Tag: PCT

PCT 2018 Day 23, May 15, Tuesday.

Start mile 519.2, stealth camp near aqueduct

End mile 553.9, campsite

Miles walked: 34.7

A cold morning begins walking along more open aqueduct, then turns direction and becomes aqueduct enclosed in a huge diameter metal pipe, partially exposed above ground. Later, after several miles, the pipe is completely buried under a thin slab of concrete and continues across the valley floor up to mountains on the other side. The air quickly warms as the sun gets higher, very hot indeed. Joshua Tree and creosote bush grow on bare sandy soil. The trail passes by a wind farm, with larger wind turbines than we had seen before. Reaching and climbing the mountains on the other side, some elevation brings temperature relief. I resist making a dad joke about the PCT Association installing huge fans to cool hikers. Looking back, beyond the ridge in the foreground, one can view the desert valley floor and mountains on the other side, to see how much Mojave Desert we crossed today. I camp near others on a high ridge near more wind turbines, and can hear the soft whoosh when they start and stop during the night.

Chatted with hikers Big Sky, Nutella, and Mister Giggles today.

Finished audiobook The Sea Hawk, by Rafael Sabatini.

PCT 2018 Day 22, May 14, Monday.

Start mile 483.3, tiny flat spot

End mile 519.2, stealth camp near aqueduct

Miles walked: 35.9

Cloud cover is gone, but the temperature seems still cooler than typical. The path goes along a ridge for a while, then down and up onto another ridge, repeat as needed. The ridges are mostly covered in high desert shrubs, with scattered stands of trees, oak or mixed conifer. One ridge seems to get more rain and is covered in trees, possibly because we are at the edge of this mountain range and out of a rain shadow.

Down below lowlands become visible, irrigated farmland and grassland, and mountains beyond.

The trail is gradually descending much of the day, an easy walk. Hiker hunger, where one suddenly needs to eat a lot more food each day, has kicked in. I decide to hike a couple of longer days to arrive a day early, and split that extra day’s food to increase rations.

Down off the mountain, Hikertown is another angel-hosted facility for hikers.

I recently had a zero day, so do not feel the need for a bunk and shower and town food yet. I praise the angels willing to open their place to hikers, but respectfully hike onward.

Now at 3k elevation, the trail follows an aqueduct for a few miles.

PCT 2018 Day 21, May 13, Sunday.

Start mile 454.5, Agua Dulce, Hiker Heaven.

End 483.3

Miles walked: 28.8

The weather conditions of a couple of days ago are still in effect: low cloud cover and cool, quite cold in the cloud layer.

At lower elevations, 3.5k, grasses and shrubs grow thickly, and at higher altitude for the day of 5.5k the grasses are gone. On a hot day no trees would be available for shade, and water sources are limited. But today was cold enough that I hiked with windbreaker on nearly all day, sometimes in clouds, other times underneath. Late in the day I cross a highway and trail angel Tall Paul, with dog Sonora, invites me to the Andersons, a popular host for hikers.

I had just zeroed at Hiker Heaven, and was not ready to stop again. He replied that was probably for the best, since the Andersons was getting crowded today and was a nexus difficult for hikers to escape and this was great hiking weather. Yep, that reverse psychology almost worked.

Back up the mountain I walk a few more miles, and make camp in solitude, as skies clear.