Day 31PCT Mile Marker 1371.48 – 1382.13 Miles Hiked 10.65 The morning sun pushed its way through the trees and sucker-punched me. Right in the face. It was gonna be a hot, hot day. Breaking a hundred, I heard. I got to Subway Cave, and it seemed the perfect spot for a hot day. It’s a constant forty-six degrees in there. I went in and checked it out. Breath in clouds in front of my Read more…
Day 30PCT Mile Marker 1351.79 – 1371.48 Miles Hiked 19.69 I was too freaked out about the habituated bear to sleep more than a couple of winks. So I got going as soon as I didn’t need my headlamp to see. I clacked my poles and jangled my bear bell and said Hey-Bear a lot until I came up on a little lake. Then I crashed my way around to a log that was sticking Read more…
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 Read more…
Day 28PCT Mile Marker 1347.78 – 1347.78 Miles 0 I slept for thirteen hours. Guess I needed it. Then I anxiously awaited Aidan’s arrival. He picked me up at noon, and the dogs happily wagged their tails in the back seat. There is a point on trail this week that is a thirty-mile-stretch of No Water. None. Well I can’t do thirty miles in a day, can you? So Aidan cleaned out the last 8 Read more…
Day 27 PCT Mile Marker 1339.22 – 1347.78 Miles Hiked 8.56 I woke up to that same long note sounding over and over again. My breath clouded in front of my face. Isn’t it almost July? Why is it so cold still? Is it just me? Cuz my name is Icebox? What was that weird noise? Bugling? Was that bugling? Like, a bugling elk? My pots rattled a bit outside my tent. I unzipped Read more…
Day 26PCT Mile Marker 1328.84 – 1339.22 Miles Hiked 10.38 Sean dropped me off at the trailhead around 7:45. I planned to take it easy since I was meeting Aidan on Saturday morning, and I didn’t have that far to go. I meandered through the forest and stopped to take some photos. All of a sudden, I heard horrible crunchings and munchings! Giant trees were falling! Some machine was in the forest, eating the Read more…
Day 25PCT Mile Marker 1313.04 – 1328.84 Miles Hiked 15.8 I had to pee. The moon was awake and crazy bright. I crawled out of my tent and tried to stand, but almost fell sideways. I tried again and got really dizzy. I felt like I was super drunk. I had to put my hands on the ground to slip one foot at a time into my shoes. Exercise Hangover? Some more fast crazy hiking Read more…
Day 24PCT Mileage 1297.08 – 1313.24 Miles Hiked 16.16 Bitter, bitter cold. It’s so cold all the time. I slept with my gloves on again and just shivered through the night, hoping against hope that next time I woke up, it would finally be morning. I didn’t do any sit-ups because sleeping pads are loud and I didn’t want to wake up Sean or Kale. Brrrrrrrrrrr Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and I just Read more…
Day 23 PCT Mile Marker 1286.47 – 1297.08 Miles Hiked 10.61 An enormous, exposed climb out of Belden. Famously Tough. And Hot. I pulled out my umbrella, opened it up, and attached it to my pack. Luckily, all the seasonal streams were flowing well, so I didn’t need to carry much water. Second breakfast was necessary by 9:30, so third breakfast was clearly required by 10:40. So hungry All Day. I stopped at an old Read more…
Day 22 PCT Mile Marker 1272.09 – 286.47 Miles Hiked 14.38 It was a viciously cold night. I gathered my electronics into a bag and put them in the bottom of my sleeping bag so they wouldn’t die. I put on All Of My Clothes. I woke up over and over, shivering. Pull the sleeping bag drawstring tighter around my face. Push extra stuff sacks by my feet to take up a little more space. Read more…