PCT Day 39

Day 39

Miles - 23

I wake at 5:15 and lay still for a while, enjoying the stillness of the dawn.  Eventually I get up, tent down, stuff away and hike away first. I do always love hiking at first light. The air is cool and no one else is awake, I plan to continue early rising back home and walking when I can. I run into several random lone deer as they eat their morning grass. Brian catches up and I let him overtake. I’m running low on food again. I should actually plan my daily calorie intake. For the day I have

2 poptarts - 410

1 cereal bar - 170

1 mars bar - 240

1 noodle packet - 240

2 porridge packets - 300

2 wraps and choc sauce - 240+ 70 = 1970

I need to pack more food, I’m going to gorge myself at Vermillion Valley Resort.

I gradually rise up into the valley and think I must be dreaming. It so beautiful. The valley is lush and green with a quiet river flowing through it. Deer casually walk through it, their slender legs carefully picking their way through it.

I pass by many campsites, some have fire rings, flatten patches where tents have been. It’s all amazing, I follow the river as I ascend up the rocky pass, following deer hoof prints as I go. I find Brian soaking his feet and I wash my top which stinks. Then I fall in up to my knees and end up washing my shoes and socks too. I’m trying to drink more today and when I’m at the top I bother purifying my water. I eat two porridges packets - my hunger is immense today and I can’t wait to eat lots at VVR.  

Hiking on I find Brian on a large rock as the 11am sun shines down. I’m hungry. Its 1000 ft and 2.5 miles to the top, we can’t see the path but we walk on anyway. It’s rocky all the way and water flows down the path from melty patches of snow. I don’t stop and keep moving. I get slow and hungry but keep going, trudging along. It feels like I’m in Iceland. I’ve never been but it’s how I imagine it to be. Then I see it. John Muirs hut. One final zigzag up and I arrive. I eat a mars bar to celebrate and head inside to check it out. The hut itself is very impressive. Curved and made of stone with a wooden door. There is a fireplace and mantle piece but it’s all stoned in. I sign the book and we chat with some PCT hikers and I am filmed saying a quote from a Dr Seuss poem for the PCT 2015 class film. I recently found the video and it’s great! It brings back fantastic memories!

I then walk down  the other side which is more gradual with flowing rivers into lakes and stones everywhere. Everything is beautiful, apart from the mozzies which follow me here, there and everywhere. I catch up to Brian and we descend together then I stop for some noodles and to air my feet while he walks on. I hike on but don’t see Brian anywhere so I continue alone and walk down into the another stunning meadows with deers. It’s breathtaking. I walk till 7pm and pitch my inner pitch tent to keep the mozzies away. I smell a fire and watch mozzies try to invade my tent, thankfully their attacks are futile and I’m able to sleep in peace. I sleep in Mcclure Meadows.

Day 40

PCT Day 38

Day 38

Miles - 20

I’m awake for 6am but don’t move till 6:30am and get hiking by 7am. I get within a mile from the top and pause to eat a packet of tuna and a cereal bar - separately. My hungry hits me early after only eating snacks yesterday and nothing for tea. I keep going and make it up and over and begin the long hike down towards lakes. The mozzies return and I swat them away and squash the ones that land on me. I have an early lunch of noodles by a river and keep going. It’s only a little bit further down then I start the slow climb up Mather Pass. I find a nice spot again and sit beside the river and soak my feet. They’re pretty hard which would explains why I haven’t had a blister in a while. There are no trees so there are thankfully no mozzies. I cut my toenails and clean them best I can. I then have chocolate sauce on tortilla wraps and brush my teeth.

I walk on and get to the base of Mather Pass. I’ve been climbing gradually and soon the steepness kicks in. It’s very rocky, both large and small but I keep moving rather than stopping a lot. From the base I can’t see the trail but once I got hiking it soon became apparent and did the usual zigzagging. At the top I find a man chilling with his eyes closed. We chat briefly. The man is called David and is taking a moment to enjoy the peace he has found here. I leave him to it and pass by to chill round the corner and catch up on my journal. I eat a mars bar as a marmot and chipmunks scurry about. Another guy walks by me and doesn’t notice me. I sit in the patchy sun and look out to the distance. Alpine-like trees wave at me, beckoning me onwards. Vast amounts of grey boulders are everywhere, they made the way up slightly slippery but not unmanageable. I finish writing and eventually make a move. The trail is pretty steep on the descent so I take it easy.

It’s a long descent. Down and down and down. Soon enough the mozzies return but I maintain a good pace. The view down the valley is amazing, encaved by a rocky wall, trees line the bottom and a booming waterfall flows right down the middle. I pass a hiker and we chat for a bit, then he asks if he can follow me down. He keeps up with me and says I hike fast. His name is Brian, he’s retired and he’s hiking the John Muir Trail for a 3rd time. We pass a few campsites and find a decent one next to Palisade Creek . We chat as we eat and call it a night at 8pm.

Day 39 here

PCT Day 37

Day 37

Miles - 25

I wake up and pack up swiftly and silently. Since I cowboy camped I’m quick to stuff my sleeping bag and foam mat away. I leave before Melo and today I’m hiking up Glen Pass which is a gradual hike up sandy coloured rocks and passed beautiful lakes then its gets a little steeper. Strange little rocks hamsters scurry around and stare at me as I pass. I eventually get to the top and chill for a bit. There are no mozzies up here so I can actually sit still for once. I much down on gummy sweet and relax. Air traffic passes over head and I watch tiny matchstick sized people ascend and descend. Random splotches of snow are present but they’re not serious. I don’t need my crampons.

Sparkling lakes dance in the sun and I head down. It’s actually a really long descent down and I arrive beside blue lakes with water so clean. I can see trout and the large stones at the bottom. I pass by and the midday sun arrives. Even though I frequently pass under trees, the sun still feels incredibly hot. I pause for water and sun cream and still I descend down and down which means I’ll have to ascend again. I arrive at a wobbly one man suspension bridge. The gateway to Pinchots Pass - a 3500 ft ascent which my guide book says is easy. It’s not too bad at first and I pass the 800 mile mark but then the mozzies arrive and I can’t pause for breath, food or water without these guy's attacking me. I feel like a deer that’s been bitten by a Komodo dragon and I’m being followed and waited upon as I slow down.

I make very slow progress and end up camping two miles from the top. I quickly put up my tent and put my bear canister at a distant. Then I dive into my tent exhausted. All I’ve eaten today are snacks. I see the mozzies bouncing off my inner tent, trying to insert their needles. I watch them pleased they can’t get me. It’s not going to rain so I’ve only put up the one layer of my tent. I get out my roll mat and sleeping bag with difficulty and unzip it. I’m so tired and fall asleep swiftly.

Day 38 here