PCT Day 17

Day 17

34 miles

Waking at 5 am I can hear Roadrunner and Puss in boots moving about. It’s till dark in the morning twilight. I can see Puss in Boots red head torch flickering between the trees. I could hear them dismantling their tents and then they were gone. Poptart was next and then I was next. I was swift to pack my tent and sleeping bag away and I was soon descending through the pine forest, the path ladened with rocks. My trusty Yucca stick setting the rhythmic timing that goes with walking.

It was a beautiful morning and the moon drifted lazily in the pale blue sky. I headed down to the road which lead back up to the trail but I decided to hike on the road. It was quicker and meant I would not have to go up or down needlessly. So off I went. It was actually quite nice walking along it at 6am with no traffic. Steep drop were on my left and a flat row of clouds lay in the distance. The trail crossed the road again but I stayed on the road. I headed through two tunnels and saw a stoney drain leading under them. I arrived at a picnic site, had breakfast and walked on, the next water source was coming up in a campsite. I pass a derelict ski lifts and old ski resorts as the sun slowly got warmer. A park ranger stopped to ask If I was OK, then said water was a mile away. Maybe he thought I needed help since I was walking along the road.

At the campsite I re-plaster my feet, brush my teeth, ate snacks, brush my hair and then Poptart and Roadrunner arrived. We chat for a bit then I walked on. I return to the road and eventually rejoin the PCT where I meet the 400 mile mark. I cross the road and chill at a car picnic place to devour a Mars bar. Walking on I pass a car with a lone Korean man who gives me some wine rice bread which is pretty tasty and I made my way back onto the trail. I walk up a few hundred feet and I’m pleased that the sun is omitted by clouds. I walk into a rattlesnake and retreated 3 steps back. It eventually moves after a minute but still rattles at me as it passed. Then I met a bigger one on a verge just above the path. I hop, skip and jump when I hear it, as you are a bit disorientated and unsure where they are at first. Luckily I saw no more.

I was about ten miles away from the water source - 34 mile day! I push on, the thought of snakes making me forget I’m climbing. Then I arrive into a beautiful green and flowery meadow and startled a trio of deer. I got signal and chat to a friend and send a few emails, 6 miles to go. I zigzag down out of the valley and eat gummy rings as I go. I’m getting close and very eager to end my 34 mile day. Down and down I go till I’m a few miles away and Blond Shadow turns up on time. I can see him behind flicking in and out of sight. I get to the water pump and filled up. Blond Shadow catches up and we chat for a bit before he night hikes on. I chat with a few hikers when Poptart and Road runner arrived. They haven’t seen Puss in boots all day. We cowboy camp in front of the fire station and I wake up at 2 am due to the big spot light of the moon in my face.

 

Day 18 here

 

PCT Day 16

Day 16

14 miles

I sleep in and gradually get up for 7:30 am. I’m getting use to sleeping in beds, they’re beginning to feel quite nice. I collect our clean clothes from the dryer as Poptart refills our water. Sue and Mike both had to go to work early so we eat breakfast with their daughter and her son. Breakfast consists of picking random food from the side such as chocolate, crisps and sweets. I munch and read the note left from Sue and Mike.

We get a hitch into Wrightwood centre from a woman who was taking her dog to be groomed, he was pretty hyped to see us. Bouncing all over her car, us and our packs. We head to the hardware store first to collect Poptart’s box and I desperately need new shoes. I check out the shoe section and find some merrells - size 4.5 - it’s so cool that they do half sizes. They cost 70£/90$ and it’s the most money I’ve ever spent on shoes. They’re sandy coloured and fit perfectly, it feels like I have new feet.

I bin my 25£ trainers hoping my merrells are rub on my feet.

Food is the next stop and spend about 35£/50$ on food. It only just all fit in my bag! A few hikers amble about town, eating outside the food store, wandering the hardware store and poking through the hiker box.

We get a hitch out of town from a guy who was going on holiday to Australia soon. We chat merrily about life and he kissed both our hands before leaving. Poptart is trying for big miles so she set off at great speed and I just dawdled with my heavy bag of food. I walk through the pine forest and chill for a bit using wifi and eating my smartie cookies. I’m not hugely motivated, the heat and heavily bag aiding my break.  When I eventually get going I descend through the pine forest and find myself at the base of the steep 6000 ft ascent. It just zigzagged constantly. I take a moment before I begin the epic climb. A hiker box sits at the bottom where I use some suncream.

My right heel aches a bit after last night's race to the end so I take it easy and head with a speed of 1 mile an hour. I take several breaks up and I’m overtaken by roadrunner and Alex - later to be known as Puss in boots. I meet them at the top and what a view! I chill inside the roots of the wally tree and eat food with Roadrunner and Alex. Clouds lay beneath us to the side and vast verdant wilderness surround us on all sides. It’s bliss. So beautiful and enchanting. We chat about Carrot Quinn and the future burden of bear boxes They walk on and I remain there happily as a crazy fell runner appears having just run up the climb. He nods at me and continues down the path….

It’s about 6 miles to the next water source. I hike on and trail through the green pine trees and rocky route. My new shoes not letting any stones in. I ascend occasionally which allowed me to see the white fluffy clouds still. I see the fell runner again as he had turned around and proceeded to then pass me again in the opposite direction.  Eventually I reach the spring named Little Jimmys Spring. I collected my water and reach camp. I hear everybody before I see them and there are quite a lot of us - Poptart, Road runner, Puss in Boots, 2 Canadians high on weeds and another couple. I setup my tent - just the inner, pleased to be done for the day and head over to the communal fire and eat some pasta. We chill talking of the generic hiker talk, all eventually peeling off to bed after 8pm.

Day 17 here

PCT Day 15

Day 15

Miles: 28

Man it felt so good to sleep in an actual bed. As soon as I pulled the covers over me I sank into a deep sleep. The room was so dark and must have been well sound proofed against the roaring free-way. I woke up a few times thinking it was time to get up due to the misleading darkness. My body use to the sun being it’s alarm clock. When we do wake we are slow to mobilize, getting out and heading to Mac D for breakfast. I got my usual pancakes with golden syrup and a large refillable drink, they taste good. I don’t want to know how much sugar I just consumed…

The next water cache isn’t going to be for 26 miles so I drink loads. We head out for 7am and chat briefly with Globe and Namastay under the bridge where they slept. Then the long ascent begins. It’s so foggy and the visibility is terrible all morning. I can hear freight trains but can’t see them hidden by the damp clouds. It’s a long slog up but feels good in the cooler weather.  I ascend 15 miles going from of 3500ft  to 8200 ft. Then the sun comes out at midday and I have an amazing view above the clouds. It's so dull and dismal a few feet back and right here it’s stunning. I then get a phone signal and chat to the folks back home. I sit there on the trail for a good hour. I air my feet which feels good, a habit I’m always doing now whenever I stop. Soon I realise I have to continue and hikes on. The sun is now beating down and I’m beginning to wilt. It takes me ages to hike up the beast. Poptart and I had planned to camp at highway 2 and hitch into town the next day.That was only 3 more miles, then as I’m eating my cold, soggy noodles, surveying the view I get a message.

She says a trail angel is picking us up in 2h about 8 miles from where I am. Bummer!

I scoff my food and begin to pack up just as the blond shadow arrives on time. A guy who's happens to hike passed me at this time everyday. He is a faster hiker than I so I figure he must hike half in the day, half in the night for me to always be headed somehow in the late afternoon. His name I find out is Eric. We chat briefly and he confirms my 8 mile hike. He leaves me to pack up and I jog out ten minutes later. I then hike pass him 2 miles down the trail. The scenery at dusk is amazing and I’m missing it all. Rushing and stumbling to catch up. A part of me isn’t sure (looking back) why I was so eager to catch up. I could have easily just solo camped and hitched into town the next day…it's not like I hadn't slept in a bed and showered recently.

It’s close but I think I’m going to make it. I jog on the flat and cringe on the uphill. I text Poptart how close I am but get no reply. I reach an abandoned ski resort with creaking ski lifts and random shacks. I criss cross a dirt road which is a good sign that I’m reaching civilization again.  I’m half a mile away when a car appears which beeps at me. I’m saved. I still descend pretty fast when the driver a trail angel called Mike gets out and tells me to slow down waving his hands. He loaded my pack into the boot and I clamber in, my feet are pounding with blood. I sit back relieved knowing I can rest easy.

We chat to Mike well Poptart does and I’m just so happy that I made it but also exhausted so zoned out a bit in the back. I hear them talking of his home where we can shower, be fed a proper meal, sleep. We zoom down into Wrightwood where he points out shops where we can find food, collect mail and I can buy the new shoes that I so desperately need. We arrive at his house, a family home. His dog greets him but is very distrusting of us. Then we meet Sue his wife who is rocking her grandson to sleep. She invites us in and ask what are our priories; food, shower, sleep? Those in that order! We eat a chicken dish with carrots, onion, pineapple. Mac and cheese is also on the menu which it tastes so good. I get a second helping, my body thanking me, I thank the Trail angels. I swing my legs to and fro from the chair, my feet aching from my bad shoes. We chat to the family and I gain my trail name of Yorkie. We finish up and are shown to our bunk bed and where the laundry is. I shower first and it's amazing. Even though I showered a meer 24h ago it still feels awesome after a day out in the sun. I sit in the bottom of the shower and let it rain over me, feel little guilty with the drought in California. I clean my feet which are filthy and blistered and massage them. I chill in our room, laying on the top bunk relaxed. We head to sleep at 9 ish.

Day 16 here