- Date: 2024-05-15
- Pct day: 10
- Start: Mile 127
- End: Mile 144
- Distance: 17 Miles
- Start name: Mikes place
- End name: camp at mile 144
- Wake up: 04:30
- Start hiking: 05:15
- At camp: 06:15
- In bed: 08:30
Key moments
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super early morning - my new hiking friend Alex had said he would do a wake up call for us if we didn’t get up in time. The mere threat of that had me super organised in the evening before and pack up was super fast for me. Not as fast as I’ve been before, but I’m working up to that.
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I felt tired this morning, but it was good to get up before it got too hot, even if it is a bit cold.
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While it might seem from the outside that hiking the PCT is a dream and everything is great, I want to remind people that it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows :
- my feet hurt
- I am tired
- I have blisters because I went too far
- 2650 miles is a long way away
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Watching the sunrise is nice
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the name of the game is sleeping during the hottest part of the day - this means hiking from 5am - 10/11am, then resting until about 3 or 4 - when it isn’t so hot. It’s still hot. But not as hot
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Had some good chars to Alex about life and travel and languages
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rested at a nice stream that was very small and smelt a little of sulphur. Water tasted a bit like bore water.
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I carried on to another water source, a cistern that has a hole in the top - apparently people were saying that there were dead animals in it - it just looked a bit green like a pond/ rainwater tank. After some work scooping the water out and filtering it and treating it, it tastes fine. Better than the other water. Lizard cistern water, 8/10 would drink again.
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It was really hot
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I had a nap under a shady tree with my umbrella up and I snored so loud I woke myself up
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I met a bunch of other hikers passing through
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Camped at a nice spot nestled amongst trees and boulders with a bunch of other hikers I met
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You can hear coyotes howling at night - sort of neat!
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First sunset at camp of the trail where you. Could see the sun setting.
Plan from here
- head into Paradise Valley Cafe tomorrow, which is 10 miles ahead and then 1 mile off trail, and apparently has the best burgers on the trail.
- Then head into Idyllwild and have a rest day (called a “zero day” in the hiking world)
Animals sighted
- California racer snake (apparently that’s what it is called!)
- Some cool shiny scarlet blue and green skink lizards
- Californian Condor/Turkey vulture?
- Hummingbirds
- Chipmunk/mouse?
Gear thoughts
- my sleeping bag is too hot and it’s hard to vent it out, glad I have my liner
Physical condition
- right foot blister on the ball of foot is staying steady - looking forward to sorting that out in Idyllwild
- Left knee pain gone
Thoughts and Observations
- so many hikers are going so fast - everyone is still finding their pace, I wonder when I’ll settle into a rhythm and stay with a consistent group of hikers
- Rattle snacks are really being very fair with how they warn you
#pct #pct2023 #pctclassof2023
