Serene Pine

PCT 2018 Day 26, May 18, Friday.

Start campsites at mile 592.9

End mile 621.0, micro tent site near trail

Miles walked: 28.1

After walking a few miles, wind and wind turbines are gone. Vegetation becomes mixed conifer with oak, to be replaced in a few more miles with pleasant open pine forest with rye grass and scattered sagebrush. The warm air in the afternoon is welcome after several cold windy nights. How pleasant to be walking on level trail among tall pines. No hikers are seen until near a water cache at a road crossing near mile 615, where several are clumped together. Looking forward in the direction of trail, the ecozone suddenly changes to high desert. I do not see nearby mountains causing a rain shadow, so am unsure what causes such a sudden transition. The first cows of the trip regard me sourly. Thought for today: Does a wind turbine spin a cocoon and emerge a helicopter?

Author: Jim, Sagebrush

Jim (trail-name Sagebrush) codes audio software for Windows, Linux, Android, and embedded systems. When not working at sagebrush.com, he enjoys backpacking, which this blog is about.