Further Adventures Along the PCT: ATypical Hiking Day

"Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up."
 - T. McKenna



I thought it might be interesting this time around, to share what a typical day on trail consists of for me. I carry a small notebook to record interesting thoughts or ideas, and I kept a log of events for a day. Here is the result...

5:40 am 
I wake briefly, note the sun's earliest presence in the sky, and roll over to continue sleeping.

7:00 am
I wake again, noting the sun is clearly above the horizon, roll over and sleep some more...

8:00
Finally I get up, eat some breakfast, and pack up to get moving.

Packing up camp!

8:30 - 10:30
Hiking, with a brief break at a creek to filter some more water.

10:30 
Snack break consisting of pop-tarts, chili cheese fritos, and a peanut butter and jelly tortilla.

Break time! Elevate the feet if possible.

10:40
A couple of other PCT hikers catch me on break, and we chat for a bit.

11:00 - 12:45
Hiking, listen to a bit of music while contemplating this blog idea. Cloudkicker is the choice of the day. (Cloudkicker)

(I don't always listen to music while hiking, but it does help take my mind off the achy feet and churn out miles...)

12:45
Water break, decide to eat another peanut butter jelly tortilla... A couple folks on horseback pass by and engage me in conversation.

Thru hiker in his natural habitat.. this how passerby's would see me - stuffing my face

Them:"Oh hey, there's a hiker! Are you going all the way to Canada?"

Me: "Yep, that's the plan"

Them: "Wow! Where did you start, how long have you been on trail"

Me: "The Mexico border, been on trail since April 25th, about 1100 miles so far.."

Them: "Wow, that's so amazing/inspiring/cool!"

(I have a conversation like this almost every day. The questions and reactions are pretty similar every time.)

1:00
Decide to eat some trail mix too. Then I get up, dust the ants off, and hike some more.

2:30 - 4:00
Long lunch next to a stream with some other hikers. Ramen with tuna to eat, and definitely a dip in the creek to cool off.

4:00 - 6:15
Hiking to the next water source. I note that at this point in the day I have done 19 miles already.

8:10 pm
Stop for the day, make camp, eat dinner.

Total mileage for the day: 23. Not too bad, considering it was about 9 hours total spent hiking. I've found that I haven't gotten faster as my body has adapted, I'm just able to withstand longer days of hiking fairly comfortably. The terrain tends to dictate how fast I go, whether it's up or downhill etc..

Profile for this day, mile 1170 to 1193 roughly

Hiking breaks are good, and I take many. I eat a lot of food during these breaks. When I pack up in town, I plan for about 4000 calories per day.. this gives me a little buffer if I move slower than expected, but is surprisingly close to the mark for what I can eat on a solid day of hiking.


And of course, here's the next video. Part 2 of hiking in the Sierra! Definitely some more beautiful spots this round.

Cheers,
- Traveller

"I've found hiking paradise in the Sierras... turns out paradise has mosquitos too."  
 - Traveller

Leaving Kennedy Meadows

I have begun hiking in what is considered by most to be the best section of trail on the PCT: the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's full of towering mountain views and beautiful high altitude lakes. The section of trail doesn't drop below 8000 feet in elevation for several hundred miles.

Forrester pass looming, the highest point on the PCT

It is also some of the hardest hiking I've done this journey, with big climbs over mountain passes every day.

The PCT also merges with another popular route, the 200 mile John Muir trail. This has consequently been the busiest section of trail I've seen, and I do miss some of the solitude found in the desert.

I walked past a group the other day, and a guy on the end caught my eye. His gear was all shiny and new, his beard perfectly trimmed, and he had the goofiest grin of excitement plastered to his face for the journey he was just beginning.

That was me a mere 2 months ago...

Nice pose, bro

Now, I'm one of the bad boys of the Sierra.

Blessed with awesome beard genes..

A wizard of Yosemite.

My rain jacket and rain kilt - I get a lot of compliments on the outfit

A hiking machine with 900 plus miles under my belt.

On the way up Whitney's jagged crags

The JMT differs from the PCT by an order of magnitude, plain and simple. Those hikers can take two weeks off work for the journey, and are willing to spend any amount of money to ensure a successful journey. PCT hikers on the other hand are like, "Woohoo, I quit my job!"

I love where I am right now, and what I have become. My soul is full to the brim with whatever essence I felt lacking when seeking the trail to begin with.

Cheers friends, enjoy the scenes from the Sierra part 1. Glad so many of you have been following with me on the journey. Sorry for delays between posts, the towns are a bit more spread out these days...