Frozen toes and other pretty things
What a weird day today turned out to be. We spent last night getting pummeled by wind at Gilmore Lake, with the plan to get an early start down the hill so we wouldn’t get caught in the impending rainstorm. I woke up to my 5:20 am alarm and...
I walked 500 miles, then I walked 500 more
We passed the PCT midpoint last week! It wasn’t our midpoint since we skipped a section, but it was still a neat milestone. We’ll pass our actual midpoint within the next 3 days. Halfway done. How are we only halfway done?! Haaa. Walking into the Tahoe National Forest reminded...
Almost halfwayish
# of days off trail / 2 = # of days it takes to feel like hiking again. After about 4 days of hiking (and after getting out of the oppressive heat), my motivation is back. Which is good, because we’ve still got a looooooong way to go. The...
It’s a dry heat
Today will be our fourth day back on trail. We’ve been taking it slow, mostly because the NorCal heat has been rough, and the lack of shade and distance between water isn’t helping. The discomfort has led to a couple of “why am I doing this?” moments for me....
Farewell Ashland
We’re leaving finally Ashland tomorrow! After 5 days of rest, Evan’s knee is healed enough to leave town. We’re taking the train down to Redding and catching a bus to Burney to get back on the trail. All said and done, we will have skipped about 350 miles of...
Movin’ along
It’s been a while since we stopped in a town for long enough for me to write a post. I’m still alive! Blistered and sore, but very alive. 680 miles in, I finally bid farewell to my first pair of shoes. I’m pretty sure I hung on to them...
Neverending breakfast
We hopped off of the PCT to do a short side hike to Ramona Falls. Starting just after sunrise, we arrived at the falls early enough to have them to ourselves. Ramona Falls is a very popular tourist destination, so having them to ourselves was a real treat. We’re...
Washington Recap
Best resupply spot: Trout Lake General Store. They had lots of well priced options, including a few Knorr meals that I hadn’t come across before, so I wasn’t sick of them yet. Worst place to be a hungry vegetarian: White Pass Kracker Barrel. They were out of pizza crust...
Farewell Washington
34 days after we started, Washington is DONE! We crossed over the Bridge of the Gods into Cascade Locks earlier this afternoon. The bridge was one of the sketchier parts of the trail so far, thanks to the wind, cars and lack of sidewalk. Crossing that bridge without injury...
Marmot snack time
Two highlights from this last section: the marmot who hung out with me while I took a snack break, and the mountain goat (who we saw in the aptly named Goat Rocks Wilderness) who showed us who’s boss as we struggled up steep rocks. Goat Rocks Wilderness is one...