Day 10 PCT Mile Marker 1217.19 – 1229.09 Miles Hiked 11.9 When I woke up, one of the hikers “Double Cross” was already packed up and gone. Mitch hung around so we could hike the next part together, and we left the third hiker to her coffee and breakfast. I Read more…
Day 9 PCT Mile 1208.85 – 1217.19 Miles Hiked 8.5 I slept really well, and the forest was very still when I awoke. I eased myself down the trail through the snow and delighted in a chorus of frogs singing in a large pond while I gathered clear, cold water. Read more…
Day 8 Trail Marker 1204.2 – 1208.85 Miles Hiked 4.65 The Pacific Crest Trail Association’s website said the first seven miles out of Sierra City were an extreme trail hazard. It said the trail has suffered landslide type activity and is effectively blown out in places. It also says the Read more…
Day 6 Trail Miles 8.41 I dreamed my cat was sitting on my chest doing this weird screaming purring thing right in my face. It was really early. I opened my eyes, and the sunlight was just caressing the tree tops above us. It was warm enough last night that Read more…
Day 5 Trail Miles 9.8 The night was terrible. It was cold. Aidan’s entire right leg hurt so much. He woke me up because he didn’t know where I’d put the Advil. He couldn’t sleep. My left hip hurt so much, I wasn’t sleeping either. We downed a few a Read more…
Day 4 Trail Miles 7.5 Actual Miles Hiked 13.5 Protein drinks are good for you! Right! But they’re not so awesome tasting. But they’re good for you. So I’ve been having them in the morning. But they’re not awesome. But anyway. Snowshoes. First thing. But we knew this, so we Read more…
Day 3 Trail Miles 7.25 Actual Miles Hiked 12.58 It was a long, cold night. I woke up cold over and over, but it somehow felt too difficult to put on my down jacket or my fleece pants. Somehow, willing myself back to sleep seemed a better plan. I walked Read more…
Day 2 Trail Miles 4.2 Actual Miles Hiked 6.5 I woke early and watched Aidan sleep for about an hour. So relaxed and wonderful. Then coffee, then toaster pastry and cheeses and dried fruit and nuts. Then more snow and snowshoeing and exhausting route finding. Maybe one or two people Read more…
Day 1 Trail Miles 2.5 Miles Hiked 6.5 It only took us two miles to realize we went the wrong way. Backtracking eventually led us back to the junction we missed and Northbound on the PCT. Finally on the right track, we put down our packs and fell sound asleep Read more…
So, what does one do when one quits one’s job but still has one day before heading out to walk 2,663 miles? Well…go to my first rave, obviously. Skrillex was a great show. We were twenty years older than pretty much everyone there. And we were actually wearing clothing, unlike Read more…