Start: 17
Stop: 36.2
Today’s miles: 19.2
Total PCT miles: 224
I went much farther today than I thought I would, especially after yesterday being a long day, too. I didn’t even get on trail until 8:15, thanks to being cold, damp, and slow to pack up and eat breakfast. My lighter wouldn’t work this morning, which would be a big problem if my jetboil “starter” button didn’t eventually catch to start the flame to heat my food. It’s always been finicky, which is why I have the lighter. Shit.
It was damp outside but not actively raining. The morning went by fast and I started to pass new hikers coming in from Hart’s Pass. I asked a few if the road was open, as in-for me to walk 10 miles down, to get a lighter.. and then take a hot shower at the Lions Den to warm up for the first time all week, but they all said no, not yet. I wasn’t about to hike an extra 20 miles over a lighter, I’d just have to pray the starter thingy kept working I guess, at least til I hit the next town.
The views were different, simply because there weren’t any in the white cloud I hiked in. Which was sad, because this scenery was stunning on the way in. I hope all of those hikers passing me in the opposite direction have better weather on their return. I started (and finished) an audiobook (Same Time tomorrow) and it was phenomenal. I never saw any of my friends. I guess they had stopped before me or were never in front of me to begin with.. which also makes me wonder if those footprints and arrows were really from FoodTruck and not Marquis afterall.
I passed one couple and we chatted a bit. They asked about conditions, I was honest. I asked about the road, they shot down my hopes. I told them about my lighter situation and the girl of the couple dropped her pack and dugout hers to give me! WHAT?! She’s like, “why not? We have two” wow the kindness of strangers!
I made it to Hart’s Pass and got my food for the next 3 days out of the bear box. I verified that my friend’s food was all still there. I talked to the big group of hikers at one of the picnic tables that were just getting up from the 10 mile road walk. I used the pit toilet, I laid on another picnic table with my socks and shoes off-letting my toes air out.. and then I got cold.
It was only 3:30pm. I could set up camp here somewhere, or I could hike 5-6 more miles into the unknown and camp there, closer to 6pm and be warmer longer by moving. If I waited, I bet my friends would camp here.. ah, I was too cold. So I put my socks and shoes back on, loaded in my new food, and set off.
The clouds lifted a bit and man was I glad! The views are simply breathtaking.. the climb was too.. haha but it did make me warm up. I had to cross a bit of snow, one section that I put my microspikes on to be safe.. the others weren’t bad at all. Every turn I kept saying, “WOW,” out loud. I wish I could describe it better for you.. being able to see the tiny trail sketched into the side of this massive mountain that I’m just walking along.. besides magical I’m at a loss for words.
When I got to where I wanted to camp, I set my stuff down and ventured down the side trail to the tiny snowmelt stream to get water. There were more campsites down this way, too.. but all of them, minus one, was lumpy or slanted-and the one good one had FoodTruck’s tent at it already. He was inside, I whispered a hello just incase he could hear me, but I got no response.
On the way back from getting water, there was a deer just standing beside his tent! I snapped a pic. It was pretty neat. I set up my camp, dried my tent out with my already damp sleeping bag liner, which now I can’t use tonight to help keep warm. Fudge. But it had to be done, and it was either that or a layer of clothing, and in the cold weather, those are too precious to give up.
As I ate dinner, I walked around with my bowl, eating and moving to attempt to keep warm. It wasn’t working but the rocks were colder to sit on. The deer came and visited me, without a care or scare in the world. It kept its distance but circled the area, checked everything out. I pray it, or the nosey chipmunks I also saw around, don’t try to chew on my tent strings-or tent at all for that matter.
It’s 9:20pm and the sky is still light. It’s so crazy to me. I think I may have some snow to traverse tomorrow, but it shouldn’t be anything sketchy as all the people I saw leaving harts pass have already gone up and over everything ahead of me anyway. So it should be ok 🙂 I guess I’ll find out tomorrow either way, huh? I haven’t had service since the start of this new journey, I’m itching to call my mom and hear her voice. Some of the comments mention service at one of the passes tomorrow, I sure hope they’re right.
Otherwise I won’t get into town for 3-4 more days.. really hoping on the 3 and then I can zero there Sunday since I can’t get my resupply box mom mailed to me until Monday anyway. The comments say all kinds of stuff-like other places to stay that aren’t listed on the app we use. I don’t have service to find out for myself, so I also hope I don’t bust ass to get there a day early, just to have to set up my tent another 2 nights at a campground. Although I would get a hot shower and be able to do laundry. There’s something about a hotel/motel/shack with a bed and a private bathroom that’s calling my name. And God let them have an available room with a heater!
Ok, I’m shivering pretty hard now. Time to figure out how to get warm over here. Sweet dreams. Pray for warmer weather to come my way! Like-50-60s would be great. These 30s and high 20s at night (only 28 the one night, don’t let me be that dramatic) are quite colder than I thought it would be. Goodnight!