PCT Days 60, 61 and 62: A 7-Car, 400-Mile, Hitchhiking Adventure

I wake up on the floor in the living room of our airbnb. Odin cooks French toast for us for breakfast, then we start to pack up and tidy the apartment. We need to go to the store and pick up a little more food, because the itinerary we have planned actually puts us on […]

PCT Day 59: Making Tough Decisions In Lone Pine

Miles hiked today: 7 (+2.2 miles on side trails) Miles hiked total: 745.3 Once again, we have planned to set off at first light, so I set my alarm for 4am. It is an eerily still morning to wake up to, as if secret magical things are happening just outside the confines of my tent, […]

PCT Day 58: Nobody Wants Wet Feet At 6am

Miles hiked today: 19.1 Miles hiked total: 738.3 We are awake before the birdsong starts, before sunrise. The moon is still bright though, so I pack away without the help of my headtorch. Packing up has become a chore again, thanks to the heavy and bulky bear canister. It is so unyielding, and makes the […]

PCT Day 57: Meadows! Trees! Water! – Welcome To The Sierra

Miles hiked today: 17 Miles hiked total: 719.2 Overnight, condensation strikes again. I have another problem though – I bought a small inflatable mattress to use in the Sierras, as it will be colder at higher elevation. However, using the mattress puts me too high in my tent, with my face almost pressed to the […]

PCT Days 55 and 56: It’s All Fun And Games Until Someone Steals Your Sleeping Bag

Miles hiked: 0 Miles hiked total: 702.2 I wake up in my camp spot at the general store in Kennedy Meadows. Breakfast isn’t until 8, so I have plenty of time to pack away before then. While waiting for breakfast I do a few chores, but most of the things I need to do require […]

PCT Day 54: Saying Goodbye To The Desert

Miles hiked today: 19.1 Miles hiked total: 702.2 I take my time packing away, so it is already hot when I start hiking at 7:20. There is a heavy climb at first, up through tree cover so that I cannot tell where the trail is going. But then I emerge onto a green hillside, alive […]

PCT Day 53: Bugs And Pink Flower Carpets

Miles hiked today: 19.3 Miles hiked total: 683.1 I wake having slept so peacefully – I think I only shifted positions once. And as it was so warm, there is no condensation. To get to Kennedy Meadows in two days, I need to hike about 19 miles per day. I’d rather do a short day […]

PCT Day 52: First Day Back At School

Miles hiked today: 12.5 Miles hiked total: 663.8 This morning, I take full advantage of the hotel breakfast, which I wasn’t able to do yesterday as I was feeling so ill. I am particularly excited about the self-service mini waffle machine, with two different flavours of waffle batter to choose from. The freshly pressed juices […]

PCT Days 50 and 51: The Turners Save The Day

Miles hiked: 0.8 Miles hiked total: 652.1 I wake up at the campground, and have a quick breakfast courtesy of our Walker Pass trail angels (they are also camping here). I pack away and then hike the short stretch from the campground to the road, where it is possible to hitch into Ridgecrest. This is […]

PCT Day 49: Trail Magic Party At Walker Pass Campground

Miles hiked today: 20.5 Miles hiked total: 651.3 Strong winds blow all night, and I wake up several times as it is so loud. When I wake up properly in the morning I have not slept well – but there are pancakes for breakfast! A dirt road runs by this tentsite, and someone has parked […]