PCT Day 30: The Night It Snowed In The Desert

Miles hiked today: 0 Miles hiked total: 389.2 In the night I hear a thud on or around my tent. I am immediately awake – did a guy line snap, and now my tent is going to come down around me? No, all the guy lines seem intact. But the tent walls do seem to […]

PCT Day 29: The Mountain Doesn’t Care

Miles hiked today: 17.7 Miles hiked total: 389.2 Clams wakes us all up, as we have agreed to be ready to leave by 6:30, and stick together to tackle the snowy Mount Baden-Powell. As we get ready, we joke about badges or certificates you could earn on the PCT. Like, for example, “Well done! You […]

PCT Day 28: Nero-ing With Our Wrightwood Trail Angel

Miles hiked today: 2.2 Miles hiked total: 371.5 Today was the perfect antidote to the stresses of yesterday. I wake having slept comfortably on sofa cushions on the floor at Chris’ house, definitely my most comfortable sleep on trail. Everyone is still asleep so I write my blog for a bit, as I was too […]

PCT Day 27: A Day Of Rain, Wind, And Hail

Miles hiked today: 22.1 Miles hiked total: 369.3 I wake to the sound of my tent flapping in the wind. It has been raining for about an hour. I listen to the rain and wind beating my tent about, as I enjoy the warmth of my sleeping bag for a while, pondering how best to […]

PCT Day 26: Somewhere In The Desert There’s A McDonald’s

Miles hiked today: 18.6 Miles hiked total: 347.2 Nobody slept well last night. There were loud helicopters in the area when we were just going to sleep. Then at 11pm, a police car came to the parking lot and started circling around, siren blaring, and broadcasting a pre-recorded message over and over, saying “we have […]

PCT Day 25: Silverwood Lake

Miles hiked today: 15.2 Miles hiked total: 328.6 I wake up to a sleeping bag covered in condensation. I wipe it down with my bandana, then go about my morning chores. It’s Future’s birthday today so I go over and give him a hug. I set off on my own, and a mere 0.1 miles […]

PCT Day 24: The Never-Ending Ridgeline

Miles hiked today: 18.7 Miles hiked total: 313.4 I am quicker to pack up this morning, and I start hiking through a verdant area, keeping the river on my right. I see the tiniest chipmunk scampering away from me and up onto a fallen tree. At the top of a short ascent, I realise I […]

PCT Day 23: Perfect Weather, Perfect Hike

Miles hiked today: 15.5 Miles hiked total: 294.7 I don’t set an alarm, because we are not pressed for time with the miles we have to cover today. I wake up naturally at 6:30, and through the mesh of my tent I can see Clams already packing up. She is always the first one ready. […]

PCT Day 22: Racing a Thunderstorm

Miles hiked today: 13.1 Miles hiked total: 279.2 I wake having slept well, and I can hear Future in the kitchen making coffee for everyone. We all start packing our stuff up, then at 8am we leave our things and go for a final town breakfast at the Teddy Bear Diner. I order the cinnamon […]

PCT Days 20 & 21: Double Zero in Big Bear Lake

Miles hiked: 0 Miles hiked total: 266.1 Here are some things that happened on our double (!) zero in Big Bear Lake. We have breakfast at the Teddy Bear Diner, some of our group going for a double order of the hiker special breakfast. Then we share a huge strawberry and chocolate waffle sundae. At […]