PCT 2023

maj - oktober 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 Læs mere
  • 140fodaftryk
  • 2Lande
  • -dage
  • 1,1kfotos
  • 12videoer
  • 4,5kmiles
  • 1,6kmiles
  • Day 19

    20. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 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!
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  • Day 20

    21. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 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😂
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  • Day 21 - big bear lake 🐻

    22. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 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 😂
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  • Day 22

    23. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ 🌙 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!
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  • Day 23 deep creek hot springs ♨️

    24. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ 🌙 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!
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  • Day 24

    26. maj 2023, Forenede Stater

    Miles hiked: 16.4
    Campsite location: 328.8 Silverwood lake backpacker sites
    Weather: 70s and sunny
    One word to describe the day: worrisome

    Today was a beautiful day, again! We have been so lucky with the temperatures. Usually in May the desert temperatures get up to 100°.

    We walked past silver lake which is a reservoir. And camped on the other side of it in a state campground. Was nice to have trash and restrooms to use. It's the small things on the trail! A few miles before the campground, my ankle started to hurt really badly. It was quite hard to walk and I was hobbling into camp by the time I got there. I elevated my foot and tried to tape it hoping that it would feel better in the morning. It happened so suddenly and I'm wondering if it has anything to do with when I rolled it over the winter in Austria since it's the same foot. Anyways, going to take it very easy tomorrow and hope for the best.
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  • Day 25 - cajon pass

    26. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Miles hiked: 16
    Campsite location: zero in wrightwood
    Weather: 70s and sunny
    One word to describe the day: slow

    Woke up with my ankle feeling better but sore. Most of my trail family is doing 19 mi today to get to the water cache. Tomorrow will be a very hard 22 mile day with over 5500 ft of elevation gain to go into wrightwood for resupply.

    My goal was to do 16 miles to get to cajon pass and eat at the infamous McDonald's that is on trail and decide what to do from there. I got to McDonald's, got a quarter pounder with cheese, fries and a coke.

    I definitely felt better today but decided I was going to skip tomorrow's miles and go straight into wrightwood from cajon pass. Total trail miles I will miss is 27 but I'm listening to my body. I know in the long run it's probably smarter to skip a few miles and take some rest time. My trail family will get into town tomorrow and I'll hop back on the trail with them on Sunday. I'm staying at a trail angels cabin who rents out beds for 30 a night. It's really nice and includes laundry 😍

    Tomorrow is a real zero day for me! Zero miles! Yay!
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  • Day 26 & 27 - double zero in wrightwood

    27. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Miles hiked: zero 😜

    Wrightwood is a cute tiny mountain town. There isn't much here but they cater to hikers in the summer. The small grocery store was stocked with all sorts of hikers foods. Picked up new shoes from the hardware store 🥳 Got a free pin, free coffee and free hot dog from various stores in town. Today I am resupplying, going to do some of my own yoga, stretching, icing, eating salads and just trying to take care of myself as much as possible.

    Caroline and Mel arrived and decided they wanted to take a zero since there aren't many great zero worthy towns for a while. So it's turned into a double zero for me! The house we are staying in is so nice and Arlene the owner makes it so easy and affordable to stay here, so why not one more night! My body will thank me for the break.

    Tomorrow we summit Baden Powell! The last snowy section in the desert, I hear it's melting fast and pretty patchy so I'm expecting it to be easier than San jacinto but I'm ready with spikes just Incase. Mile 400 coming up!
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  • Day 28 - Baden Powell

    29. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 45 °F

    Miles hiked: 14.3
    Campsite location: little jimmy campground
    Weather: 60s and sunny
    One word to describe the day: achievement

    This morning we got a ride to the trail head from a trail angel named Brian that lives in wrightwood. We only hiked 14 mi today but we summited Baden powell. It is the last mountain we will cross with snow in the California desert section. The person that put in the boot track went straight up the mountain, ignoring the switchbacks entirely. But it was nice and direct! I use my micro spikes. The snow wasn't too slushy so they were able to get a good hold with each step.

    I learned that Baden Powell is the guy that started boy scouts of America. So I guess he has a mountain named after him! Usually there is an American flag flying at the top of this mountain, but it was frozen solid under the snow. Some of my trailmates wanted to get it out and put it up on the flag pole, which felt fitting for memorial Day. Eventually they succeeded and we all got our memorial day photo op on the summit.

    The descent down to the campground was long and slow. The trail was not in great shape so we did a lot of climbing over logs and rocks and route finding. But was able to avoid most of the snow. The views were gorgeous and I'm glad we did it! Some people are still road walking highway 2 which is actually close to cars still because maintenance needs to happen on it. It was a rough winter so it sounds like there were some rock slides on it.

    It's going to get cold tonight. Probably near freezing. But my bag has been doing well so far and is keeping me nice and toasty.
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  • Day 30 - Highway 2

    30. maj 2023, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F

    Miles hiked: 19
    Campsite location: 404.2
    Weather: 70s and sunny
    One word to describe the day: fun

    Today was an interesting day. It was kind of a choose your own adventure day. A portion of the pct had been closed because of an endangered species habitat. So the alternative is to walk highway 2, which is actually fully closed to cars right now because of rock slides. There are also some other non pct trails too that you could take to shorten the highway walk. But the highway was actually pretty scenic and went past some old ski hills so I just kept on the road until we got back to the pct. It was also much flatter then the other trail alternatives 😅

    We have been above the clouds for the last few days and today we weaved our way down into them. We also hit 400! 🥳
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