PCT Day 14

Day 14

27 miles

I wake up before my alarm and assemble my things slowly. Some of the others are already up but Poptart and I leave first. We fill up at the water cache and hike on. It’s a little windy but once we enter the hills it dies down and we ascend gradually. The sun slowly rises and we take a break 10 miles in. Some of the others from last night pass us and then we regroup at the next water cache. I down a 500ml bottle, thirstier than I realised. We hike on and reach Silverwood Lake. I really fancy a swim so head down to the blue lake. Poptart hikes on eager for more miles.

I eat chocolate and go for dip. The water is so refreshing cool, goosebumps instantly line my skin and I dip down to submerge myself. I rinse my clothes as a few other visitors enjoy the water. Families and couples are swimming and enjoying picnics. There's a cold breeze  coming in so I sit in the shallows and wash my feet and legs. I have no idea how they get so dirty with my trousers on. I retreat under the lifeguard box and chill there out the sun. I pick through my food when a lady approaches me and holds up a sandwich and some watermelon. Amazing! The Trail provides! Fresh fruit is always appreciated on the trail. My clothes dry within the hour and I decided to make a move.

I brush my teeth at the water fountain and sort out my feet with fresh plasters (band aids). I set off at half 1 and it’s so hot. I see a road which looks like a shortcut on my map and head up it. But after 30 minutes it becomes too overgrown to continue and I have to turn back. I keep my head down as I battle the heat. I ascend and take frequent breaks along the way to try and cool down. I drink my warm, flavoured water and survey the scenery before me. I’ve climbed quite high.

I keep a good pace and get a new blister but the thought of Mac D drives me on. I check my phone - a lot as I get towards the end of the day. Both my half mile ap and GPS. I’m so close. A hiker passes me and I try to match his pace but I can’t. Only 2 miles to go. I drop under power lines and can hear the road. I’m close. I see a wooden sign for Mac D -  0.4 miles away. I speed up considerably and can see the guys who overtook me earlier. I vault inside and order a large ¼ pound burger meal and down the various flavours of drinks they have on offer. We don’t have free refills in England so I indulge.

A guy asks me about all the hikers who pass through here and I say we’re all hiking from Mexico to Canada. He stares gob-smacked for a moment and admits he’s impressed. I then get talking to two other hikers called Globe and Namaste. They were taking the trail easy and going with the flow. They had spent 3 days at the hot springs a few miles back. Both cool guys. I eat a mcflurry and get a call from Poptart who is spending the night in a hotel and says I can join her. I head other there and sneak in. I wash my days clothes which takes ages and in the end they don’t actually come clean. Then I wash myself. I hang my clothes up to dry in the bathroom and hobble around on my poor feet. I stretch a bit which I think helps. Poptarts spend the evening on the phone as I catch up with the online world. I watch the end of the latest GOT episode and chill. It’s 10 pm when I head to sleep.

 

Day 15 Here

PCT Day 13

Day 13 

28 miles

I get up early as does Poptart and were walking by 5am - Early to bed, early to rise.  We hike for a few miles before we stop for breakfast. I chomp on an apple and noodles. We walk on and make 13 miles easily by half 10. We talk the whole way about life, school, work, love, travel, hiking, pets, family, life-goals. Poptart talks of her friend who hiked the PCT last year Southbound. He mentioned that he saw half a dozen rattlesnakes when he was hiking this section. Then we hear a rattle and freeze. It’s in front of us and poised. It’s tail high in the air. We stare at it and it glares back, unmoving. We give up and take a wide path around it. Thankfully it does nothing.

When we arrive at a bridge we chill beneath it in the shady beach trees and get water. I let my feet breath, the plasters have stayed on. The shower at Papa Smurfs was so beneficial to my feet. It’s half past 11 and we’ve hiked 15 miles. We plan on making it a 30 miles day well Poptart is keen to get a 30 mile day in. I’m just happy to walk and see where I end up. A few hikers walk over head on the bridge as we relax. Two Swiss girls stop to chat with us appreciating the shade and water.

Back on the trail we come across the Warner Hot Spring and I go for a dip in a little side pool. It’s so hot- both in and out the water. We dip our shirts in and keep walking. They dry instantly. We follow the edge of a valley as usual, going in and out. We cross a rainbow bridge and make our way to the edge of the valley. We find water, a flowing stream and suddenly there is a gathering of hikers there. The two Swiss girls catch up along with another lady and an older couple. We walk on and make our way to mile 215 which we find is too windy to camp so we hike back a mile to where everyone else is. They’re camped in a sandy bay of the trail surrounding trees. There are ants but luckily they’re not too bad. I eat my noodles, brush my hair and teeth, set up my inner tent and sleep. My legs are vibrating. Everyone’s silent by 8:30 pm. The wind roars around the trees and calms down sometime in the night.

Day 14 Here

PCT Day 12

Day 12
20 miles - nero

I wake before everyone in the makeshift tent and relish in the pre-day silence. A lady comes out the house and waves at me. She must be Papa Smurfs wife. I sit up and catch up on my journal as everyone slowly wakes up. They turn on their phones and reconnect to their online worlds. After an hour Papa Smurf comes out and announces he’s making breakfast and everyone speeds up. Mini burgers, meaty scrambled eggs, buttered potatoes, pancakes and leftover doughnuts are on the menu. I eat as much as my body will allow and then eat more. It tastes so good and my body is craving it. Everyone's up and eating now. I down several cups of milk and apple juice rehydrating myself. The taste is immense compared with trail water and the flavoured packets I use.

Papa Smurf divides us into groups and drives the first lot back to the trail. Poptart and I need to resupply so we hang around with 2 others. I stretch in the tent and get a call from my sister - Nicnacs and we chat for a bit. Then I video call my Dad. After an hour Papa Smurf returns and we head to the shops. It’s nice to be back in the human world as I listening in on the conversation.

We head to Trader Joes where I get ramen, cereal bars, chocolate, skittles, Ziplock bags, juice powder and an apple. I down an iced tea trying to drink lots before I venture back onto the trail. Two hikers stay in town as Poptart and I are driven back to the wild. We repack our bags and leave our unwanted packaging with Papa Smurf who understands the needs of hikers. He then says a prayer for us before we leave.

It’s midday and hard going. My bag is so heavy but having half a day off was such a nice way to relax and my feet and blisters feel so much better. I trudge along as the sun burns me. The heat is intense and I let Poptart go ahead. I slowly walk up with  my pack ladened with food and water. It’s nice to be in a forest again. The deep smell of the woodland pine reverberating around me. I inhale deeply.

Suddenly a hummingbird flies above and observes me. I watch it amazed and also freaked by its effortless ability to hover there easily. It’s strange to see one in real time and not slowed down like in documentaries. I walk on and catch Poptart 13 miles after the drop-off point. She's at a water cache left by Papa Smurf. We chill there briefly before deciding to walk to the Little Bear Camp where we’ll spend the night. It’s 7 miles away which will make today a 20 mile half day! It's been a long day but the walk has been beautiful.

We arrive at the top and are able to look down over a lake. All I can hear is the wind through the pine trees and distant jet skis. Then we slowly descend on the winding trails, in and out of the mountain's crevasses. We’ve entered a dead forest where a fire ravaged the land recently. Its eerily beauty as the trees stand blackened with the setting sun on them. I‘m getting so tired and check my phone - the half mile ap more frequently. 5 miles 4 miles 4.5 miles, 3 miles, 3.5 miles, 3 and bit miles…

We keep going, my feet pounding the trail. 2 miles. I need new shoes pretty badly. 1 mile. The moon has appeared even though it still quite light. 0.5 miles It towers above the tall, fire-dead trees and looms watching everything. We finally arrive at the camp and find 4 guys there. One is a thru hikers, they take turns talking to us and report back to their table what they’re learnt. We are both exhausted and don’t really want to engage with them. It’s half 8 and the twilight has fallen now. We pitch up our tents for some privacy and fall asleep with ease. The moon is massive and lights up the field were in. I could read by it’s light

 

Day 13 Here