Category: Pacific Crest Trail 2023

Start: 1513.2

Stop: 1536

Today’s miles: 22.8

Total PCT miles: 1388.2

I woke up to a gorgeous sunrise, just like we planned, the only difference is, I got to wake up to it a few times, because I kept pressing snooze. Ha. It was so beautiful, and the wind kept me bundled up tight until my bladder forced me up. Margot slept in some too, and we didn’t get started hiking until sometime around 7:30.

It was cold this morning, numb fingers for the first mile or so.. and collecting snowmelt water didn’t really help any. It was nice to be a bit cold though, making me move a little faster to warm myself up. There was also a climb to start the day, to the tops of the ski resort ski lifts. Lake Tahoe was off in the distance, that same dark blue water like Crater Lake looking like a mirage in the distance.

We had more climbing after the initial up and down, and it was all exposed ridges with strong winds. It felt like it was going to topple me over at times, like a turtle wobbling in its shell. It was so beautiful that I didn’t care though. Margot stopped to eat her lunch before me, but I’ve already eaten all my candy and good snacks, so I was afraid if I ate too early I’d be hungry before getting to camp.

So, I pushed on. I went about another hour before sitting in the shade of a tree and out of the wind to eat my food. I’ve been listening to “The Winners” which is apparently the 3rd book in a series, but I didn’t realize that, and the book was just as incredible without reading the first two. I highly recommend it. So, I ate and listened to my book, then got back to walking.. tearing up towards the end of the book, and very happy no one witnessed it.

We’ve been leapfrogging a group of 4 or 6 hikers for the last couple days. It seems like every few hours we’re crossing paths again. When we were leaving Old Station we rarely saw anyone, now there’s always someone, and I think it’ll only get busier. We’re merged with the Tahoe Rim Trail right now, and in a coupe days more we’ll merge with the John Muir trail, arguably one of the busiest trails in the US, if not the busiest. Hard to state facts out here when I don’t have the service to verify it. Hopefully I proof read this and do just that, haha. (I’m proof reading, but not fact checking, too tired 😉 )

Anyway, the last 3 miles or so were mosquito hell, but as the sun got lower and the temperatures got cooler, they’ve mostly disappeared. I know they’ll be back though, the bastards. We set up camp a mile away from the Desolation Wilderness border, because Margot doesn’t have her bear canister yet, and you can’t camp overnight in that area without one. So, tomorrow we’ll hike the whole way to Echo Lake and then hitch into South Lake Tahoe.

Tonight, we may get a visit from a bear in the area that everyone on our app says is aggressive and “very hungry.” Whatever that means. It hasn’t attacked anyone, but it clearly doesn’t scare off easy. So, fingers crossed it doesn’t come to visit us, and picks one of the many other camps nearby to say hi to in the middle of the night.

Even still, I plan to have my earplugs in and stay oblivious.. hopefully it doesn’t try to join me inside my tent. Goodnight y’all.

Start: 1487.1

Stop: 1513.2

Today’s miles: 26.1

Total PCT miles: 1365.4

I woke up today determined to not let myself be as negative as I was yesterday. And while I was frustrated with my new perceived weakness over toting this stupid bear can, and my entire body ached from the extra weight, I managed to enjoy most of today.

We didn’t leave camp until close to 7, and I didn’t get to camp until just a minute or two after 8pm, but I didn’t have to hike in my headlamp, or set up my tent with it on (mostly because of the moon, but still), so overall I’m counting today as a victory. Just a very painful one.

The trail was so beautiful, big rocky, open vistas where you could see the trail winding around the mountaintops and between the valleys. There was so much up and down, and a lot of people too. The trail crossed through tunnels underneath interstate 80, which was a little crazy.

Just before going down to the tunnels, Margot and I ate lunch in the shade and then walked the short trail to the highway rest stop at Donner Pass. There was running water and flushing toilets, which I took full advantage of, and even washed my face after scrubbing my hands. The only downside: no vending machines. I think a soda would have perked me up big time today.

After crossing under the highway and over a road leading to the Donner Pass area (also no vending), we climbed and climbed. It was so gorgeous, but the wind was wild. A few times I’d somehow smack my feet into each other when I’d go to lift one up, almost like how it feels in fast moving water.

During that climb, no lie, 8 people passed me. I started to feel so defeated. Like how can one 3 pound bear canister slow me down so much? It’s ridiculous. Although, I do think part of it is its size and shape.. it’s causing me to completely pack my backpack differently and it throws off the weight distribution. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

I watched the colors change in the sky with the moon popping out and little glimpses of Lake Tahoe showing up dark dark blue against the pink and purple surrounding it, as I made the final ascent to our planned camp spot. Margot had already cleared me a spot for my tent and was setting hers up when I arrived. There are plenty of other hikers nearby. And the wind is still a little nuts, but the sunrise view in the morning is supposed to be spectacular. I hope so, because I’m sleeping with my vestibules open for that reason.

I’m sure there’s more to say but I’m just too drained, so it’s time to bundle up and get some sleep. I really hope it’s restful sleep tonight. Sweet dreams.

Start: 1462.6

Stop: 1487.1

Today’s miles: 24.5

Total PCT miles: 1339.3

I’m glad the views were pretty today, because everything else about it sucked. Maybe that’s dramatic, but it’s the truth. Today was so physically challenging with the extra weight of the bear canister that it had me questioning my ability to hike this trail at all. The straps were digging into my shoulders, my hips hurt, my knees hurt, my neck hurt, not to mention the mosquitoes made a hellish comeback. I know that’s a lot of bitching, but I thought I’d get it out of the way.

I fell asleep last night around 7ish, to be woken up at 8 by another hiker setting up her tent right next to me. She tried being quiet, but there’s really only so much you can do. Then she had her red light on for what felt like forever as she unpacked.. I was grateful it was the red light and not her bright light, but I couldn’t roll away from it because of my hip bothering me. Shortly after it was turned off, I was asleep again.

I started packing at 6am, ignoring my previous watch vibrations.. it was cold and dark, a combo not conducive to getting up, it appeared Margot agreed, because she was just starting to pack when I was. We left by 6:30 and started the climb we didn’t want to do yesterday. It was pretty, with switchbacks in the pines quickly turning to switchbacks around rocky outcroppings and then open mountaintops with expansive views.

Around 9:30, we passed a cooler filled with cold drinks and fresh cherries! Trail magic! I got a sparkling water and sat on the ground with Margot to drink it and eat some cherries before we carried on. It was wonderful to take my pack off.. so, some good stuff did happen today, I’m not oblivious to that.

Up and down and across open mountains we went, never more than 5 minutes apart from each other. We ate around 11:45, not because I was hungry, but because I wanted my pack to be lighter-and eating food does that. It was much of the same for the rest of the day, with the afternoon including swarms of mosquitoes biting behind my ears and buzzing around my head, frequently making me smack myself harder than necessary.

We made it to camp just before 8pm, with some sunlight left. Immediately we dropped packs and put on our rain gear and I put on my bug net-the pests being too much to deal with, even just to set up my tent. It makes sense though, we did pass some patches of snow and some gorgeous wildflowers still in bloom.. so I think the bugs will be here until it’s too cold for them-which-I need to google what temperature that is so I can start praying for it to come sooner rather than later.

We ate our dinners in our tents, both of our morales down but attempting to pep the other one up. Like we know we’re too stubborn to quit, but my god today was just rough. Everything hurts and I feel like I need to sleep for a week straight to recover, and that’s just not possible if I plan on making it to Mexico before my trip to Egypt.

Bleh. Ok, I’m going to go to sleep and pray I wake up with a better attitude. We’ll see how it goes. Goodnight y’all. Sweet dreams.