Night by the Water, No Puffy Jacket
Even though they called for a chilly 3°C, I decided to ditch the puffy jacket for the night. My sleeping bag held its own, thankfully, and I stayed warm. The puffy ended up inside the bag with my electronics, water filter, and morning clothes, so I was prepped for anything. Had to make a few midnight bathroom runs, which is probably the worst part – wriggling out of and back into the bag when it’s that cold.
I rolled out of my sleeping bag just before 6:30 AM, slowly packed up camp, filtered water for oatmeal breakfast and for the day’s hydration. Around 7:30 AM, I hit the trail, which kicked off with an adventure right away – I had to ford the same creek six times. Back and forth. Trail humor at its finest!
The Climb, The Fall, and Scraped Knees
The whole day was pretty much just climbing. On a break at mile 3.5, I reached for some jerky from my hip belt pocket. As I stuffed the bag back in, I lost my balance and took a massive tumble right onto my knees and trekking poles. Luckily, nothing serious, just some scraped knees and palms. But that heavy pack on my back really made itself known.
A Break with a View
After 5 miles, I took a break, dried my feet, and treated myself to a cookie with a killer view. These are the moments on the trail that remind me why I’m out here.
Tough Terrain
Today’s terrain was a real challenge. 75% of the trail was uphill, often on loose, slippery rocks. That was interspersed with sections where the path cut through stubborn bushes growing tight together. The thinnest branches scratched like razors. And then there was this one type of cactus with no visible spines that would just bash you bloody on contact. Awesome, right?
Sun, Water, and a Fight
It was a beautiful sunny day, and even though it wasn’t scorching hot, I drank over 4 liters of water. Finding water, though, was trickier – I had to push all the way to the campsite for water sources, which was a good distance away. The result? I hiked for over 10 hours total, covering 23.32 miles. Seriously tough, but also one of those epic days I’ll remember.
Looking Ahead to Tomorrow
If all goes according to plan, I should reach Paradise Valley Café tomorrow, where a new tent is waiting for me. I’m just not sure where my tent footprint, which is supposed to arrive there, is. From there, I plan to head to Idyllwild to resupply on food and maybe take a well-deserved rest. My body could certainly use it.
Daily Summary:
- Today on the trail: 23.32 miles
- Total distance on the PCT: Still 2,502 miles to go
- Day’s Highlight: Conquering the tough terrain and the plan for a new tent at Paradise Valley Café.
- Goal for the next few days: Make it to Paradise Valley, get the tent, rest up in Idyllwild, and prep for the next section.
