PCT Field Notes

  Rekindled Setting up my tent the night before was tough, the wind was ripping through. By midnight it had calmed down, but the flapping of my tent must have created enough of a ruckus to keep critters away because once the wind stopped, an assault began. It first was a large rustling in the green grotto 20 yards away. Then I heard something rummaging in my bag. I grabbed my phone, turned the light on, and this little creature with great big eyes and a long tail was staring me in the face, must have been paralyzed by the bright light. Kangaroo rat. It scurried away and I closed my bag up. It must have felt slighted, because him and his friends decided to do parkour on my tent fly for a good 20 minutes, chittering and laughing the entire time. After a while it died down, must have gotten bored, but there was still large movements about 20 yards away. I knew it was bear country, but I eventually fell asleep.  The morning is cool and my body is a bit stiff, but even after a frus...

Near the top of Burnt Peak of the Sierra Pelona  Preface: This was a particularly mentally tough week that left me rather uninspired to write. My thoughts were much more internal and personal. This entry may be a bit boring and it took me a while to compile, but things did resolve by the next week. Hike down to Hikertown Mile 500. I descend from Burnt Peak into the Mojave today. The heat is on, but there are a lot of oak trees at the higher elevations. Looking down into the valley seems daunting, there is some real heat down there. I find a well flowing creek to bathe and do laundry. I’ve been pretty good about keeping my clothes and myself clean.    About 200 meters past there are some trail angels providing water and snacks. An Australian fellow swears we left on the same day and shows me a photo. Yep, that’s me. I don’t know how I haven’t been hiking with anyone from that day. The day is hot and I carry on. I’m headed to Hiker Town, a bit of an infamous hiker stop. It’...

Push it to the Limit The day starts strong, my legs feel ready for the 27 miles I have planned. Much of the trail out of the San Gabriels is downhill with a few uphills. The weather is cold most of the day and I try to keep as little layers on me as possible. Just warm enough not to shiver, but cool enough to not sweat. I rarely stop, stuffing cookies, Poptarts, and trail mix into my face while I move as fast as I can down the trail. My legs are learning new mechanics to move faster, I hope not to my detriment. About 24 miles in my body is exhausted, and my mind no longer works beyond connecting my feet to the trail. I feel strange thoughts enter my mind. Hiking fast takes mental energy, in ensuring form, pace, and foot placement. I had been monitoring some dark clouds all day, which finally manifested in some light rain, soaking the overgrowth that encumbered the last few miles. I arrive to camp a little after 7pm, nearly 12 hours on trail, which includes water filtering, eating, and ...

Soothing Aches Joe never showed up that night in camp. I figured he stopped just a few miles before. I’d later learn he went past the spur and went just past the camp. I guess I never saw his tent as I went down the trail that morning. Quickly after leaving camp, I descended shortly into a small, primitive parking lot for the campground I stayed in. There was Grizzly Gramp, Nevada, and Simon, an Aussie I’d been running into for a while. Once again, I did not get a photo of Nevada, one day it’ll happen. We gabbed for a bit, Gramp offered me some stuff, all I took was  some hand warmers, influenced by the previous nights. I played fetch with Nevada using pine cones, those puppy feelings still going strong. The day was pretty relaxed. Around midday I ran into some folks who had left a day before Joe and I did, relaxing by a stream. I set my feet in the water to relieve the swelling in my feet. I’m still managing some foot arch pain, but stretching is relieving, who would have thought....