Day 74 (July 22nd)
Mile 1600.8 – mile 1624.8
Today: 24.0 miles (38.6 km)
Total PCT: 1169.6 miles (1882.3 km)
On the way to the trailhead this morning, we saw our friends Lost and Found, Magic Hobbit and Yavol riding in the back of the pickup truck ahead of us! At the trail head, Jake and I took a photo before parting for the day.
Leaving town is always hard– but sometimes getting back on trail feels like I’m a racehorse waiting for the gates to open. I just want to go! I felt capable and speedy this morning as I passed several hikers while heading uphill. Among them was a group of boy scouts– all wearing blue shorts, white shirts and a red bandana around their necks– cuties! My feet felt okay in the morning and I was pleased.
I didn’t take lunch until 3pm when I finally made it 14 miles to a nice little pond for a swim. I was starving and really looking forward to the break– but I still had 10 miles to cover and limited time to do so, so I didnt want to break too long. After lunch, things got harder fast. We encountered dozens and dozens of difficult to navigate blow downs.
My feet started to ache with every step. I could see Salty and Thunder ahead of me, but attempts to go faster and catch them for some company and distraction were thwarted by sore feet. It was frustrating to see them just ahead of me, happy and chatting, and to not be capable of catching them.
Finally I arrived at camp at 8pm and found Jake who had been anxiously waiting for me for a couple of hours. I felt terrible that he had been waiting, and even sadder that I wasn’t able to maximize my time with him. For one of the first times on trail, I felt like my body had let me down.
At the same time, I know I am so lucky to have this guy in my life. He has endlessly supported me throughout this hike and this week he has gone above and beyond go help me and many other hikers. My very own trail angel. ❤️ I truly don’t know what I have done to deserve him.
Day 75 (July 23rd)
Mile 1624.8 – mile 1650.6
Today: 25.8 miles (41.5 km)
Total PCT: 1195.4 miles (1923.8 km)
After a wonderful week of having Jake join me at camp and in town most nights, we finally said goodbye this morning. He will continue on to a (hopefully more relaxing) vacation in Redwood National Park and then onto San Fran! Its been a blur of him bringing me my favourite snacks and chocolates, cooking me and the tram dinner, driving us to all our chores, hiking in 10 or more kms to meet me at my camp spot… I’m so lucky to have him in my life.
After we said goodbye this morning, I dried my tears and picked up my trekking poles– only to realize that they had been the victim of a mule deer’s desperate search for salt. One of the straps was chewed straight through. Dammit! I felt personally victomized by the deer, but I pushed on through the betrayal. I started hiking.
I decided to take it very slow this morning to try and let my feet rest a little more. Stopping for breaks frequently, I made my way down the mountain. I was feeling a little low this morning. Between Jake leaving, my trekking poles, and my sore feet, everything just seemed really hard… But then I started to see black raspberries along the trail– and some of them were ripe!
I hiked and picked until I had shoved several handfuls of delicious berries into my mouth. The weight on my back felt lighter suddenly and the terrain felt friendlier. By the time I sat down to enjoy a lunch of peanut butter and dried apple wraps, I was feeling much better. Thunder joined me and we had a really nice chat about life and challenges and what is to come both on trail and off. I always love our deep chats and I feel like I really needed one today.
Thunder and I walked into camp just before 7pm– 26 miles in 12 hours! Hard to believe that marathoners can cover that distance in a 3rd of that time! We are camping at an actual campground tonight with picnic tables and pit toilets– the dream! The boys had encountered some trail magic when they arrived a little earlier and they saved Thunder and me a pop each. My orange crush was still cold and drinking it sitting at a picnic table was pure bliss.
Day 76 (July 24th)
Mile 1650.6 – mile 1676.5
Today: 25.9 miles (41.7 km)
Total PCT: 1221.3 miles (1965.5 km)
Today involved bushwhacking, blow down climbing and well over 7000 vertical ft of ascent. It was a very challenging day for me, but I am proud to have completed it and even enjoyed most of the day! My good mood today started with a 6 mile road walk where Corpse, Salty, Thunder and I all walked together and chatted.
Before long, we came to trail angel Brian’s house. The boys met Brian last night at the campground when he delivered us pops, and he mentioned that we should stop by the house this morning. He had a hammock and chairs set out on his porch for hikers to use, and he had a mini fridge full of drinks– A lovely way to start the morning! While sitting comfortably on the porch chatting with Brian, we were suddenly joined by our friend Tedtalks! She had taken a zero at Brian’s house and was heading back out to trail today. I last saw Tedtalks in Kennedy Meadows and it was such a nice surprise to see her again!
Knowing the big climb was still ahead of us made me antsy to leave and get started, so off we went! The climb was long, steep and overgrown– but I was listening to the Legally Blonde soundtrack, so all was well. I finished as much of the climb as I could before stopping for my lunch on a scenic cliff under the shade of a pine tree. It was a really great lunch spot and I even had enough service to call my mom!
The afternoon was relatively uneventful, unless you count the dozens of obnoxious blowdowns blocking the path and requiring careful climbing to navigate them.
I’m proud to have completed such a long, challenging day and excited to sleep tonight!
Day 77 (July 25th)
Mile 1676.5 – mile 1703.6
Today: 27.1 miles (43.6 km)
Total PCT: 1248.4 miles (2009.1 km)
Today was a big day for two reasons: 1) we crossed into Oregon! and 2) I SAW A MOUNTAIN LION!
Just as I approached my intended lunch spot, I looked ahead of me and saw a tan animal, about the size of a golden retriever, agily running away from me through the trees. The most distinctive feature I saw was a long, thin, tan coloured tail with black rings at the end. My jaw dropped open as I quickly considered if I had seen what I thought I had seen– definitely a cat, and not a bobcat because of the long tail. It had to be a mountain lion! I rushed the rest of the way to the lunchspot, eager to tell others of my sighting.
My lunchspot was a public cabin where PCT hikers were permitted to camp. Inside there were some camp chairs, which Thunder and I took outside so we could eat lunch on the porch. I especially enjoyed the toilet at this cabin– an open thunderbox with a three walled privacy screen and a sign to indicate if the toilet was occupied.
After our lunch, Thunder and I walked the last mile of NorCal together and took some photos before crossing into Oregon.
We signed the trail log located at the border and were thrilled to see a note indicating that there was trail magic happening in 0.4miles today! What a nice welcome to Oregon! Trail angel Tom offered us fruit, cold drinks, and hot dogs! The boys had left before we arrived. They had already let him know to expect us, and that I was vegan (so he offered me fruit and some bagels he had instead of a hot dog– so kind!). Feeling happy, satiated and motivated I continued on my way. I knew the boys were probably too far ahead to catch up with today, but I hoped to have some company at camp tonight. Luckily Thunder and I had the same number of miles left in us. We ended up making camp with our friend GraniteMan and I enjoyed our dinner conversation. 🙂
Day 78 (July 26th)
Mile 1703.6 – mile 1729.1
Today: 25.5 miles (41.0 km)
Total PCT: 1273.9 miles (2050.1 km)
So, confession time: I listened to the Legally Blonde musical soundtrack *twice* this morning. As a result, I managed to hike the 15 miles into civilization (i.e. Callahan’s Lodge) at a 3 mile per hour pace! Woohoo! On the way, I found a cooler of pop with the label “For PCT long distance hikers”. It felt like a real luxury to sip a sweet drink while hiking.
Thunder and I camped about 6 miles behind Salty and Corpsy, and sadly we didnt get to see them at all today. 🙁 By the time we made it to Callahan’s just before 11:30am, they had already left. Happily, the lodge offered hiker facilities in the form of a room with a toilet, a shower and a washing machine. Thunder and I picked up our mailed resupply from the front desk and then thoroughly enjoyed these facilities. Washing my hair was so incredible– I will live on the high of that feeling for at least a couple more days. While waiting for our laundry to be done, I donned some true hiker fashion– a buff for a shirt, and a rain jacket as a skirt!
I even had an interview with my home town newspaper! The lodge was a really nice extended break, but I was antsy to get back on trail. Thunder decided to stay and get some food at the restaurant, while I continued on my way. I debated listening to Legally Blonde a third time, but ultimately enjoyed my podcasts instead. While I missed my tramily, it was nice to realize that I could hike as short or far as I wanted tonight with no repercussions. I ended up hiking 10.5 more miles and arriving at 6:30pm– an early night given my current schedule!
