Day 29PCT Mile Marker 1347.78 – 1351.79
Miles Hiked 4.01
The birds laughed us awake, all singing and cooing and being happy.
Aidan made me gluten-free pancakes with eggs and homemade apple-berry compote from scratch with the freshest of fresh ingredients.
He drove me back to where I’d left the trail, and we suffered through another goodbye.
I knew that blond bear was surely still hanging around, so I booked it up the hot trail and into the woods.
The woods were dark and kinda creepy. I took the cover off my bear bell and periodically banged my poles together.
“Heeeey Bear.”
A huge bear the color of an Irish Setter took off, crashing through the woods. I saw his big old red butt as he disappeared into the shadow of the forest.
Crap.
Why are there so many bears?
I got to a stream crossing and thought, whatever. I’ll just stay here. I can’t deal with taking my shoes off this late in the evening.
Then I realized I’d take them off to go to bed anyway.
So I crossed the stream.
Some seasoned northbound PCT hikers passed me in their tiny short shorts, crawling over the mountain on all fours. Creatures of the woods.
While I put on more clothes because I was a delicious buffet for the mosquitos.
So I went on through more creepy forest for a while, and then had to take off my shoes for another stream crossing.
The notes on the map said there was a habituated bear ahead who was causing problems last year.
As I set up my tent, another hiker came by and said he’d camp not too far away, so if the bear came in the night…
Scream.
Really Loud.