My dad dropped me at Crater Lake at 10:45 this morning, and I resumed hiking north after three nights at home. I put in 26 miles before camping on a saddle next to Mount Thielsen. My knee feels better, though not 100%. I’m currently icing it with a ziplock full of snow – a wilderness […]
Today was just my second “zero” – day off – since leaving the Mexican border three months ago. My main entertainment involved visiting an orthopedic surgeon in Eugene, the same guy who operated on my left leg when I broke it skiing a couple years ago; this time he checked out my right knee. “Sounds […]
I’ve been dealing with an inflamed right knee for the past five days, hoping to walk through it, but, after ten miles of severe pain this morning, I had to admit that it wasn’t getting any better, and that I probably needed some time off the trail to rest and recover. Fortunately I’m close to […]
Encouraged to an early start by clouds of mosquitoes around camp this morning, Honeybuzz and I walked 30.2 miles across the Sky Lakes Wilderness today. We both independently discovered that it’s not a good idea to spit violently while wearing your head net, even if you’ve just inhaled a mosquito that somehow made it inside […]
After an extensive breakfast at Butch and Sandy’s house (thanks guys!), they drove Honeybuzz and me back to the trail and we hiked out with bursting stomachs. Eleven miles later, my dad met us at Highway 140 near Fish Lake with even more coolers full of food – good thing hikers have an unlimited appetite… […]
My mom headed home this morning after visiting for the last week, and Honeybuzz and I hit the trail under 30-pound packs and bowed heads. We hiked 25 miles between Highway 66 and Dead Indian Road today, past Hyatt Lake and Howard Prairie Reservoir, only to find ourselves being picked up by more trail angels! […]
Honeybuzz and I inhaled a huge breakfast at Callahan’s Lodge this morning, finishing with a chocolate milkshake before hitting the trail at 10:15 a.m. We hiked 24.2 miles, past Pilot Rock east of Ashland, to reach Highway 66 by dusk. Judging by plants along the trail, wild berry season is just getting underway. I dawdled […]
At exactly noon today, I finished walking the entire length of California – 1,700 miles! After 83 days on the trail, through deserts and snowy mountains, I’m now forging ahead into my home state of Oregon. It sure feels good to be on familiar territory! Honeybuzz and I celebrated by covering 35.8 miles by 7:30 […]
The highlight of a long climb out of Seiad Valley this morning was a striped skunk which ran across the trail right in front of Honeybuzz and me, leaving just a faint musky scent as it passed. Otherwise I was glad to reach the top of the hill, with distant Siskiyou peaks across the Oregon […]
From my wilderness camp near Marble Mountain, I cruised 26.6 miles to Seiad Valley this morning, arriving there at 3:30 p.m. The last 20 miles were literally all downhill, dropping a quad-quivering 6,500 feet from snowdrifts on bare mountain slopes to 95-degree heat on the valley floor; it was the biggest single elevation change I’ve […]
I hiked 28.9 miles through the Marble Mountain Wilderness today, crossing endless, long, high ridgelines covered in wildflowers and lots of bear poop. Perhaps the weirdest moment of the day was when a loose flock of people and animals materialized from the woods onto the trail right in front of me, coalescing into two men, […]
This morning I awoke to the unexpected sound of a Spotted Owl calling outside my tent, but even bigger wildlife was afoot today. About midmorning I spooked a black bear off the trail, not too far in front of me, and had a nice look at its furry backside as the beast ambled away downslope. […]
I’ve seen hundreds of Mountain Quail on this hike so far (more than the rest of my life combined!), but never imagined I’d catch one. Honeybuzz practically stepped on the bird huddled in the trail this morning, clearly sick or injured, and I grabbed it to admire the beautiful plumage up close for a minute. […]
I caught up today to a couple more PCTers I hadn’t yet met: Sniper, probably the northernmost solo female, who was laid off from two different jobs in just a few months so decided to go hiking this summer, and who now carries several bleached vertebrae and a giant pirate flag dangling from her pack; […]
One of the perks of having my mom visit this week is that she brought my razor, so, for the first time in more than a month (and 850 miles), I had a shave this morning. What a difference! I also weighed myself and discovered that I’ve lost six pounds since the beginning of this […]
I hit the 1,500-mile mark about 5:00 this afternoon, near the end of a 27-mile day. Woo-hoo! Only 200 more miles to the Oregon border… should be there in eight days. Lots of long forest traverses today. It was fun to meet Laura and her husband, section hikers heading south, who have been reading this […]
Though I can practically see Oregon on the horizon, the PCT takes a long sweep west in this section, and even heads south for a little while, so I’m resigned to several days without any northward progress. Honeybuzz and I hiked about 26 miles today to set ourselves up to reach Interstate 5 at Castella […]
After crossing the Lake Britton Dam, it was nice to ascend slightly into mid-elevation forest today where the trail traversed shady groves of firs and pines along endless ridges. Honeybuzz and I hiked steadily all day and camped next to a creek after 29.1 miles. In an open area near some cliffs this afternoon, I […]
Definitely the hottest day I have had so far. I’m currently lying inside my tent stripped to my skivvies with the sleeping bag thrown to one side, and, even after dark, I’m still sweating. Honeybuzz and I hiked 27 miles through the heat today, beginning up on the Hat Creek Rim and finishing just past […]
Honeybuzz and I rolled out of Old Station late this morning, having walked into the deli one minute after opening and immediately ordered two large pizzas for breakfast. Thus fortified, we hit the famous Hat Creek Rim. The Rim spans the longest waterless stretch on the whole PCT – about 30 miles – and much […]
I thought I might hit lingering snowpack in Lassen National Park, but it turns out that the PCT takes a wide swath around Mount Lassen through low, flat, dry forest, and I needn’t have worried. In fact, today might have been the warmest day yet, with my thermometer registering ninety degrees through most of the […]
Forgive me if I talk too much about food, but it’s been on my mind a lot! I never can seem to eat enough on the trail, so today’s dinner was something special. After an easy, 22-mile day I arrived at Drakesbad Guest Ranch – a hot springs and resort within Lassen National Park – […]
At six p.m. Honeybuzz and I reached a small concrete post at a random spot in the forest. On the south side, it said: “Mexico: 1,325 Miles.” On the north side, it said: “Canada: 1,325 Miles.” Nice! For the first time, I’m sleeping closer to the end than the beginning of this trail. Otherwise, the […]
After sleeping in a real bed last night (!), I headed to breakfast at a tiny restaurant around the corner in Belden. A peanut butter milkshake took priority, followed by scrambled eggs, French toast, sausage, and, finally, a blackberry milkshake. When the post office opened, Honeybuzz and I hiked over there to shuffle some packages. […]
The morning began nicely with scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, and fresh fruit courtesy of the trail angels near Bucks Lake. Honeybuzz and I eased off to a late start when his pack’s shoulder strap snapped on the way out the door and had to be sewn, staplegunned, and duct taped together, so we didn’t hit […]