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PCT 2023
  • mimi singer
May – Oct 2023

PCT 2023

"Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 2, 2023
    mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    Classic gear photo. We don't need much to survive...

    Its official!

    March 31, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 46 °F

    A preface: I don't post on social media often. So posting a daily journal for anyone to read is going to be strange. *Here's to jumping out of my comfort zone!* I am doing this so I have a way to look back on my journey and remember ALL. THE. THINGS!! But also so my family knows I'm safe. I'm going to be writing about the good, bad, ugly, beautiful, people, smells, smelly people, elevation, fears, accomplishments, camp spots, weird experiences, sunsets, stars, animals, aches and pains and of course cheeseburgers in town. The list is endless. I know this is going to be an experience I will cherish and look back on for the rest of my life. All this to say, I am happy to have you join me for the ride but be warned, I am no writer. Expect run on sentences and grammatical errors.😉

    With that out of the way, it's time to make an official announcement. I am hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2023!!! The PCT is a 2,650 mile trail that starts at the Mexico/California border and ends at the Washington/Canada border. Ive done many short backpacking trips that have intertwined with the PCT over the years. It's always sounded like a really cool thing to do. Last year I met a couple of PCT thru hikers on a backpacking trip and was instantly hooked.

    All thru hikers say you need to figure out your 'why'. The highs are high but the lows are low. I know for a fact I will have days where I wonder why I am out there. And when the day comes I will read through my whys to remind me what got me out there in the first place. My why's are nothing super profound (yet) but they are special and mean something to me.

    My Whys in no particular order:

    1. Truly be in the moment. I am a planner and this year especially, flexibility and adaptation will be key.

    2. "Nervous energy is a precursor to positive change." I want to lean into the discomfort, handle my fears and become a more confident human.

    3. Mindset. So often my roadblocks are just a state of mind. When times are tough I want to challenge myself because I know I am capable of so much more.

    4. To simply see how far I can go and how strong I can be. Each mile is the furthest I have ever hiked! My longest hike is only 50 miles!

    5. Live with purpose and intention - all decisions made on trail are important.

    6. I have one life. Live it. Do it while I can. Special thanks to Ian for holding down the fort, being really supportive of this crazy idea and taking care of my most precious possession, Riley. Making this dream a reality!

    My start date is May 2, 2023. Here is to a wild and crazy adventure!

    You can follow along on my journey by following my profile - I believe you will get an email notification for every new post!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    This journey has begun

    May 1, 2023 in the United States

    As I arrived in San Diego it all started to hit me. What I was about to do. I told myself that I would not be scared and it's just like any other backpacking trip (just longer😆). But laying in my tent, writing this I am feeling scared. Anxious. A bit overwhelmed. I know I can overcome this feeling, I've felt it before. I just need to start. Take those first steps. I want to write down how I feel... even if it's not glamorous so I can see how I've grown when I come back to re read these.

    Anyways today went like this:

    Ian and Riley dropped me off at the airport. We had some tearful "see you soons". I miss them already.

    My college friend Steve picked me up from the airport. Took me to REI, Walmart and I got a proper California burrito to go. It was nice to see a familiar face as the nerves started to build. We arrived at Cleef right at sunset. I quickly set up my first tent pitch before it got dark. I nailed the first pitch with my trekking pole tent.

    I slept horrible, nauseous from my anxiety. On a positive note, my sleeping bag is very warm. Thank you feathered friends!

    In the morning they provide breakfast.
    I plan on walking slow and just spending my first day taking it all in and adjusting to my new reality!

    I can do this. Nothing worthwhile is easy.    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    Day 1 - Mexican boarder to hauser creek

    May 2, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Miles hiked: 15.4
    Elevation: 1716 ft
    Campsite location: Hauser creek
    Weather: party cloud with a high of 70
    One word to describe the day: nervous

    I'm feeling better today. I was taken by surprise by the way I was feeling when I arrived at the terminus. I felt these same emotions when I got Riley. A bit of regret, worry and questioning my decision. However now I can't imagine life without Riley. I am feeling like the trail is very similar in the fact that it is a major life change and adjustment is needed. This trail is already teaching me lessons. Lessons in strength, resistance and grit.

    Today was a good day. I met a lot of new people on the trail. Diane and Rachel from Seattle and Caroline from Norway. It's nice to meet other female hikers.

    My appetite is not really great right now. So hopefully that works itself out as I continue on and get my routine figured out.

    Tonight's campsite is at mile 15.4. Hauser creek. It's a really nice spot but covered in poison oak!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    1Caroline!New trail friend

    PCT day 2

    May 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Miles hiked: 13.2 m
    Elevation: 2795 feet
    Campsite location: unnamed campsite next to a waterfall
    Weather: 65 and sunny
    One word to describe the day: grateful

    Today was awesome. I had a great night's sleep and woke up feeling a million times better. the day started with a climb up to lake Morana. I spent the day hiking with Caroline. She is a micro biologist from Norway!

    We stopped at the lake Morana malt shop around 9:30. I got a chicken strip basket. 😂 And enjoyed a flush toilet before continuing on.

    One advantage to a high snow year is endless water sources and a very green and lush desert. We kept the day short. Neither of us want to injure ourselves so we are just taking it easy. Set up camp next to a waterfall and sun bathed for a little while. I quickly chilled down, which seems to be how it works in the desert.

    We had a fun time eating dinner with new hiker friends. Mel from Montana. Alex from Washington. He is also a friend of a friend. Small world on the trail. And a guy from Belgium. I forget his name and will find out tomorrow. He went down to the river to wash off, dropped his underwear in the river and they floated away down stream 😆

    I'm feeling so much more excited now, less scared and just grateful to be out here. The people have all been so friendly and everyone out here is just happy to be here.    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    PCT day 3 Mount Laguna

    May 4, 2023 in the United States

    Miles hiked: 19 miles
    Elevation: 3448 feet
    Campsite location: Laguna campground
    Weather: rainy in the morning. Cold and windy in the afternoon.
    One word to describe the day: tough

    I was on the trail hiking by 7:00 a.m. It started raining around 8:00 a.m. and didn't stop until about noon. It was cold and windy so I ended up hiking a lot faster than I would have liked. I wanted to hike fast to get to Mount Laguna for a warm meal and to dry myself off.

    I hiked 14 mi and made it to Mount Laguna by 12:00. I stopped at the Mount Laguna tavern and got a chicken panini fries and a cup of tomato basil soup. It was delicious. Of course! After hanging out at the tavern for about an hour. We want to the Mount Laguna store for our resupply. The next resupply will be in Julian at mile 77 so it's only 35 miles from where I'm at currently.

    Since it was only about 1:00, me and a few other hikers decided to hike five more miles to the Laguna campground. There were many tent sites between our restaurant stop and the campsite but unfortunately they are all close for some unknown reason so we had to hike 5 mi to get to the nearest open campsite.

    I had an unexpected vista that just took my breath away! I had no idea how high up we were. It was so beautiful.

    I'm so tired after hiking 19 mi. Tomorrow I'm definitely going to take it easy. I don't want to injure myself!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    212

    Day 4

    May 5, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 61 °F

    Miles hiked: 16 miles
    Elevation: 3448 feet
    Weather: 50s, windy and partly cloudy
    One word to describe the day: vistas

    Today was a beautiful day. We walked along rolling hillsides slowly making our way down the valley towards scissor crossing. I hiked most of the day with Caroline. The last two miles were hard. All downhill and pretty steep. I was feeling pretty sore by the end of the day. We wanted to walk to a camp site 16 miles away so we didn't have to dry camp.

    Short post for today. I'm tired!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    Day 5 - julian

    May 6, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Today we finished the decent down into the valley. I didn't take many photos because my battery bank was out and my phone was low!

    The landscape changed today. Feels alot more like the desert.

    As I got to the underpass where we needed to hitch to Julian, there was a trail angel ready to offer rides! He was very nice and had been doing this for a few years now.

    We got free pie at moms, a pizza at Julian beer Co and resupplied at two foot adventure. The same trail angel then took us back to scissors crossing. We spent the night sleeping under the highway because everywhere in Julian was booked!! Lessons learned. Book ahead!

    We slept under the highway underpass 😬 don't worry mom it was very safe. Middle if no where and trail angels stock it with water for the next long water carry. So it's common for hikers to stay here! Lovely sunrise in the morning! Time to hike!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    Day 6

    May 7, 2023 in the United States

    Miles hiked: 14 miles
    Elevation: 2201 feet
    Weather: 60s and sunny
    One word (emoji) to describe the day: 🌵

    My hiking mates spent the night cowboy camping aka sleeping without a tent under the underpass. But I was a little too nervous to do that. I saw mice scampering around. So I set up my tent. I'll try cowboy camping but last night was not the night.

    Today was filled with desert flowers and cacti everywhere! I spent the day gradually asending 14 mi towards Warner springs. Tomorrow we hit the 100 mile mark and I am taking a day off at the mountain valley retreat in rancherita. They provide a ride to and from the trailhead, foot soak 🤩, showers, bed, breakfast, dinner and yoga all for $125 a night.

    Overall and feeling really good. Everyday something new hurts, But I'm glad the same things aren't lingering around after day.    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    Day 7 - barrel springs

    May 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Today we hit 100 miles!!!!

    I 'slept' in till 6:30, we slept at a pct campsite that had a water cache. It's so nice that people do this or else it would have been a 24 mile water carry.

    Today was a 'short' 10 mile day into barrel springs. We were picked up by Lynn who works at the mountain valley retreat. We are spending the night here. I'll be taking a zero day tomorrow (hiking no miles) to rest up.

    They have laundry, showers ( I took an outdoor shower and it was amazing) snacks, foot baths, dinner and then yoga and breakfast in the morning.

    We are a delicious dinner, quinoa salad with beets, chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, veggie soup.

    My knee has been hurting so definitely taking a day off tomorrow and will spend the day at a nearby place called Montezuma market. It's cheaper than where I am currently at. I need to be smart with the spending!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    1

    Day 8 Montezuma market

    May 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    I did yoga this morning at mountain mamas retreat, ate a delicious breakfast. Avo toast, grits, sausage, hash browns, oranges and coffee.

    Mountain mama who led yoga also showed me how to tape my knee. Hoping after a good stretch and day off it will feel better.

    Sitting at Montezuma market right now just chilling and relaxing. They have a great resupply here but I sent a box to Warner springs which is just 10 miles up the trail. So I don't need much.

    We will head back to the trail tonight, camp and start early in the morning towards Warner springs. Tomorrow we see the infamous eagle rock!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    A little hello from java my cat

    Day 9

    May 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    Miles hiked: 16.3
    Elevation: 2313 ft
    Campsite location: mile 118.5
    Weather: 60s and cloudy
    One word to describe the day: slow 🦥

    Yesterday I met with Morgan, an on trail PT. She has thru hiked before and is spending her summer on the pct helping hikers. I told her what was going on with me and she gave me a plan/tips to help strengthen my knees. It was super helpful. 1. Take smaller steps and just slow down. 2. Use my glutes more while hiking downhill. 3. Every 2 hours stop and take a 10 min stretch break with various stretches she gave me. 4. Twice a day do a couple knee strengthening exercises she gave me.

    Today I went very slow. My knee hurt a little mid hike but felt pretty dang good towards the end so I am hopeful if I keep doing what I am doing my knee should feel better and be stronger in a week or so.

    Today we went past eagle rock, I got my first hitch from a lovely lady who teaches in the nearby schools, picked up my first box, and sent a few things back home to help lighten up the pack.

    After restocking on food we headed back to trail and hiked a few more miles. This week we are hiking towards Idylwild!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    Day 10

    May 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 59 °F

    Miles hiked: 18.5
    Elevation: 3615
    Campsite location: mile 136.7
    Weather: sunny and 70
    One word to describe the day: hard

    Today was hard. We had a pack full of 5 days worth of food to get to Idylwild and the longest water stretch of the trip. I carried 5 liters. Usually there are water caches along this stretch but they were all dry so we had to carry enough water for the entire day. We hiked so far to get to the next water source.

    My knee feels pretty good considering how far we went today. My body is sooo so tired though. I have a rash all over my legs. I'm thinking it's from the sun. Going to get hiking pants in Idylwild. So tired. Going to bed!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    Day 11 - Paradise valley Cafe

    May 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    Miles hiked: 16
    Elevation: 2772
    Campsite location: behind paradise valley Cafe 😂
    Weather: sunny and high 80s
    One word to describe the day: 🥵🍔

    Today was a great day. It was hot but beautiful desert landscape. I saw my first rattlesnake. I nearly stepped on it and it almost gave me a heart attack. I backed up quickly and waited for a few minutes to see if it would move, but it didn't. So I lately tossed a pebble near it and it didn't do anything. Eventually I saw it's tongue move so I knew it was alive. It seemed like it was very lethargic. It never shook its tail or seem agressive. Eventually it's slowly moved off the trail and I ran quickly by it.

    It was another long water carry today. We camped near water that smelled like eggs and also tasted like them. Luckily there is a trail angel in the stretch that provides water. But unfortunately this will be her last year. I think she's pretty old. Thank you Mary! After Mary's I hiked seven more miles to get to Paradise valley Cafe. I saw a gentleman dropping off hikers at the trailhead and asked him if I could get a ride to Paradise valley Cafe. His name was Rob Muir. John muir is his great uncle! He said his uncle had a big part in creating the Pacific Crest trail. He loves helping hikers. What a cool experience! Such a nice guy. Have me guys number in case I needed anymore help.

    I had a cheeseburger, side salad and a drink at pvc. I sent my micro spikes and ice ax to the cafe. They are very hiker friendly. And I'm currently in my tent behind the restaurant which is where I will sleep tonight!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    1

    Day 12

    May 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    Miles hiked: 12.7
    Elevation: 2876
    Campsite location: cedar spring 162.7
    Weather: 80s and sunny
    One word to describe the day: relaxing

    I woke up this morning behind Paradise valley Cafe, packed up and got breakfast. Biscuits and gravy, bacon, hash browns and cantaloupe 😌 It was delicious! Today was a short day. We hiked 12 miles through the desert landscape that slowly turned to pine trees and cedars. We are heading up towards San jacinto. Tomorrow we hit snow for the first time.

    Staying at a beautiful campsite surrounded by cedars, it has a fresh water spring and lots of great people. A few people I met on my first day showed up. Alex from Seattle who is a friend of a friend, and the darkness who is a triple crowner. She had hiked all three long trails and is doing the pct a second time.

    Met Megan who started in March and is back in the San jacinto area to hike what she had to skip. She is from orange county.    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    3I found this umbrella on trail. Thought I could find the owner and test it at the same time.
    2It looks like marijuana, smells like it but it's not. It's poodle dog bush. 🙅‍♀️1View from our camp site!

    Day 13

    May 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Miles hiked: 13.8 m
    Elevation: 3885 ft
    Campsite location: 175.4 - highest camp spot yet at 8754ft
    Weather: sunny and 70s
    One word to describe the day: challenging

    Caroline and I climbed the entire day and had our first snow encounter, in a handful of spots. Beautiful panoramic views all day long! We also had to navigate many down trees. Overall I am feeling good! Tired but I think that's fair!

    Tonight's campsite has an awesome view of all the mountains we just climbed up and palm springs below.

    Tomorrow we hike down the devil's slide trail (extra non pct miles) to go into Idylwild for resupply, town food and a night in a bed!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    What I have to wear when laundry is getting done. Rain gear 😅We saw Rob again at the grocery store. Everyone knows him!Cute accommodations tonight!

    Day 14 - nero in Idylwild

    May 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Nero means "near zero" which is what you call and very short day because you are either going into a town or out of a town that day.

    Woke up and walked 3.5 pct miles, and 3 off trail miles down the devil's slide trail to a trailhead where we got picked up by Rob Muir again! I called him to see if he could give us a ride and he happily said yes. He took us the rest of the way to Idylwild. He gave us a little tour of the town. Elvis filmed a boxing film here (can't remember the name), showed us all the houses he had built over the years, homes of famous people. He even spotted two of his ex's vehicles while we were driving 😂

    Idylwild is a very cute mountain town. Giant sequoias and huge pine trees all over town. Cute very old mountain homes. It's very picturesque. We got Mexican, an iced coffee, and checked into our hotel at 3. Took a much needed shower. we stayed at the Idylwild inn. They do your laundry for 5 bucks!

    After resupply we went to the brewery for dinner! Tomorrow we hike back up the devil's slide and summit San jacinto!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    21They aren't peeing, mooning. It's tradition I guess!

    Day 15 - San jacinto

    May 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Miles hiked: 7.5m
    Elevation: 4245 ft
    Campsite location: San jacinto emergency shelter
    Weather: sunny and 60s / brief thunder and hail
    One word to describe the day: exhausting

    This morning Rob took us to the devil's slide trailhead. A true trail angel! We only hiked 7.5 miles but it was allllll uphill and mostly in the snow. It was slushy and hard going. But our goal was to make it to the summit of San Jacinto which is at 10834 feet.

    Tonight we are camping in the emergency shelter which is technically not allowed but we're so tired it's the safest thing to do. And as soon as we got to the shelter it started thundering and hailing. Kind of an emergency! Right? 😅

    Feeling proud of myself for getting here. On our way up we were told not to do it by two hikers. They had a friend who had done it the day before and said it was awful and not safe. We decided to continue on and if it felt unsafe we would turn around. Never did I feel in danger or unsafe. It was just hard, and I feel comfortable in the snow. It's a good reminder that everyone's comfort level widely varies and to go see for yourself before you decide. You may miss out on something amazing!

    Tomorrow we start the very long descent down into the desert. We will be going from 10,834 feet all the way down to 1809 feet. Quite the elevation and climate change!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    Summit Sunrise
    Just a bit of snow up here2Fuller ridge, we did it!We were at the top of that this morning.

    Day 16 - the decent

    May 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    Miles hiked: 14 miles
    Elevation: 6543 decent
    Campsite location: 175.4 - highest camp spot yet at 8754ft
    Weather: party cloudy and widely varied temps with quite an elevation change
    One word to describe the day: proud

    Today we woke up at 5:00 a.m. to catch sunrise. But also to start hiking down while the snow is still firm. It makes for an easier hike down! I was a bit anxious because we had to traverse fuller ridge today. A lot of people have been skipping this section to avoid the snow and because some find it dangerous.

    Happy to report back that for ME this section was no big deal. It was a big confidence boost and just another reminder to go see for yourself before you go with plan b.

    Once we hit the snow line, we stopped for lunch. I packed out bagels, cheese, salami, spinach, mayo and mustard! 🤤 We then continued on the descent which quickly lead us back into the desert. It's long but gradual which my knees are happy about.    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    Coffee and a view
    1Fun little creatures to get me through the last 3m before the underpass4

    Day 17 - Cabazon

    May 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Miles hiked: 18.6 m
    Elevation: 4650 descent
    Campsite location: mm 216
    Weather: sunny and 90s 😅
    One word to describe the day: unique

    Today was quite the day. We hit the 200 mile marker!! I started the day with an 11 mi descent towards I-10. Once we reached I-10, we went into cabazon to resupply.

    The descent down was beautiful and winding. We had great views of San jacinto in the background. Once we got to the valley floor it was hot, around 95°. We had three more miles to walk in the heat until we reached the underpass. I was so hot by the time I got there. I was so grateful for the shade and definitely envious of people with umbrellas.

    Usually there is a Trail Angel at the underpass called Mary. She likes to bring drinks and grill some food. But, supposedly she's on a cruise right now😛 however, there was a different guy there who had some goodies to surprise us with and he gave us a hitch into cabazon. So far I've had luck with easy hitches. Once we got to cabazon we got in and out burgers. Then went to Starbucks for a coffee, AC and charge our electronics. We resuppled 4 days worth of 4 to get us to big bear. The market had all sorts of delicious hiking snacks but it was quite expensive. Supposedly they are famous for their date milkshakes but I had already had a milkshake and in and out so I didn't get it. We then ubered back to the underpass and continued on with our day.

    We started the Ascent towards white water preserve, saying goodbye to San jacinto. There is a wind farm we walked through. We spotted a turtle on the trail and there are group of biologists here specifically to keep an eye on the turtles to make sure they don't go into the wind farm. The biologist that came to watch the turtle said that once a turtle is spotted they have to follow the turtle around all day until they're sure it's far enough from the wind farm. If a turtle is killed by the wind farm it cost the farm a million dollars! You would think that they could put up a fence or something 😂 The wind farm had lots of snacks for hikers in their office which was a fun surprise. I grabbed an ice pop and doritos for the road.

    We ended up doing another 7.5 miles after our resupply. Finding a camp right before sunset. I'm tired. It's windy and my tent is set up in sand. Really hoping I set it up well enough to stay upright through the night 🤞    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    1

    Day 18

    May 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Miles hiked: 16.6 m
    Campsite location: mm 232
    Weather: sunny and 80s
    One word to describe the day: tired

    Today we started at 5am to avoid the heat. We had our first big river crossing. White water River is the biggest water crossing in the desert section. We walked about 11 miles before stopping by a small creek for a long siesta. Then walked another 6 after. Views were beautiful today and we crossed the mission creek about 25 times 😅

    I feel like my body is adjusting and doing pretty well all things considered but I'm feeling tired.    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler

    Day 19

    May 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Miles hiked: 21
    Campsite location: mm 253.1
    Weather: partly cloudy and 70s
    One word to describe the day: relaxing

    Today I walked my first 20 mile day! My feet feel it. We ended up walking that far party so we didn't have to dry camp. I had some trail magic today provided by boy scout troop #773. Gatorade and a cutie orange 🍊

    Today was a cool and pretty relaxing day. I walked slowly, listening to the boys on the boat. It's a good book if you haven't read it. A day away from Big Bear. I feel like I'm making progress!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    1First time seeing Joshua trees!10% of the way there!!

    Day 20

    May 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Miles hiked: 18
    Campsite location: mm 270
    Weather: cloudy, turned thunder and rain storm
    One word to describe the day: leasurly

    I spent my first night camping alone last night. Everybody I have been hiking with wanted to go another 4 miles to the next established campsite which would have made the day 25 mi. I just couldn't do it. So I found a nice flat spot around the 21 mile mark and called it good. I'll catch up with them later today or tomorrow in Big Bear lake. It was actually really nice and peaceful spending the night alone.

    Today's hike was a lot less elevation gain and much more leisurely than yesterday's. I'm walking past beautiful old red cedars. It's a gorgeous, clear morning and drinking instant coffee which tastes so good. However, I do miss my espresso machine at home. The trail makes you very grateful for all the things.

    Walking alone gives me a chance to really think. And right now I'm thinking who walks 2600 miles for fun? Many people that find themselves walking thousands of miles aren't doing it for fun. They're doing it for a better life, safety or survival. I'm feeling very grateful and privileged to be doing this for fun

    Later in the day a thunder storm rolled in. It started to rain so I set my tent up to wait it out. I felt too lazy and tired to take it down after the storm passed so laying in bed tonight at 5 pm and ready for bed😂    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    4

    Day 21 - big bear lake 🐻

    May 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Today is town day! We hiked 10 miles into big bear lake. It's a cute mountain town. Big bear resort is right at the base of town.

    When I got to the trailhead I had another easy hitch! Two ladies from orange county were just finishing up a backpacking trip with two other friends who were also hiking the pct. They looked at me and asked if I wanted a ride right away. Easy hitches for the win! They took me and my trail companion Mel into town.

    We are staying at the robinhood resort which is right downtown big bear lake. It's right next to the post office where I picked up some packages Ian sent me. One had some hiking pants. I'm going to give long pants a try. I've been getting weird rashes on my legs, I think from the sun/heat. Along with an extra battery bank.

    We did all the town chores. Laundry, food, resupply, shower, charging. Right now I am sitting at big bear brewing writing this. I'll go out with mel, Caroline and a few others for dinner soon!

    Tomorrow we are back on the trail heading towards hot springs and the infamous on trail McDonald's 😂    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    1

    Day 22

    May 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    Miles hiked: 17
    Campsite location: mile 292
    Weather: 60s and sunny
    One word to describe the day: tired

    Went to breakfast in big bear with Mel and Caroline. Shipped some things home and got back on trail with a heavy pack and 6 days of food. I felt pretty tired all day. Ive noticed the first day back on trail after a town day is the hardest for me, both mentally and physically. I felt like I was asleep waking the last couple of miles. I did have a tasty dinner. Instant mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, gravy, freeze dried vegetables and bacon all mixed together. Thanksgiving in a bowl!

    Today was nice and easy. As far as elevation goes. The scenery was gorgeous and we had a pretty drastic landscape changed from pines to desert again. Tomorrow we go to the deep Creek hot springs and hit mile 300!    Read more

  • mimi singerPCT 2023Traveler
    2

    Day 23 deep creek hot springs ♨️

    May 24, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 61 °F

    Miles hiked: 21
    Campsite location: 313
    Weather: 70s and sunny
    One word to describe the day: winding

    This morning started with a very cold river crossing. One way to wake up! Today we hit mile 300! We also enjoyed Deep Creek hot springs. It was so nice to hop in the cold river and then the warm pools. Definitely felt good for the sore muscles.

    The views today were so pretty. We wound along hillsides and rivers all day long. The weather has also been so great. I know hot days will be here soon. So enjoying the 70s while I can!

    At the hot springs I ran into so many people I haven't seen for a couple weeks. It's fun how the trail is like that. You think you'll never see someone again and a few weeks later you run back into each other!    Read more

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