Start: 1903.8
Stop: 1920.1
Today’s miles: 16.3
Total PCT miles: 1772.3
I didn’t set an alarm last night and just knew I’d be getting woken up by the cleaning crew telling me it’s time to check out. Instead I was woken up at 7:46 by the man in the room next to mine yawning so loud I could hear him through my earplugs and THE WALL. I’m pretty sure he also heard my disgruntled response to his multiple loud yawns. I was going to try to fall back asleep, but I was already too awake. Might as well get moving.
I ran to the bathroom before anyone beat me to it. Then I went through all my stuff, gathered the things I needed to send home and some other random stuff for my errands and set out. I made sure I knew what time checkout was so I could get back and pack before then. Thankfully, it wasn’t until noon! Wahoo!
I crossed the street and got in line for the Alabama Hills Cafe. A girl that I met on Mount Whitney yesterday said she and her friend already had their name down so I could join their table when their names were called. Cool. Less than 5 minutes later the 3 of us were at a table outside. I ordered the breakfast burrito and an orange juice, plus a cinnamon roll to go. We chatted and ate. The one girl just finished the JMT and is headed to explore LA, the other is finishing her PCT at Kennedy Meadows South, but is zeroing today. I wanted to zero here too. It’s such a cute town!
After we ate, we paid our checks and I walked to the gear store. Y’all. I went crazy. I got a new sports bra (they carried the brand and style AND smaller size I needed!! How perfect!), new wool leggings (mine won’t stay up they’re so big now), new gloves (my trail magic glove is great, but the other hand having the cheaper glove sucks), and a fleece pullover because I’ve been hiking so cold. Oh, and I got a backpacker meal. The guy was so nice, letting me try things on in their back room and keep on the bra lol, and he even gave me a discount, saving me like $40! Sweet!
He didn’t have the headlamp like Margot and Marquis use that I love and is so bright, so I checked a few other stores around with no luck. I went to the post office and shipped my bear canister home, filled with the random things I just replaced and my microspikes. Then, I found another little store and got some gaiters that seemed much more lightweight and comfortable than the ones I tried before.
I went to the grocery store and did my resupply for the next 4 days. Finally, I made it back to the room to pack. I left the room with only minutes to spare before check out. Whoops! I went to the corner the gear shop guy recommended and started sticking my thumb out. Within 10 minutes, an older guy pulls up. He asks where I’m going and I tell him. He asks if there’s a campground there, I tell him yes.. and he goes, “yeah ok, todays an adventure anyway.”
Once I’m in the front seat and my pack in the back, he says he just needs to run in and get some food from the restaurant, since it’s a 45 minute drive.. and he was considering staying at the campground. I say ok, because what else is there to say? Haha.. he runs into the Mexican restaurant I ate at last night and ten minutes later comes back with a meal.
He gets situated in the driver seat and starts going, picking at his food. He asks me to navigate because he’s never been up this road before. I’m laughing and saying sure thing.. then he stops. He asks, “you have a license, right? How about you drive and I eat?” Hahaaha-so we swap places and I drive this stranger’s SUV up a twisting and turning two lane and sometimes one lane road, through the Alabama Hills and up to over 10,000 feet of elevation. We laugh and talk the whole time and I squeal with the excitement of this crazy road and this whole situation. I haven’t driven anything since May!
When we get to the top, I park his SUV and we say our goodbyes. He explores the campground while I eat my cinnamon roll and get on my new shoes and new gaiters. After I eat, I start up the trail happy as can be. Nothing was going to bring down my mood. It was sunny, warm but not hot, the wind was blowing. The switchbacks weren’t steep. I made it to the trail junction and just started hiking, no plan for the night except to see how far I get, and find a campsite after 6pm.
It was a gorgeous day and although there was some elevation, it was mellow trail. I got service around 6 and tried calling mom, uncle Keith, and aunt Kathy-no one answered so that’s a little concerning. Concerning enough that the spot I found to camp in has 1 bar of service and I’m not switching to airplane mode unless I hear from one of them. I also finally got ahold of Marquis! Man I’ve been missing the heck out of him.
We came up with a plan. I’m going to hike to Walker Pass, and then hitch to where he is by skipping 135 miles, and we’re going to hike south together. I just miss my friends, and I don’t want to hike the desert alone. At. All. Once Margot gets service we’ll let her know and maybe she’ll be willing to jump down to us and we can all hike together again. He’s also ordering me the headlamp I want and I’ll pay him for it.. this all has my excitement restored and I think the skip to be able to hike with my friend is well worth it.
Plus, it’ll help make sure I finish on time before Egypt.. and I can hopefully come back next year to fill in this new gap and the Etna to Dunsmuir gap too. Total, it’s less than 300 miles I’ll be missing.. 284.9 to be exact.. and morale wise, I think that’s quite ok with me.
Anyway. It’s almost 9pm now. I’m camped in a nice spot all alone and I think it’s time to bundle up tight (I have all of my new gear on, and Marquis says I won’t need most of it when I get to where he is.. haha, of course). Sweet dreams, y’all.