tent but with little success. Good night!
Monday, July 13, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:38.56296
Longitude:-119.83096
GPS location Date/Time:07/13/2015 20:17:14 PDT
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Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Latitude:38.56296
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GPS location Date/Time:07/13/2015 20:17:14 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Sunday, July 12, 2015
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Latitude:38.44468
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Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Saturday, July 11, 2015
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Latitude:38.31159
Longitude:-119.74570
GPS location Date/Time:07/11/2015 16:13:54 PDT
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Latitude:38.31159
Longitude:-119.74570
GPS location Date/Time:07/11/2015 16:13:54 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Friday, July 10, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:38.24753
Longitude:-119.60994
GPS location Date/Time:07/10/2015 19:12:16 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Latitude:38.24753
Longitude:-119.60994
GPS location Date/Time:07/10/2015 19:12:16 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Thursday, July 9, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:38.09027
Longitude:-119.63356
GPS location Date/Time:07/09/2015 20:52:49 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Latitude:38.09027
Longitude:-119.63356
GPS location Date/Time:07/09/2015 20:52:49 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:38.02419
Longitude:-119.52142
GPS location Date/Time:07/08/2015 20:14:30 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Latitude:38.02419
Longitude:-119.52142
GPS location Date/Time:07/08/2015 20:14:30 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:38.00654
Longitude:-119.37596
GPS location Date/Time:07/07/2015 20:41:02 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Latitude:38.00654
Longitude:-119.37596
GPS location Date/Time:07/07/2015 20:41:02 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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What I'm reading on trail
My Kindle has got to be one of my favorite pieces of gear. Having just graduated college with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, I didn't have a lot of time for reading (and therefore lost the appetite for it that I had in high school). But with my Kindle, I've gained that back on the PCT. When the famous (or, maybe to PCT hikers- infamous) Cheryl Strayed of Wild hiked part of the PCT, she read quite a few books and there are some book clubs that adopt her reading list as their own (you can see it here: goo.gl/m8uZs1). So I thought I'd share the books I've been reading so far (I'm not really putting summaries on this list cause you can look those up anywhere. Nor am I putting in my recommendations because I highly recommend all of them!):
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis [Re-read]
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis [First-time read]
We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist [First-time read]
Just Don't Fall: A Hilariously True Story of Childhood, Cancer, Amputation, Romantic Yearning, Truth, and Olympic Greatness by Josh Sundquist [First-time read. Very similar to the above book and just as funny, but on a slightly more serious note]
The Martian by Andy Weir [First-time read. This one's being turned into a movie soon! It's a hilarious, quick read written by an engineer. Lots of language though]
Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini [Re-read for about the 3rd time. Currently reading Brisingr]
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer [First-time read. Haven't gotten to it yet]
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner [First-time read. Haven't gotten to it yet. This is the second book of the "Maze-Runner" series]
That's all I've got planned for now! Let me know if you've got any good suggestions!
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis [Re-read]
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis [First-time read]
We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story by Josh Sundquist [First-time read]
Just Don't Fall: A Hilariously True Story of Childhood, Cancer, Amputation, Romantic Yearning, Truth, and Olympic Greatness by Josh Sundquist [First-time read. Very similar to the above book and just as funny, but on a slightly more serious note]
The Martian by Andy Weir [First-time read. This one's being turned into a movie soon! It's a hilarious, quick read written by an engineer. Lots of language though]
Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini [Re-read for about the 3rd time. Currently reading Brisingr]
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer [First-time read. Haven't gotten to it yet]
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner [First-time read. Haven't gotten to it yet. This is the second book of the "Maze-Runner" series]
That's all I've got planned for now! Let me know if you've got any good suggestions!
Monday, July 6, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:37.64332
Longitude:-118.99260
GPS location Date/Time:07/06/2015 21:02:06 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/OotRp/37.64332N/118.99260W
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Latitude:37.64332
Longitude:-118.99260
GPS location Date/Time:07/06/2015 21:02:06 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/OotRp/37.64332N/118.99260W
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Recapitulation (Yay for Thesauruses!)
7/3: (0 PCT miles, but ~6 miles hiked) Hung out at VVR for most of the day. Had breakfast & lunch, used internet, and got some time to recollect my bearings before heading out again. Total cost at VVR: ~$78! $16 for 2 hrs of internet (they have satellite internet) and probably about $35 for food (breakfast and lunch). It was really good food but also really expensive food. The rest of the money was spent on random little things at the store. Around lunch time I met 4 other hikers (3 JMT southbounders and 1 PCT section-hiker southbound). We all had lunch together and had a fun time hanging out. Plus, we all split the cost of a whole apple pie a la mode! It was delicious! Headed out about 5:30pm (should've headed out earlier) and just made it back to the PCT before I decided to camp (didn't want to try approaching the next pass at night).
7/4: (17 miles) Meant to do more today, but it didn't quite happen. As usual- going over the daily pass killed the mood. Had lunch just before Silver Pass and just as I left to start up the pass, it started raining. Classic Sierras. Once I got over the pass and started going down the other side the heavens opened up and unleashed their wrath upon me- thunder, lightning, lots of rain, and- for the first time this trip- hail. This was the first time I actually pulled out my umbrella (first time used as a rain umbrella and not a reflective sun umbrella) and decided to wait out the rain. I stood under a tree with my backpack by my feet and my umbrella over my head for about half an hour before I decided it was safe enough to move on. Once again, JMT hikers are amusing. Shortly after my "rain break" I saw about 10 tents set up. This must be what goes through their heads: "Oh, it's raining? About 1pm? Better set up here and try again tomorrow!". I hiked up and down a couple small hills for the rest of the day before stopping at Duck Lake to camp. Camped with a Portland, OR couple that's also doing the PCT! They were awesome ('course who from Portland isn't awesome?)! Had a lot of fun sharing laughs with them before heading out the next day.
7/5: (11.3 miles) Hiked to Red's Meadow Resort just about 0.3 miles off the PCT. It's a hub for trailheads around the area (majorly Devil's Postpile and Rainbow Falls) and has a general store and cafe. I pushed out the miles to get there (again probably hitting around 3.5 mph!). On the way down the hill I got service during one of my breaks and got a little distracted...but made it to Red's Meadow at about 1:30pm and immediately went to the cafe and got a cheeseburger (~$10 for the lamest cheeseburger in the world. Disappointing.). But the general store had free WiFi (and pretty fast WiFi!) so I uploaded all the photos and such I wasn't able to do at VVR. Hung out there for a while and decided to go into Mammoth Lakes (there's a bus that runs from Red's Meadow to Mammoth Lakes for $7). Right before the bus I saw Beck! She has been busting out the miles! She [somehow] did 25 miles that day from about 7am to 5pm! So we rode the bus into Mammoth together and caught up. I stayed at the Davison St. Guest House for $35 with a few other PCT hikers. Mammoth's downtown was having a 4th of July celebration complete with a band, drama/stilts/skit/thing, and fireworks so I enjoyed that. Along with the dessert crepe I got at a restaurant nearby afterwards :) . Because I didn't have a real reason to go to Mammoth (I didn't have a box there or anything, just taking a holiday for the holiday) and am therefore royally screwing with my schedule, I'm going to be jumping up to my next box at Tuolumne Meadows.
7/4: (17 miles) Meant to do more today, but it didn't quite happen. As usual- going over the daily pass killed the mood. Had lunch just before Silver Pass and just as I left to start up the pass, it started raining. Classic Sierras. Once I got over the pass and started going down the other side the heavens opened up and unleashed their wrath upon me- thunder, lightning, lots of rain, and- for the first time this trip- hail. This was the first time I actually pulled out my umbrella (first time used as a rain umbrella and not a reflective sun umbrella) and decided to wait out the rain. I stood under a tree with my backpack by my feet and my umbrella over my head for about half an hour before I decided it was safe enough to move on. Once again, JMT hikers are amusing. Shortly after my "rain break" I saw about 10 tents set up. This must be what goes through their heads: "Oh, it's raining? About 1pm? Better set up here and try again tomorrow!". I hiked up and down a couple small hills for the rest of the day before stopping at Duck Lake to camp. Camped with a Portland, OR couple that's also doing the PCT! They were awesome ('course who from Portland isn't awesome?)! Had a lot of fun sharing laughs with them before heading out the next day.
7/5: (11.3 miles) Hiked to Red's Meadow Resort just about 0.3 miles off the PCT. It's a hub for trailheads around the area (majorly Devil's Postpile and Rainbow Falls) and has a general store and cafe. I pushed out the miles to get there (again probably hitting around 3.5 mph!). On the way down the hill I got service during one of my breaks and got a little distracted...but made it to Red's Meadow at about 1:30pm and immediately went to the cafe and got a cheeseburger (~$10 for the lamest cheeseburger in the world. Disappointing.). But the general store had free WiFi (and pretty fast WiFi!) so I uploaded all the photos and such I wasn't able to do at VVR. Hung out there for a while and decided to go into Mammoth Lakes (there's a bus that runs from Red's Meadow to Mammoth Lakes for $7). Right before the bus I saw Beck! She has been busting out the miles! She [somehow] did 25 miles that day from about 7am to 5pm! So we rode the bus into Mammoth together and caught up. I stayed at the Davison St. Guest House for $35 with a few other PCT hikers. Mammoth's downtown was having a 4th of July celebration complete with a band, drama/stilts/skit/thing, and fireworks so I enjoyed that. Along with the dessert crepe I got at a restaurant nearby afterwards :) . Because I didn't have a real reason to go to Mammoth (I didn't have a box there or anything, just taking a holiday for the holiday) and am therefore royally screwing with my schedule, I'm going to be jumping up to my next box at Tuolumne Meadows.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Photos uploaded
Just updated the photos folder
https://drive.google.com/folder/d/0B_-6KdFaC6WiZDdZaE5zaE9TdFE/edit
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:37.53923
Longitude:-118.97043
GPS location Date/Time:07/04/2015 20:43:41 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Latitude:37.53923
Longitude:-118.97043
GPS location Date/Time:07/04/2015 20:43:41 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Friday, July 3, 2015
Check-in/OK message from SPOT PCT Hawk
PCT Hawk
Latitude:37.41238
Longitude:-118.92467
GPS location Date/Time:07/03/2015 21:02:45 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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Latitude:37.41238
Longitude:-118.92467
GPS location Date/Time:07/03/2015 21:02:45 PDT
Message:I've set up camp for the night! Here's where I'll be:
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A Comment and an Observation
Observation: for a while now (maybe a week) the JMT and the PCT have been the same trail. And because most JMT hikers are southbound, I see a lot more of them than I do PCT hikers. My observation: JMT hikers are weird. The trail is only 211 miles which should take.... maybe 11 or 12 days to do (if you put in pretty good mileage). But I've seen tents set up as late as 10:30am and set up as early as 5:15pm. I very rarely see anyone on the trail after 7pm. It's like they're lazy and just take their time (a huge contrast to my journey where I push as many miles as I can everyday). Also- all of their packs look super huge! One guy told me his pack was over 50 lbs! Even with 5 days of food, mine is only about 45 or less.
Comment: I have a love-hate relationship with the Sierras. They are easily some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen and sometimes I think I might as well be in Oregon (lush forest, plenty of large streams and rivers, lots of undergrowth, nice grassy meadows, etc). But the terrain is HORRIBLE. Everyday is up and over another pass (1000s of feet in elevation gain) then down into a valley (1000s of feet in elevation loss). Also, imagine that you are walking up and down stairs, but these stairs aren't any normal stairs. They're about 1.5-2 feet high (sometimes higher) and about 5 feet long. And they're not just flat on top- imagine every "stair" is filled with golfball-size gravel. Yeah. Not fun on the ankles. And you have to go up and down these near the top of every pass. And this coupled with the thunderstorms everyday is why I'm hating the Sierras.
Labels
I've added labels to my posts so that it is easier to catch up if you miss some (this way you don't have to scroll past all the "Custom Message" or "Check-in/OK" posts if you don't want to).
Non-automated posts: These are all posts that aren't sent by my GPS device (like this post!). http://dantesupertramp.blogspot.com/search/label/Non-automated
Summaries: These are only the posts that contain summaries of each day. http://dantesupertramp.blogspot.com/search/label/Summaries
Non-automated posts: These are all posts that aren't sent by my GPS device (like this post!). http://dantesupertramp.blogspot.com/search/label/Non-automated
Summaries: These are only the posts that contain summaries of each day. http://dantesupertramp.blogspot.com/search/label/Summaries
Catching up...
Quite a few of these summaries will be short as it has been a long time since I have been able to post. Also, here at Vermillion Valley Resort, their internet access is satellite so they charge hikers $8/hr. Ouch!
6/24: (~4 miles) Leaving Lone Pine. I was hoping to leave around 4pm for the trail, but it didn't happen until around 7pm. And, in the Sierras, all town access requires you to walk a side trail to the edge of the Sierras (where there is likely a campground and parking lot), then hitch the 20 or so miles off the Sierras and down into town. It's a pain in the butt. So this night I didn't get a lot of hiking done plus I had to pay $40 to a guy that does these trips up the hill (he'd do it for free but it's not exactly cheap on gas to drive all the way from the valley up into the Sierras). Hiked the ~4 miles uphill back to the PCT, then stopped and camped at the Lake.
6/25: (19.4 miles) Hiked past Mt. Whitney today. Didn't exactly see it (or at least wasn't sure which one it was), but oh well. Also, today the JMT (John Muir Trail- goes from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney and coincides with the PCT) joined the PCT today (or maybe the PCT joined the JMT?) so from now on I'll see a lot of southbound JMT hikers (most people hike southbound to Mt. Whitney). Not much else to say about today. Just a lot of hiking.
6/26: (~22.5 miles) Today was a big uphill! In fact, the biggest uphill on the whole PCT! Forester Pass is at 13,790 ft elevation and is the highest point on the PCT. (You know, I've been offered weed quite a few times already- declined every time- and this is still the highest I have ever been on the PCT). The pass itself wasn't too bad (the hike to the pass was the worst part) but the scenery on the other side was beautiful! Plenty of lush forest next to the river (which brings with it- many mosquitoes). I hiked down into the valley, then up to Kearsarge Pass. Kearsarge Pass is a 7.6 mile side trail that goes from the PCT to the Onion Valley campground (access to Independence). I hiked late to get over the pass and camped on the end of one of the switchbacks on the way down (still about 3.6 miles from the parking lot).
6/27: (0 PCT miles, but 3.6 miles) I hiked the rest of the Kearsarge Pass trail quickly this morning! As fast as I could! I passed a lot of weekenders on the way down and was fortunate to get a ride down the mountains in about 30 minutes. They dropped me off at the post office and fortunately there was someone working in the back (I'm willing to dub him a "trail angel") who was able to give me my box even though they aren't open on Saturdays. I chilled at the Subway (basically the only restaurant in town) and sat on the WiFi for a couple hours. Got a footlong and headed over to the hotel about noon. I stayed at the Couthouse Motel in their hiker bunkhouse for $25 (and no one else was in the bunkhouse so I had it all to myself!). Got a shower and lounged there for the rest of the day.
6/28: (13.3 miles) Hung out for a bit in the bunkhouse and hitched from the Post Office around noon. Fortunately there was a guy going up to check out the campground and gave me a ride up for free! And I only had to wait about 10 min! Left the campground about noon and hiked over two passes pretty quickly (Kearsarge and Glen). Got down to the Rae Lakes area and it was beautiful! For a while the PCT literally strolled right along the edge of the lake. I camped just past the ranger station (a nice little propane-powered cabin in the woods).
6/29: (16.9fl oz miles) Long, frustrating day. The rest of the downhill into the valley was nice. I passed mile 800 at the suspension bridge (why aren't there more of these on the PCT?) and then I had uphill. Uphill forever. Just the 7 miles of uphill (~4000 ft elevation gain) over Pinchot Pass was so frustrating and motivation-draining that it took me about 7 hours to do. Gross. So I got over the other side and just camped at the bottom of the next valley (basically just went until it was dark). [Fun fact: "16.9 fl oz" is 500 ml! Metric system is slowly taking over America! Finally!]
6/30: (20 miles) Today's pass is Mather Pass. Not really as bad. It's pretty smooth the whole way there and even the climb over the pass isn't that steep. Easily made it over before lunch time. Once I got over the next side though, it poured. It's been sprinkling the last couple days but for about an hour we got thunder, lightning- the works. Eventually I spotted a patch of small trees and ducked inside. They didn't work super well, but they worked well enough such that I could eat lunch. The rain really did put a damper on my day though (haha. puns.). Lots of downhill, slippery rocks (I fell for the 4th time on the trail), etc. I stopped quite a few times near the bottom of the valley before finally convincing myself to go the 4 more miles to make it 20 miles for the day.
7/1: (24.5 miles) New PR! Last night I was hoping to stay in the John Muir Shelter at the top of Muir Pass, but the motivation wasn't making it happen. So this morning I made it the 7 miles and had lunch in the shelter (and it served its purpose because there was another thunderstorm today). Talked to some southbound JMT hikers in the shelter who had just come from VVR (my next resupply) and they told me all about their services, the best way to get in, etc. The new plan cut a few miles off my original plan so I decided I was going to try and push more miles today and make it there by tomorrow night. So hiked quickly down the hill (~3 mph) as fast as was reasonable and made camp late. I set up my tent about 100' off trail and hiked back to the closest water source to get water for dinner and breakfast. It was so dark (I had my headlamp, but still) that I practically wandered around for 10 minutes trying to find the trail from my tent. But on the way back I was fortunate enough to find it quickly. Tonight my tent was racked by a thunder and lightning storm directly overhead (at about 11pm and most of the night) so I spend a lot of the night awake and made a couple trips outside to re-tension stakes and guylines. My tent is waterproof, but with lots of wind the rain can get blown under the rainfly and through the netting that makes up all the walls of my tent. So my stuff got a little damp and there was a puddle inside my tent (not damaging anything- but annoying).
7/2: (23.9 miles) Hiked over the "pass of the day" which was Selden pass today. Agonizing uphill with the occasional rain. Then busted it down the other side. Had the second real fording of a river today ("real" as in "no stepping stones or logs" and "take off your socks and shoes and go wading"). I made it to the Bear Creek trail and hit lots of hikerwash (wet plants that brush against you) from a storm that I just missed. I hiked the 7.6 miles down to the trailhead and made it in about 2 hours (about 3.8 mph!). My phone was dead but fortunately there was a nice Ukrainian family camping there for the next 4 days (through Independence day) that let me use their phone. VVR (Vermillion Valley Resort) usually send shuttles to the trailhead for $12/person but they had ended their shuttles for the day. So I helped the family move their camping stuff down to the lake for the next hour and a half (they had LOTS of stuff) and they gave me a ride down to the main road. it was about 9:30pm and I was going to hike the 3 miles down the main road when another car came by within 10 minutes or so. Super lucky! I stuck out my thumb and they gave me a ride all the way to VVR! Free camping here so I set up my tent last night.
6/24: (~4 miles) Leaving Lone Pine. I was hoping to leave around 4pm for the trail, but it didn't happen until around 7pm. And, in the Sierras, all town access requires you to walk a side trail to the edge of the Sierras (where there is likely a campground and parking lot), then hitch the 20 or so miles off the Sierras and down into town. It's a pain in the butt. So this night I didn't get a lot of hiking done plus I had to pay $40 to a guy that does these trips up the hill (he'd do it for free but it's not exactly cheap on gas to drive all the way from the valley up into the Sierras). Hiked the ~4 miles uphill back to the PCT, then stopped and camped at the Lake.
6/25: (19.4 miles) Hiked past Mt. Whitney today. Didn't exactly see it (or at least wasn't sure which one it was), but oh well. Also, today the JMT (John Muir Trail- goes from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney and coincides with the PCT) joined the PCT today (or maybe the PCT joined the JMT?) so from now on I'll see a lot of southbound JMT hikers (most people hike southbound to Mt. Whitney). Not much else to say about today. Just a lot of hiking.
6/26: (~22.5 miles) Today was a big uphill! In fact, the biggest uphill on the whole PCT! Forester Pass is at 13,790 ft elevation and is the highest point on the PCT. (You know, I've been offered weed quite a few times already- declined every time- and this is still the highest I have ever been on the PCT). The pass itself wasn't too bad (the hike to the pass was the worst part) but the scenery on the other side was beautiful! Plenty of lush forest next to the river (which brings with it- many mosquitoes). I hiked down into the valley, then up to Kearsarge Pass. Kearsarge Pass is a 7.6 mile side trail that goes from the PCT to the Onion Valley campground (access to Independence). I hiked late to get over the pass and camped on the end of one of the switchbacks on the way down (still about 3.6 miles from the parking lot).
6/27: (0 PCT miles, but 3.6 miles) I hiked the rest of the Kearsarge Pass trail quickly this morning! As fast as I could! I passed a lot of weekenders on the way down and was fortunate to get a ride down the mountains in about 30 minutes. They dropped me off at the post office and fortunately there was someone working in the back (I'm willing to dub him a "trail angel") who was able to give me my box even though they aren't open on Saturdays. I chilled at the Subway (basically the only restaurant in town) and sat on the WiFi for a couple hours. Got a footlong and headed over to the hotel about noon. I stayed at the Couthouse Motel in their hiker bunkhouse for $25 (and no one else was in the bunkhouse so I had it all to myself!). Got a shower and lounged there for the rest of the day.
6/28: (13.3 miles) Hung out for a bit in the bunkhouse and hitched from the Post Office around noon. Fortunately there was a guy going up to check out the campground and gave me a ride up for free! And I only had to wait about 10 min! Left the campground about noon and hiked over two passes pretty quickly (Kearsarge and Glen). Got down to the Rae Lakes area and it was beautiful! For a while the PCT literally strolled right along the edge of the lake. I camped just past the ranger station (a nice little propane-powered cabin in the woods).
6/29: (16.9
6/30: (20 miles) Today's pass is Mather Pass. Not really as bad. It's pretty smooth the whole way there and even the climb over the pass isn't that steep. Easily made it over before lunch time. Once I got over the next side though, it poured. It's been sprinkling the last couple days but for about an hour we got thunder, lightning- the works. Eventually I spotted a patch of small trees and ducked inside. They didn't work super well, but they worked well enough such that I could eat lunch. The rain really did put a damper on my day though (haha. puns.). Lots of downhill, slippery rocks (I fell for the 4th time on the trail), etc. I stopped quite a few times near the bottom of the valley before finally convincing myself to go the 4 more miles to make it 20 miles for the day.
7/1: (24.5 miles) New PR! Last night I was hoping to stay in the John Muir Shelter at the top of Muir Pass, but the motivation wasn't making it happen. So this morning I made it the 7 miles and had lunch in the shelter (and it served its purpose because there was another thunderstorm today). Talked to some southbound JMT hikers in the shelter who had just come from VVR (my next resupply) and they told me all about their services, the best way to get in, etc. The new plan cut a few miles off my original plan so I decided I was going to try and push more miles today and make it there by tomorrow night. So hiked quickly down the hill (~3 mph) as fast as was reasonable and made camp late. I set up my tent about 100' off trail and hiked back to the closest water source to get water for dinner and breakfast. It was so dark (I had my headlamp, but still) that I practically wandered around for 10 minutes trying to find the trail from my tent. But on the way back I was fortunate enough to find it quickly. Tonight my tent was racked by a thunder and lightning storm directly overhead (at about 11pm and most of the night) so I spend a lot of the night awake and made a couple trips outside to re-tension stakes and guylines. My tent is waterproof, but with lots of wind the rain can get blown under the rainfly and through the netting that makes up all the walls of my tent. So my stuff got a little damp and there was a puddle inside my tent (not damaging anything- but annoying).
7/2: (23.9 miles) Hiked over the "pass of the day" which was Selden pass today. Agonizing uphill with the occasional rain. Then busted it down the other side. Had the second real fording of a river today ("real" as in "no stepping stones or logs" and "take off your socks and shoes and go wading"). I made it to the Bear Creek trail and hit lots of hikerwash (wet plants that brush against you) from a storm that I just missed. I hiked the 7.6 miles down to the trailhead and made it in about 2 hours (about 3.8 mph!). My phone was dead but fortunately there was a nice Ukrainian family camping there for the next 4 days (through Independence day) that let me use their phone. VVR (Vermillion Valley Resort) usually send shuttles to the trailhead for $12/person but they had ended their shuttles for the day. So I helped the family move their camping stuff down to the lake for the next hour and a half (they had LOTS of stuff) and they gave me a ride down to the main road. it was about 9:30pm and I was going to hike the 3 miles down the main road when another car came by within 10 minutes or so. Super lucky! I stuck out my thumb and they gave me a ride all the way to VVR! Free camping here so I set up my tent last night.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
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Wednesday, July 1, 2015
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GPS location Date/Time:07/01/2015 21:15:35 PDT
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