PCT Hiking Week 4: A Week of Sunsets

"Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination" - The Way of Kings

My perception of the passage of time is one of the most interesting things to ponder out here. It's hard to recall where I slept two nights ago, simply because I've been in a different place every night for the past month, some of them rather strange.

I've had to trim my fingernails twice, and my beard is becoming noticeably bushier. I've gotten quite a few compliments on it recently. Other than that, every day feels brand new.

Another nice sunset, note the beard..

 It's all an awesome part of this overall journey. At 4 weeks in, there are days when hiking feels like work. 20 mile days are very long... but the sunsets still seem to tie everything together, and the company of others is always good. I've got to keep the mindset of experiencing the journey, not seeking the end destination.

Hanging out at Casa de Luna trail house

 This week was particularly spectacular in terms of sunsets, with a final bang on top of Mt. Baden-Powell. I only missed one sunset this week, while stuffing my face full of $1.50 tacos and beer in the town of Wrightwood at mi 363.

Sunset outside Cajon pass with cloud rainbow

I suppose the strangest thing to realize at this time, is that it's feeling more like a day to day living experience now, rather than a vacation. If I make it all the way to Canada, I still have 4 months to go after all... hell, I'm not even halfway through California yet. Humbling indeed.

Pretty simple directions, how hard could it be?

Anyway, check out the newest scenes below or via youtube.

 Cheers,

-Traveller

Week Three: Wilderness and Civilization

"There are plenty of rules out here, we just don't follow any of them" - Genie

Week three, 21 days on the trail. I've spent 4 of those nights in a bed of some sort while passing through towns, the rest out in the outdoors. It's weird to see how my perspective is changing. I don't notice how dirty and sweaty I smell until I'm actually in a public place again, like a post office... I guess it's because there is so much fresh air outdoors.

There are a few things that myself and others have found hard re-adjusting to in towns:

Store hours and days of closure - the post office in particular:
 There was a day on trail where many of us realized we'd have to book it to make it to town the next day before closing hours. The post office was only open until 1:00 on a saturday, which would've delayed us until monday if we missed it. Hard to readjust after having no real schedule for days on end, and the day of week is definitely useless information on trail days.

Public bathrooms:
Had to reign in the instict to just pee on a nearby bush while in town.. strange how quickly I forgot that social rule.

City Grime vs. Outdoor Grime:
Sleeping in cheap hotels has an element of griminess for sure, and I find myself much prefering to sleep in dirt on trail.

Also, when the trail passes a location that is easily accessible by road (hence locals coming from town for the day), graffiti and trash really become prominent and painful to see. The on-trail community is so welcoming, and the wilderness so pristine in many places, that it's strange to come back to "civilization," where things are much different.

Also, I had my 27th birthday on trail recently. Seems appropriate that I settled on a trail name for myself that day as well. Those on the path will know me as 'Traveller" from here on out.

Week three video is here (hope it's working, still doing all uploads from my phone...). Catch you in the next town!

Week Two Video uploaded

Here's the week two video, from outside Warner Spring to around mile 210!

(Might have to go full screen to clear it up. Not sure why, but it's acting a bit goofy for me.)

Week two: Julian (mi 77) to mile 210

"Home is where you unpack it" - Sled Dog

Week two has been just as busy, with more amazing views. It's an interesting experience being out on the trail even this long (13 days as I write this). 

I'm amazed at the mileage that's flowing past me, already hit 210. There was a 20 mile closure of trail near the town of Idyllwild, so I've not hit 200 exactly of my own feet, but still feels good.

Yep, my feet get that dirty THROUGH my socks

Beauty and brutality in the Desert:

I'm no Ansel Adams... but trying anyway

It's hot. My main daily concern is mileage to the next water source. Other than that, there's an unbelievable amount of freedom out here. I eat, sleep, rest, and walk when I want, within the only confining parameters of finishing the trail before the season turns.

For a solid span of days, I was unaware of the day of week. By 9:00 the heat of day is already in swing. Most hikers get solid mileage in the morning, then camp out for the heat of the day, hiking again in the cool evening. It's nice to be outside, feeling the lenth of a day in it's entirety. The heat wears you down though..

But the sunset's more than make up for it. We've made it a priority to have a daily "sunset pow-wow" to watch the day's final scene.

Wicked sunset view

A Tale of two Terrible Nights:

And times are not all fun. I should mention the terrible times as well. I've had two miserable nights, only needing my tent 3 nights in total since I've been out (cowboy camping the rest of the time).

The first was my very first night on trail. The weather was cold and windy when I started, and rain set in that evening. I ended up pitching my tent a little too close to sundown in wind and rain. The desert soil was loose due to the moisture, and I bent a tent stake trying to hammer them in tight. In the end though, my tent was dry inside, and sleeping bag was warm. It was just a frustrating start.

The second was last night, on a big decent from the San Jacinto mountains. It was insanely windy on the exposed mountainside, and I managed to pitch a solid set up with large rocks on the stakes to hold them in place... but the wind carried lots of dust right into my tent all night. It powdered everything, and I tied a bandana around my face to avoid breathing it in. In the morning, the crust in my eyes was mud when I cleared it out. A late night rain accompanied this wind, to make things rougher. A few miles up the mountain, others got a powdering of snow!

I was warned that week two is when the initial enthusiasm starts to wane, and the mileage becomes a chore. I felt that a bit today. Looking back at the mountains I just came from helps a little, but talking with other hikers going through the same hard nights helps loads. We'll have to see what week 3 has in store. 

Week two video coming soon! Need to find a solid connection to upload...

Week One: Hiking The Pacific Crest Trail

"It's just walking. Anyone can do it." - Yogi

Looking at the climb out of Scissors crossing (mi 77)

So, im just about through my first week on the trail. My extreme blogging ambitions have fallen by the wayside a little, but I'll do my best to capture some thoughts. I haven't had decent cell reception, and I've been caught up in the adventure and meeting new people. I've met tons of people already, from all different walks of life - and parts of the world even.

Since I delayed my start date to the 25th and got a ride out here from my parents, I lucked out and made it to the last day of the big PCT kick-off event. People who've done the trail in previous years come out and greet the new batch of hikers, and coordinate seminars and advice.

And I got to meet Yogi, the woman who wrote the guidebook I'm using! She gave me a PCT class of 2015 bandana. Pretty cool!

Yep, it can also be used to hitch a ride to or from town

The Hiking Community on Trail:

I've been hiking with a cool group of people. Sometimes we stay together, sometimes everyone does their own thing. You can hike all day in solitude usually, since everyone goes a similar pace down the trail. Then when you get to a water source or camping area, there's often a group of people chilling and resting their feet. It's never predictable where you'll encounter people either. You might run into someone at the next water source that you haven't seen in days.

There's an interesting age group out here also, and it's pretty well split. There are people in the 20 to 30 age group, and then people in the 50-60 age group. So, discontented youngsters like myself, fighting a 9 to 5 existence, and retired people chasing a dream they never made time for when young.

Either way, it's a beautiful trip. The Pacific Crest Trail in these early miles is like a roller coaster. It climbs way up into the mountains with beautiful views, and then drops down to the desert floor... over and over again. The terrain is constantly changing, making every section new and exciting. Everyday I can stop and look back on the miles I've accomplished, as the mountains roll behind me into the distance.

Check out my video synopsis of week one as well. I'll try to keep the blog entries coming.