Category: Long Distance Trails

Start: 1383.8

Stop: 1410.4

Today’s miles: 26.6

Total PCT miles: 1261.9

Today was.. tough. Mostly mentally tough, although there were some climbs that felt a bit physically draining, too..

I woke up late, because I keep pushing the wrong button on my watch for the snooze.. so I keep turning it off instead. Why am I like this? Almost 3 months in-and I’m still not a morning person.
I did finally start packing at 6:35 and left camp at 7am. The morning was chilly and the trail was nice and open-almost like a gravel path-through manzanitas. I continued with the audiobook I was listening to yesterday, “Girl, Forgotten” and I was in a trance it felt like. Before I knew it, I was looking for somewhere to eat lunch.

The trail climbed to a rocky outcropping, so I stopped there, in fun sun, to eat my lunch with some pretty views. I continued listening to my book until Margot got there-I was really sucked in. We chatted and agreed we both feel pretty-blah lately. This terrain is much more elevation gain and loss, especially compared to Oregon, so it’s a little demoralizing to not be getting farther, easier.

I left before she did, worried about making it to camp before dark. I listened to my book and swatted at gnats dive bombing my eyes, cussed a whole lot, and was constantly grateful there isn’t many other hikers to witness my meltdowns over the bugs. I even put on my bugnet. I just really cannot stand the buzzing in my ears and the smacking into my face.. it seriously makes me nutty, like bonafide nut job.

It didn’t help that when they were swarming me, the trail was deeply wooded and it was blazing hot and I was sweating like a pig-and felt like a pig, too. When I came down the trail and was met with a huge bridge over a gorgeous river in a canyon-my mood shifted. It was stunning! I walked to the other side of the bridge and found somewhere to sit a bit to rest my feet. The bugs relented some, I reluctantly took off my bugnet. Then decided to take some ibuprofen and eat a snack. Yep, all mood changers.

Until I started climbing again. The trail from the bridge went uphill for roughly 2000 feet. It was switchbacks and hot.. I was back to sweating like crazy and wishing the sun wouldn’t set, but would go behind a mountain or a cloud-give me some shade. At times, it did. For a good mile the trail was overgrown bushes, so I traded my cussing at bugs to cussing at bushes.. again grateful no one was around to hear me, or see me when I got so pissed I chucked my trekking pole.. then had to go get it. Talk about humiliation.

I finally made it to where we planned to camp. We knew we had to fill up water down a steep side trail here at this junction, but we were hoping to camp here, too. No dice. The junction was steep and every tree for as far as the eye could see was dead-which-I was so tired if the ground had been flat, I’d have probably set my tent up anyway. Alas, it wasn’t even sort of flat.
I dropped my pack and went down the side trail to get water. It took all of 10 minutes to go down, fill up, and come back up. I filtered my two liters, the whole time hoping Margot would show up before I finished. She didn’t. I was going to stay and wait for her before carrying on to find a tent spot, but the bugs came at me again and I couldn’t stand it after only 5 more minutes of waiting. Sorry, friend.

I pushed forward, scanning the trail for anywhere safe for us to camp for the night. The trees were dead and the ground was sloped. Finally, less than a mile down, I came across a dirt road. Someone had commented in our app that they followed it around the corner and set up under trees that were alive. I decided to look for that spot. I turned to my left and followed the road-turned the corner and someone was set up already in the one spot available. Everything else was sloped or in the road or just too far away.

I walked back and tried the other side. I found some trees that were alive and decided I liked this spot enough, both of us would be safe here. I dropped my pack and walked back to the trail crossing to draw a message to Margot, incase she crossed while I was setting up my stuff. It was already 7:45 and the sun was setting. Shit.

Once I wrote her name with a stick in the dirt and drew arrows, I came back to my stuff and set up my tent. I cleared out a spot for her tent too, hoping she’d make it soon. I unpacked everything and took my food bag and phone back to the trail. I sat on the road and cooked my dinner, eventually having to turn on my headlamp because it got dark so fast.

I was packing up my stuff, worried about Margot but also pretty sure she’d make it in the next hour or she found somewhere closer to the water to camp tonight and we’d find each other in the morning. As I stood, I saw a light bopping up the trail. MARGOT! She made it! When she saw my headlamp, she yelled my name, just as relived to see me as I was to see her.

We walked to my tent and set hers up. She’s eating her dinner and unpacking, and I’m just about ready for my earplugs and some shut eye. Every night we both agree we need to try to leave earlier, but each morning we both oversleep and refuse to wake up. Hopefully tomorrow we actually get up when we should, so we can make some better morning mileage when it’s not as hot. That’s the plan, anyway! Sweet dreams!

Start: 1367.3

Stop: 1383.8

Today’s miles: 16.5

Total PCT miles: 1235.3

I slept incredibly well, although I’ve noticed while on trail I just can’t seem to manage to sleep throughout the night without waking up here and there. It makes sense in the tent, but even in comfy beds I wake up every few hours, which is very frustrating to someone who in normal life sleeps like the dead.

We didn’t get up until 8am and then had to pack all of our stuff and get ready to leave by 9, when Denise would be back to pick us up. Also during this time of packing, I got messages from my girlfriends Stacey and Jessica about our trip to Puerto Rico in January-so, I booked my flight for that while shoving my food bag in my pack and panicking a little like I always do on “leave town” days. Once again, I bought too much food.

Denise appeared right at 9am, Pebbles (girl pebbles, not our Marquis Pebbles) and Chris/(BigBuck I think?) were riding back to the trail in Belden with us, so they were there too, loading their packs in Denise’s van. I snagged some cream cheese from the breakfast stuff in the lobby of our motel and got inside the van. Todays breakfast: a jalapeño and cheddar bagel (I bought a pack of them from the grocery store yesterday), cream cheese, Margot’s left over pizza from last night, and a Mountain Dew. The obvious breakfast of champions.

The drive through the canyon back to the trail seemed longer today, the stops for construction workers longer than when we came in, but I was glad. I was suddenly filled with dread over the climb from Belden, especially now with a fully loaded pack. We said our goodbyes, hugged, and took pictures with Denise, and then Margot and I waited a few minutes before starting up the road. Pebbles and BigBuck got their water and headed out quicker than us. I checked a few things on WiFi first, talked with Andrea (she’s getting us our microspikes for the sierras and she was booking us a hotel in Sierra City, God I love her so much!).

When we finally started up the hill-the 4,000 feet of elevation gain in 8 miles-I was hot and miserable. The gnats had already started flying into my face and sweat was dripping down my back. It was a long morning, switchbacking up the mountainside in the sun. Thankfully, the higher I got, the cooler the temperature got.. and then there were rain clouds shading me from the sun, right as the trail became exposed ridge line walking. It was beautiful, and I was so very grateful for the wind and clouds.

Once the views started to open up more and more I started asking Mother Nature to forgive all of my irritated rantings from before. I was now happy and content, even hiking uphill for several more miles. Then, the trail was still open and exposed but more up and down instead of just up. It was a welcomed change. I didn’t even stop to eat lunch, never getting hungry after all the food I ate in Denise’s van.

Before I knew it, I was walking up on Pebbles and BigBuck with their tents set up. It was a few minutes before 7pm, the sun was still up, there was water flowing nearby.. no way?! I was thrilled! I made it to camp finally before sunset and early enough to relax a bit before bed. Success. I put up my tent, got water to filter, unpacked my stuff, then went to eat dinner bedside Pebbles and BigBuck. Margot got to camp about 30 minutes after me and immediately joined me for dinner, then set her stuff up.

It’s cold up here, I closed one side of my tent because I’m shivering. I have my warm jacket on and I’m considering my leggings too now, since I’m still shivering in my quilt after being in it long enough to type this out. Maybe it’s time to ball up and get toasty warm, or maybe in need to close my other vestibule? I’ll give curling up a chance, first I think. Condensation sucks. Ok, goodnight! Hope y’all are enjoying your heat wave back home! Ps:it’s already dark at 8:38pm. Ridiculous.

Start: 1361.4

Stop: 1367.3

Today’s miles: 5.9

Total PCT miles: 1218.8

I expected to wake up in a full torrential downpour.. I guess if it rained like that out here there wouldn’t be so many forest fires, huh? It had rained, off and on during the night, but nothing terrible. I and all my stuff was dry inside, my tent only a little wet outside.

We packed and got moving, the rain soaking us after we got out from the cover the trees unknowingly provided us. Then, before I knew it, I was swatting gnats out of my eyes. HOW are you here in the RAIN?! Isn’t that the good part of hiking in the rain?! The BUGS GO AWAY?! Ugh. California.

And, if that wasn’t enough, not 20 minutes into my morning, I came across a rattlesnake.. IN THE FREAKING RAIN?! WHAAAAT?! That’s illegal! I screamed as it flicked its rattle at me, then ever so slowly (as I’m obviously still screaming) slid between some rocks. It moved so slow, I had time to get my camera out and snap a picture. I swear these reptiles and insects have their own laws here in California, and I am NOT A FAN.

I waited for Margot to catch up to me, just in case ol snakey boy decided to pop up at her, but he didn’t. We carried on, in the rain, along the mountainsides and down switchbacks and eventually to the road taking us to Belden. What an odd little “town” if I ever saw one. It really felt more like a single closed property.

We sat on the porch of the general store and waited. When we saw other hikers emerge, they gave us the wifi password and we were able to get in contact with Denise, from yesterday! She came to get us by 11am. She had to drive through the rain into the canyon between Quincy and Belden. It’s 45 minutes on a good day. She got to us surprisingly quick!

Denise drove us back the way she came, giving us all the information about Quincy. Best food, best resupply, laundromat, all the things. We didn’t have a room for tonight, so she was going to try to find us another angel willing to let us crash with them while we ate a late breakfast at Morning Thunder Cafe. As we got close, a motel had a vacancy sign on. We all three assumed it was futile, since I had called that same motel yesterday from a mountain top when I had service and they said they were booked.. but she stopped anyway-just in case they had a cancellation.

Margot walked inside and came out SO HAPPY! That’s exactly what happened! We were able to book the last room available, a king bed, because someone canceled! Heck yes! Quickly we went inside and got all the details worked out, the lady handed us our room keys and we put our packs inside before Denise took us to the restaurant. Now she didn’t have to find us someone to host us! Wahoo!

We got to the restaurant and both of us ordered all of the things. I got my usual favorite: biscuits and gravy over potatoes/hash browns, topped with two fried eggs-over medium, with a side of bacon. YUM. It wasn’t biscuits from home, but they still did the trick. Funny how hiking and eating processed crap all day makes you really appreciate a good cooked meal. Delicious.

We paid our tab, walked to the gas station for drinks, then back to our room for showers. The motel is in a great location. Once we were clean, we laid on the king sized bed, let Denise know we were ready whenever she was to go to the laundromat, and we napped while waiting. It was a glorious hour of nothingness, then back to chores.

She drove us to the other side of town to the laundromat and even gave us detergent, too! My God, I love this woman! She headed off to run her errands while we washed clothes and walked to the grocery store and dollar general next door. We got our resupply and our clothes washed within an hour-it all felt way too fast for me. Then Denise was back picking us up and taking us to our motel.

Margot and I decided we wanted to go see ‘Barbie’ tonight at the town theater. They only show one movie on their one screen, Thursday through Monday-and today being Monday was PERFECT! It was the last time they would be showing it! We asked Denise if she’d want to go with us, and she said she’d let us know closer to time. While we sat in our room, resting and looking stuff up and watching Friends, Denise texted to say she did want to go to the movie, and if we wanted her to take us to the pizza place with the salad bar, she could pick us up at 6 for dinner! Even better!

We had unlimited salad bar and pizza which was both phenomenal. A salad was just what I have been craving, but paying the same price in a restaurant for lettuce as I would a burger or a chicken dish just seems so ridiculous, I can’t do it. I devoured my salad and had pizza left over. Win-win. We chatted the whole time, Denise is such a kind and funny person, we really enjoyed our time spent with her.

We got to the movie right at 7, but it was so crowded, there was a line out of the door-so they didn’t start the movie until everyone was inside. Small towns. Gotta love them! I found the movie to be great, both giving me flashbacks from when I was a kid-total Barbie lover over here-and also very relevant to life now, as an adult woman. I laughed, I’m embarrassed to admit I teared up, and I laughed some more. It was great, and also so nice to feel like a normal human again-out doing normal people things. Even if I was in wool leggings and a jacket that hasn’t been washed this year. Haha.

Denise dropped us back off here at the motel afterwards, and she’s going to pick us up at 9am to take us back to Belden. We keep joking that we’re going to get her to take us to the other road closer to Quincy, and skip that 25 miles, but we know we won’t. This bed is huge and it’s very comfortable. I think it’s bedtime. Goodnight!