The Unpolished Princess

Start: 1410.4

Stop: 1436.8

Today’s miles: 26.4

Total PCT miles: 1288.3

Yep. I hit snooze again.. except this time I did it on purpose. When it went off, and it was still so dark outside, I just couldn’t. I did sleep pretty hard though, and for that I was grateful. I started packing around 6:05 and left camp just after 6:30. Close enough.

Today had so much up and down and up again. All day long. But, even still, it was better for me mentally than yesterday. It was sunny and real hot in the sun, but in the shade it wasn’t too bad at all. After the first half mile or so, we left the burn zone and had living beautiful forest the rest of the day-unless we were up on exposed mountaintops and ridges.

Once Margot and I left each other this morning, I never saw her until we set up camp. I ate lunch sitting in a shady spot on top of one of the many climbs. It was nice, but I missed having her to talk to and make me laugh. Not far after lunch, I crossed a dirt road with some guys in a truck that said “Fire Storm” on it. I waved and said hey.. then asked, “should I be concerned?” And the guy told me that no, there was no fire yet-but anytime there’s lightening they come up to the mountains to keep a visual. I just stared at him.. then the sky. There wasn’t a single cloud up there-what was I missing!!??

We laughed and waved bye.. I started up another uphill climb. At the top, it was rocky and gorgeous from a full 360 view. Off in the far distance I could see a group of clouds-maybe those are what he’s watching? Weird. Oh well. I kept moving, enjoying the scenery so much, grateful that today wasn’t as hellacious as yesterday felt.

On the biggest climb of the day, I kept expecting to see snakes. Once I was up and out of the forest, the switchbacks were either rocky or the overgrown bushes.. I didn’t see a single snake, but I did see a ton of lizards that I often screamed and thought were snakes at first, and I saw a grey frog. He was a long way from water-so I thought that was odd.

I got water at a junction with a dirt road and like 3 trails. Then I started up my last climb of the day. It was 2.5 miles uphill, switchbacks in woods turning into exposed mountainside with the most epic sunset views I think I may have ever seen! The moon was out. The purples and pinks and oranges filled the sky and the other mountains in the distance seemed to bask in the glow. It was magic. Everything about it was simply magic.

At the very top of the climb there was a random chunk of trees where the camping was supposed to be at. It was nearing 8pm already, and getting dark, quick, so I walked around looking for the best spot for both of us, having a hard time choosing. I ended up in my headlamp. The one side had great views, but almost every tree was snapped and what was still standing was bend sideways, from the gusts of wind way up here on this mountain top. So, I went back in some, more to where all the living trees looked to be still standing and like they’d stay that way. I found a spot and set up, then cleared a spot for Margot across from me.

I unpacked and got inside, because while I was stirring up dirt and dust, the bugs started to attack. Irritating little boogers. Once everything was unpacked, I tried to hold out for Margot before cooking dinner, so she wouldn’t have to eat alone tonight, too.. but, I only lasted until 8:45. I tried. I cooked my dinner with my headlamp on and my light on my phone on too, so hopefully she’d spot me easy.

Before my water was done boiling, she came walking up! She had gotten lost at that weird intersection with the water, and took the wrong trail out of there. Whoops! Otherwise, she had a great day too, and even saw a bear and a snake! Eventful! She set her stuff up and we talked while I ate, then started writing this. I really wish it didn’t get so dark so fast. It’s a real bummer.

Tomorrow we have just under 22 miles before Andrea picks us up from the road and takes us into Sierra City for the night. We have a hotel room, and while there’s no where close to do laundry, we will get to shower, sleep in a bed, and spend time with my west coast bestie 😉 I’m super excited to see her again! It feels like that Fish Lake fiasco was months ago now. Ha. Anyway, sweet dreams! Faster I go to sleep, sooner I get to town!

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.