I crossed the highest point on the PCT today, Forester Pass at about 13,200 feet, and it delivered. Several of us made the climb. Except for a few exposed switchbacks, the next 10 miles were buried in heavy, continuous snow. The ascent was straightforward but steep, and I made full use of traction spikes and […]
An “easy” eight and a half mile day today as the trail crossed high valleys and plateaus, at times completely buried in five feet of slushy snow near 11,000 feet. I hiked with two easygoing PCTers, Squirrel and Little Bug, and we’re now camped with half a dozen others by Tyndall Creek to set ourselves […]
Right now, I am sitting atop Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet the tallest mountain in the continental US. It’s a bluebird day, no clouds, no wind, and the view is spectacular! It took me six and a half hours to climb here from base camp at 10,000 feet, taking it easy on the eight and […]
It’s definitely summer. Even camped at 11,000 feet last night, the temperature didn’t drop below freezing, and I spent today in the high country hiking in a T-shirt. Despite recent reports of nearly impassable snowdrifts, the trail was clear and easy to follow for 16 miles to Crabtree Meadow, and I’m perfectly positioned – along […]
Finally, the high Sierras! I’m camped with a group of excited hikers tonight at Chicken Spring Lake (11,250 feet) after an uphill 21-mile day. Around my tent are snowdrifts five feet thick, and the lake is mostly frozen solid. We sure ain’t in the desert anymore… I was actually expecting more snow since hikers reported […]
I hit 10,000 feet for the first time today as the trail ascended a beautiful series of meadows and ridges, with snow-capped peaks rimming the horizon. With a heavy pack, I was glad to do 15 miles and camp with about a dozen other hikers by Death Canyon tonight. Also for the first time, I […]
I loaded my pack this morning with 12 days of food and an ice axe, traction spikes, bear canister, and warm clothing, and discovered it all weighed more than 45 pounds – ouch. I’m gonna have to eat a lot this week to make that pack lighter; today was definitely the heaviest it will be […]
I made it through the desert! 702 miles, 1/4 of the PCT, and I’m now hanging out in Kennedy Meadows with about 30 other hikers, all very excited about going through the Sierras next week. This is a major resupply point for all of us, and I picked up some serious new gear in four separate […]
Late this afternoon, after hiking 25 miles, I passed a milestone of sorts: Since I’ve walked 676 miles, I now have less than 2,000 to go. Dang, this trail is long! My mom said goodbye this morning after more than a week of meeting me at different points along the trail. It’s been so nice […]
I shuffled into Walker Pass this afternoon, after a 20-mile day, to the unexpected sound of coordinated applause. A large canopy had been erected at the edge of the otherwise desolate campground, with two dozen grinning faces peering out of the shade – and I was immediately offered my choice of iced beer or soda, […]
Yesterday’s cool mountains were just a tease; today the trail plunged right back into the Mojave furnace, and I spent 23 miles slogging through pea-gravel sand without shade besides the occasional Joshua Tree or flyover fighter jet. I crawled under a Joshua for two hours in mid-afternoon, and quickly discovered its soft-looking leaves might as […]
I passed the 600 mile mark this afternoon on my way into the wonderfully cool, green Tehachapi mountains, full of pines and oaks – a nice respite from hot desert. One of the highlights of my 20.7-mile day was spooking a deer: a real, live, actual specimen of wildlife! Yes, I see them every day […]
Early this morning, on an exposed 2,000-foot climb outside Tehachapi, I met a group of three PCT hikers heading south. Uh, south? “We walked north up this trail yesterday,” one guy explained, “and it was just way too hot. We were all getting serious heat exhaustion.” They all nodded, and another guy added, “My thermometer […]
After 12 consecutive 20+ mile days, Tehachapi sucked me into the vortex known as Best Western, so, instead of sleeping in my tent 20 miles up the trail tonight, I’m watching Valentine’s Day on TV and lounging on a crisp set of sheets while eating fresh strawberries. It wasn’t a total loss; my mom helped […]
After a long, grinding uphill out of the Mojave desert, I spent the afternoon traversing along a shadeless ridge until it dipped toward Tehachapi in a valley full of hundreds of giant windmills. The turbines sprouted from bare hilltops like a forest of enchanted trees – quite a spectacle after endless miles of desert. Today […]
What a weird day. At about 9 am I stopped at Hikertown, the home of a guy named Bob who has converted his 3-car garage into a veritable PCT oasis, with separate bathroom and lounge areas, and who hosts several hundred hikers each year. He’s also built a small-scale Western town in his front yard, […]
I put in a solid 11×10 (11 miles by 10 am) in the cool morning hours, then spent the rest of the day meandering along an oak-lined ridge in the Angeles National Forest, for a total of 25.3 miles today. Just before midday I hit the 500-mile mark, spelled out in rocks on the side […]
I felt like a pawn advancing down a chess board today: just moving forward. The trail wound through homogeneous chaparral for 20.1 miles, mostly shadeless and dry, up and over a couple of thousand-foot ridges, gradually heading north. But I stumbled over a family of baby Mountain Quail, flushed a Turkey Vulture off a dead […]
Today was punctuated by an unusual number of different and interesting landmarks, making 21.4 miles go fast. First I crossed under I-14 via a long, mine-shaft-like tunnel; then passed through Vasquez Rocks; and finally walked through Agua Dulce, a tiny town full of interesting distractions including a large sign advertising a “Lost Monkey.” I’m back […]
My mom is meeting me at trailheads and road crossings this week, which means I can carry a lighter pack and sleep in civilization more often. Last night we stayed at a motel in Palmdale, and tonight I was able to reach a KOA Campground via a stark, 25-mile stretch of burned-over trail charred by […]
Day 20, and pleased to report that I am healthy and happy. So far, I’ve walked 419 miles with no days off; my longest day has been 27.4 and my shortest 12.9, averaging about 21 miles per day. I’m grateful to have escaped injury so far, as already three different hikers I’ve met have quit […]
I began the day by climbing straight up Mount Baden-Powell, and was on the 9300-foot peak by 9:30. It was subfreezing up there, with two inches of solid ice on the windward side of all surfaces; the last half mile before the summit led over continuous frozen snowdrifts; and my tennis shoes didn’t give much […]
Last night we couldn’t find a good campsite, so Toby, Natalie, Brian and I rolled our sleeping pads out right on the trail without putting up tents. “Cowboy camping” like this has merits – sleeping under the night sky is pretty cool – but I woke up this morning covered in cold dew, motivating my […]
The McDonald’s along I-15 at Cajon Pass, east of L.A., is famous among PCT hikers because of its proximity to the trail, air conditioning, and delicious delights. After 15 dusty miles by noon, the golden arches were looking pretty enticing, and I went all-out in true hiker style. The cool part was that the calorie […]
Brian, Natalie, Toby and I, having laughingly dubbed ourselves The Wolf Pack, walked 26 miles today, spurred on by the promise of lunch at McDonald’s, Subway, and Del Taco (simultaneously) at Cajon Pass tomorrow. We’re camped near the scenic Silverwood Lake tonight, east of L.A., which gives me a chance to add some waterbirds to […]