I wake up late, like 6am, and for the first time on this trip I just stay in my quilt and read. I have no place to go today. It’s a strange feeling. After a while, other hikers begin to stir, and we stumble out toward the general store to wait for the Grumpy Bear’s … More PCT Desert Post-Trip: At Kennedy Meadows
Mile 680.91 to 702.23 — Today’s miles: 21.32 In the night, I hear a small steady rasping noise on my tent fabric. My sleepy brain is sure that it’s a mouse trying to chew through, but I sit up several times and shine my headlamp around, and never see anything. It sounds like it’s right … More PCT Desert Day 43: I Left My Heart (and My Toenails) on the PCT
Mile 656.88 to 680.91 — Today’s miles: 24.03 We’re lucky we got to this campsite early, because as dusk arrives, so do several other hikers who are looking for a place to get out of the wind and sleep. Fortunately for me, the wind is kind of like white noise that covers most of their … More PCT Desert Day 42: On the Home Stretch
Mile 638.38 to 656.88 — Today’s miles: 18.50 A few hours after we go to bed, a small group of hikers arrives at the campsite. It’s a large area, with many different flat spots for tenting, all spread out. There’s plenty of space, but for some reason they camp right next to our tents. They’re … More PCT Desert Day 41: Great Expectations
Mile 617.08 to 638.38 — Today’s miles: 21.30 It is hot all night. I sleep restlessly, my quilt just draped over my torso, tossing and turning in the heat and worrying that I won’t wake up on time. But at 3am I hear my watch alarm beep, hear Sprout and EarlyBird start to get ready. … More PCT Desert Day 40: The Desert Isn’t Finished with Us Yet
Mile 596.46 to 617.08 — Today’s miles: 20.62 As I expected, there is quite a lot of condensation in my tent this morning. That’s what you get for camping on grass, even dead grass. I pack up my damp belongings and am heading out of camp with Whiz Kid and Cowboy by 6:15am, into an … More PCT Desert Day 39: Another Hundred Down
Mile 577.26 to 596.46 — Today’s miles: 19.20 I sleep like a rock in our beautiful campsite, waking briefly before dawn to the sound of EarlyBird folding up her tent poles before hiking out. True to her trail name, she’s always up and out first, but I almost never hear her packing up. Which means … More PCT Desert Day 38: The Birthday Party
