PCT Trail Journal: Sierra
These journals were originally posted on my Instagram between June 9th and July 2nd, 2019
Day 31 | 22 miles | 702 to 724
On day 31 on the PCT, I took my first steps into the Sierra Nevada mountains. The weight of my pack filled with snow gear and a fresh resupply definitely weighed on me both physically and psychologically.
The first few miles of trail in Inyo National Forest were not great, with lots of deadfall and poor maintenance. But once the landscape opened up into these epic valleys, I knew why this area was protected wilderness, and was grateful for it.
Like a lot of thruhikers around me, I’ve found myself worrying about the snow conditions and logistical challenges ahead. In the afternoon I came across some laughing and hollering dayhikers skinny dipping and basking in the sun on the banks of the Kern River, and it reminded me to relax. People come to these places by choice because they’re beautiful and make us happy.
The evening gave me my first taste of hiking on consistent snow, which takes a lot more mental and physical effort than on dry ground. I’m guessing that the coming days will be some of the most difficult of the whole trail, but thankfully they will also likely be some of the most beautiful and rewarding.
Day 32 | 24 miles | 724 to 748
On day 32 of the PCT, I continued to adjust to life in the Sierra. Over the past few weeks, I had gotten really efficient at breaking camp in the morning, hitting the trail 20 minutes after waking up. Today, with all my snow gear and managing my food in the bear canister, it took me over an hour.
Although I have yet to get any panoramic views of the high Sierra, there was plenty of beauty to enjoy today. There were some unique and huge boulders and other rock formations, gnarly red trees, and some big meadows.
The snow covering the trail is becoming more and more consistent, and it’s been an adjustment to get used to the slower pace, need for more focus on both footing and navigation, and cold and wet toes. But I managed to keep my spirits high today, even with the difficulty.
It seems like I’ve finally passed the main “bubble” of PCT thruhikers, because there aren’t as many of us out here as I had gotten used to. I think it’s because many hikers aren’t comfortable with these snowy conditions, and are waiting a bit longer to head into the Sierra.
Day 33 | 23 miles | 748 to 771
Day 33 was likely the most physically difficult so far, with consistent snow, lots of elevation change, and even a lack of oxygen in the air at this altitude. But today also brought spectacular views of the high Sierra mountains, and those views were sometimes enough to inspire me and give me the energy to get through the difficulty.
Part of what makes the hiking here so hard is that although it’s possible to walk on top of the hard snow for the first couple hours of the day, as soon as the sun hits the ground in late morning, it gets soft and each step takes so much more energy. But through this all, I’m grateful for the bootpack made by hikers that came before me, which I relied on to show me the way. And I’m also grateful for the sunshine.
I did my first four creek crossing stoday, one of the major difficulties of hiking in the Sierra, especially in a high snow year like this one. Rock, Whitney, and Wallace Creeks all got my feet wet and cold but were manageable. I crossed Wright Creek towards the end of the day, and that one soaked me up to my underwear while I held onto tree branches to keep from being swept away. And because I did that one so late in the day, the hot sun wasn’t out to heat my toes back up.
But just when I was most cold and miserable from my creek crossing, the trail gained some elevation and opened up to incredible views of Mount Whitney and the mountains around Forester Pass just as the sun was setting and the horizon in all direction was lit up with deep hues of red and orange. That’s what it’s all about out here.
Day 34 | 18 miles | 771 to 789
Day 34 of the PCT was my most epic and beautiful yet. I got an early start to the day to make the approach to Forester Pass before the sun started to turn the snow to slush. At 13200 feet, Forester is the highest point on the entire PCT. The views of the surrounding mountains on both sides of the Pass were breathtaking today. With the snow conditions as they are, the switchbacks up and down the Pass are covered, and I instead had to traverse some steep and sometimes sketchy snow slopes to get up, and then glissade and posthole down.
The hiking on this section of trail is so much more psychologically demanding than the previous 700 miles, because instead of letting your mind wander and having the miles flow by, you have to constantly focus on where you put your feet and in what direction you’re going. I sometimes catch myself wanting it to just be over with, but I remind myself that I’ve been dreaming of thruhiking the PCT for years, and trudging through snow in the high Sierra is just a part of that dream.
My original plan for the day was to push over Kearsarge Pass to get into town tonight, but I eventually decided to make camp with a group of hikers and continue with them tomorrow. Our camp at Bullfrog Lake is probably my most picturesque so far of the trail.
Day 35 | 8-ish miles | 789
On day 35 of the PCT, I woke up at Bullfrog Lake before dawn with my newfound crew of hiking partners to head over Kearsarge Pass into town. I realized that this was my first time breaking camp with other people, and adjusting to the rhythms of the group was an experience in itself.
Compared to Forester from the previous day, Kearsarge was a walk in the park. We made short work of the Pass, taking in the inspiring views of the surrounding mountains in the light of the rising sun, and hiked down to Onion Valley trailhead to catch a ride into town. We were lucky to meet Goodwill, a section hiker from New Zealand who generously spends some of his vacation time renting a car to give hikers rides.
My new friends went on to the town of Bishop, but I wanted to stay in the quieter and closer to trail town of Independance. The Courthouse Motel has set up an awesome bunkhouse for hikers, and the owners couldn’t be more welcoming and friendly hosts.
Day 36 | 8+5 miles | 789 to 764
In the morning of day 36 on the PCT, I honestly wasn’t excited to get back on the trail. I had gotten very comfortable in my bunkhouse at the Courthouse Motel in Independence, on a steady diet of ice cream, Mexican food, beer, and cable tv sitcoms and crime dramas. But I eventually packed my things and hitched up to the Onion Valley trailhead, halfway in the bed of a truck with a family going camping, and the other half with a dayhiker named Marty.
Despite the slow start, it ended up being the best day I’ve had in the Sierras so far. Maybe it was because I had a belly full of town food, maybe I had needed the break, or maybe the mountains were just beautiful enough to give me the energy. The snow was soft by the time I got on trail, but I didn’t mind too much. I charged over Kearsarge Pass to get back on the PCT, and then also went up and over Glen Pass in the evening, passing by dozens of hikers that had made camp in the afternoon to tackle the Pass early in the morning.
I was stoked when I realized that the timing would work out for me to camp at Rae Lakes, because I remembered them from my time in the area in 2014 as being the nicest place to set up a tent I had ever seen. The reality lived up to the memory, except all the snow this year made the beauty of the lakes more desolate.
Day 37 | 17 miles | 794 to 811
Day 37 on the PCT felt like it was all about managing wet and cold feet, which I think will be my reality for the next couple hundred miles. It started with a creek crossing before the sun has even come up to warm your toes once you got out, and a hiker I was with named Gumby said that it was the worst thing on the PCT so far.
On the descent from Rae Lakes to the Woods Creek suspension bridge, as soon as the ground wasn’t covered in snow it was non-stop puddles and water crossings. All this water is because of the high snowpack and recent high temps. I’m still trying to figure out what the best way to manage it is using the boots, shoes, and gaiters I’m carrying with me.
I finished up the day by heading up and over Pinchot Pass in the afternoon through soft snow. The views were epic and both sides, but I didn’t linger because the weather was threatening rain, although it didn’t turn into anything serious. I miraculously found a snow-free spot to set up camp so that I could head up to Mather Pass first thing tomorrow.
Day 38 | 22 miles | 811 to 833
On the morning of Day 38 on the PCT, I made the approach to Mather Pass. Because the trail is almost always buried under snow in this area, it’s up to hikers to choose their own route over the high passes, and most hikers will follow the bootpack of those that came before them. The route I (and most hikers) took over Mather definitely had me pretty far out of my comfort zone, with some exposed scrambling that was pretty awkward with a pack. But of course I made it over and off I went down the north side forgetting about the difficulties of the south side.
The descent into the valley was breathtaking, and brought back a lot of good memories of when I had been there in 2014 and the hikers I shared it with then. Even better, the descent gave me the first consecutive miles of trail with no snow I had seen in about a week, and it made me so happy. Earlier in my hike, I commented on how thruhiking really makes you appreciate the simple things in life like beds and prepared food. Well after a week in the Sierra, you can add dry ground to that list.
I finished the day camping with a group of hikers that had started a cozy campfire, which was really welcoming after the long day. But I didn’t even try to dry my socks and shoes, because I knew I needed to cross a creek first thing tomorrow.
Day 39 | 25 miles | 833 to 858
Day 39 on the PCT, wow, what a day. It started off as most do around here, with walking through a freezing cold creek, and then heading out onto the snowfields in mild panic about how cold my feet were. But eventually the sun came up, and I hiked up towards Muir Pass among many other hikers. The snowy mountains on the way up were among the most beautiful things I’ve seen on the PCT.
I took a quick break at the Muir shelter on top of the Pass surrounded by other hikers, and then did the very long, gradual, and snowy descent. Walking on snow for that long is hard work, and it goes slowly. I wasn’t having a whole lot of fun, especially when I had to walk through the inlet of Evolution Lakes. But like yesterday, I eventually made it onto solid ground, felt like a hiker again, and was happy.
I crossed Evolution Creek in the flooded meadow that is supposed to be the easy way across, but it was still up to my waist. Not only that, but as soon as I crossed, I pretty major thunderstorm rolled in. I started setting up my tent in a panic, but realized that it would end soon, and just waited it out under the shelter of a big tree. When the rain slowed to a drizzle, I set off to do some evening miles by myself. The landscape was much less dramatic than Muir Pass, but very beautiful in a more peaceful way, and had that fresh rain smell.
Towards the end of the day, I was covering the same ground as on the day in 2014 when I did 28 miles with my friend Grams, and I actually got a little emotional seeing all the familiar sights. I think it’s because I can track that day as the one I really fell in love with a backpacking, and this felt like a special homecoming for me.
Day 40 | 18+7 miles | 858 to 875
Day 40 on the PCT was hard psychologically. There were no hikers around me because I was the only one that decided to cross Evolution Creek yesterday afternoon and hike through the thunderstorm. At this point, there aren’t even that many hikers in front of me on the PCT in total, which means I had to head over Seldon Pass with a much less defined bootpack than I had gotten used to, which was had work.
Heading down from the Pass, I came to the realization that hiking out here day after day is not really fun. The beauty of the landscapes is amazing, but that can only do so much for a person. There’s a reason the only people out here are PCT thruhikers and park rangers. In an average year, the area would be filled with hikers doing the JMT and those out for the weekend. But when most of your day is postholing, slipping on sun cups, and creek crossings, only people on a mission to walk to Canada endure it.
But I also decided that it was okay if it wasn’t fun. It’s okay if this feels like work, or an obstacle to our big objective. I can remind myself that I’m doing this voluntarily and I should find joy in it, but joy isn’t the only motivator for being out here. There’s also the sense of purpose and drive that can be just as rewarding as joy.
Those are all things I thought while walking on snow down Seldon Pass. A couple of hours later, when I finally reached dry trail, I was walking listening to Bob Dylan in one headphone and eating my lunch with a smile on my face, belting out loud “…like a rolling stone!” in between sporkfulls of mashed potatoes, and I’m not really sure I could have been any happier. Man, this trail is a wild ride.
I finished my day at Vermillion Valley Resort, a campsite on the shore of Lake Edison with a restaurant and store where I filled my belly with hot food, junk food, and beer, and stayed up late by the fire with other hikers talking about the day. Life was good.
Day 41 | 15+2 miles | 879 to 894
Day 41 on the PCT was actually pretty easy and relaxing. I started the day with a big breakfast at Vermillion Valley Resort, and although I and the rest of the hikers staying there would have liked to head out for an early start on trail, the staff operating the ferry to the trailhead had a more relaxed approach to getting the day started.
It was late morning before I actually started walking up to Silver Pass, which was relatively straightforward compared to the other high passes I had been through. I leapfrogged all day with the hikers I had met last night at VVR, sometimes walking with them, sometimes alone. Because I planned to resupply in Mammoth Lakes the next day, I ate as much as I wanted with no need to ration my food, and that made me feel happy.
Day 42 | 9+ miles | 894 to 903
Day 42 on the PCT was the second easy and relaxing one in as many days. I walked most of the morning with the crew of hikers I had met the previous night at Vermillion Valley Resort, and as we were on our way to the town of Mammoth Lakes, they offered to have me share their Airbnb. With thoughts of showers, Mexican food, and beer, we charged over Mammoth Pass and down the road into town.
There’s this nice feeling I’m getting used to, once you step into town after a few days on trail, within sight of the supermarket and nearest restaurant, that everything is just fine in the world.
Day 43 | 11+ miles | 903 to 914
Day 43 on the PCT started slow, just like all the ones where I wake up in town. I slept in and enjoyed a big, fatty breakfast in Mammoth Lakes with the rest of the crew I had met over the last couple of days. But when it was time to check out and everyone else took the day to relax in town, I left for the trailhead, walking and hitching up to Horseshoe Lake.
It was a mentally tough going at first, walking on sun cups in the snow and often losing my way to get back on the PCT. But shortly after getting back on, the trail lost elevation, the snow disappeared and it was easy and beautiful walking around Red’s Meadow. In the afternoon, I walked around the basalt columns of Devil’s Postpile National Monument and didn’t see another soul.
In the past, hiking and trail running were all about getting into the alpine for me. I wanted to take in the expansive views and travel on exposed ridges. But these days, I’m really starting to appreciate the peace and subtle beauty of forested trails.
Day 44 | 21 miles | 914 to 935
Day 44 on the PCT brought me back up into the snow-covered alpine to head over both Island Pass and then Donahue Pass. It was just as tough and slippery as any of my other days on snow, but felt psychologically easier for some reason. Maybe it’s because I had lots of yummy food from my recent resupply, maybe it made me happy to see the first few southbound JMT hikers, or maybe I was just getting used to it.
The trail went by Thousand Island Lakes, which I think might be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The lakes, which are usually reflecting pools, were still frozen, but took on a different kind of beauty. Donahue Pass was epic and wintery.
After descending from Donahue Pass, the trail went through Lyell Canyon, and the hiking and scenery couldn’t have been more different from what came before. Meadows of tall grass, slowly drifting streams, and grazing deer made this the most peaceful place I’ve seen in weeks, and the hiking might have been the easiest since the start of the trail. I was in such a peaceful state, that when I got to camp, instead of doing the usual thruhiker thing of eating dinner and heading straight to bed, I started a campfire and after I finished dinner, lay down beside it to wait for the stars to come out. I really enjoyed the evening, and it made me remember that the camping part of thruhiking can be really nice, too. There’s a reason that plenty of people go into the outdoors just to camp without even doing any walking.
Day 45 | 21 miles | 935 to 956
On the morning of day 45 on the PCT, I had so much fun walking on the flat, snow-free trail from Lyell Canyon to Tuolomne Meadows. I had forgotten what it was like to walk on solid ground for so many miles in a row. I was also just excited to be in Yosemite National Park. Being surrounded by all the history and culture of outdoor recreation in the area was infectious, even if I didn’t actually see that many people. I did get to see some of the huge granite features the park is famous for, and walk along the sometimes peaceful and sometimes raging Tuolomne River.
I eventually ended up in the snow again, but just in patches and the trail was easy to follow. I was a bit frustrated and stressed to cut my day of hiking short when I got to McCabe Creek in the evening. The trail crossed the creek, but it was such a dangerous-looking crossing that I decided to wait until morning when the snow melt slows down. This was the first time I haven’t just crossed a creek as soon as I showed up, and I went to bed hoping it ends up being less intimidating tomorrow and I can make it across safely.
Day 46 | 17 miles | 956 to 973
Day 46 on the PCT started with a tough and stressful morning. I had to do three creek crossings in a row, all of which made my toes freezing cold, but none of which, thankfully, were dangerous. Then I had to descend some steep snow down from Miller Lake and my food was getting a little low, and it all just stressed me out. And the thing about hiking in the wilderness by myself is that once I get some stressful thoughts in my head, there’s not much in the way of distractions to get them out.
But then I made it down to a quiet meadow surrounded by epic granite walls, had lunch and a siesta, and honestly felt at peace and very fortunate to be in such a beautiful place.
Both going up and down Benson Pass in the afternoon were hard. It was almost all switchbacks below treeline covered in steep snow, which is tricky to navigate and sometimes dangerous. So there was a lot of slow and steady walking and a lot of map checking. I was pretty exhausted by the time the evening came around, even though this might have been my lowest mileage non-town day of the PCT so far. I treated myself to a campfire and some stargazing once I got to camp, on the side of the hill with deers grazing all around.
Day 47 | 16 miles | 973 to 989
Day 47 on the PCT. I keep telling myself that I’m on the trip of a lifetime, fulfilling a dream I’ve had for years. Those things are all true, but today was mostly all miserable. I’m mindful of the fact that you, the readers of my journal entries, might be getting tired of hearing about how this section of trail is miserable. And I’m also mindful of not wanting to ever come across as ungrateful that I get to be out here at all. But my daily life does just kind of suck at the moment. It’s nothing but snow travel below treeline, which means it’s almost impossible to figure out where I’m going without GPS, and things can get really sketchy and hard to follow when the snow is covering steep switchbacks. This section in these conditions can barely be called hiking; It’s all bushwhacking and routefinding.
We all thought Seavey Pass would be easy, because it barely goes above 9000 feet, but the descent was tricky and tedious. There were some moments of joy and peace in the afternoon with dry trail, a good lunch break, and meeting some nice hikers. But the evening was all creek crossings. Stubblefield Canyon Creek was above my waist, Falls Creek was at my chest and chilled me to the bone. And after that, there was a handful of knee-deep ones one after the other. Eventually I didn’t have any more mental strength to keep putting my feet in freezing cold water, and I was seriously worried that if I didn’t stop I could do lasting damage to my toes, and set up camp. I found peace in my tent, and I realized that I’ve become the “ultimate camper” archetype in this section. I live for the lunch breaks and camping now, whereas those used to just be things I had to do to keep hiking.
Part of my troubles are my own fault; I’m running low on food and that kind of makes everything worse. But I’ll get through this. I want to walk to Canada so bad. I’m grateful every day that the sun is shining. It could be so much worse.
Day 48 | 17 miles | 989 to 1006
Day 48 on the PCT had a really rough start. I woke up to a frozen tent, frozen shoes, and a frozen water filter. And when you know you have a hard day of hiking ahead of you, but it takes all the willpower you have just to put your shoes on, it can be a bit demoralizing. The hiking in the morning was more of the same tricky route finding on snow through the trees. And then the ascent to Dorothy Lake had sun cups that were taller than my knees, which are very tricky to walk on. Morale was low.
And then I made it past Dorothy Lake Pass, officially leaving Yosemite National Park and entering [], and it was almost funny how the quality of hiking improved so immediately. The trail was easy to follow, there were no sun cups in the snow, and no sketchy switchbacks. It was a relative paradise. Yosemite National Park covered in snow, you were some of the worst hiking I’ve ever done in my life and I’m so happy to be done with you. Nothing personal, and I can tell that your trails would be world class later in the season. Sonora Pass feels within reach and morale is high.
It helped raise my spirits that a couple of hikers named Bandit and Snickers gave me some extra ramen to top off my food supply. In all my hours of being hungry in the last couple days, I think I’ve finally figured out a resupply system to make sure I don’t run out again. I’m sure you’re tired of reading about it.
Day 49 | 11 miles | 1006 to 1017
Day 49 on the PCT was an epic and difficult one, but difficult in neither a tedious nor life-threatening way. Like the kind of difficult you search for in hiking where the terrain is tough and you have to push yourself but the way forward is clear and the views are beautiful. I woke up with my most recent group of hiking partners to head up over Sonora Pass on our way into town. Town mornings always have that extra bit of drive and motivation, especially for me today because I was so hungry.
Sonora Pass was way beautiful, and the route was a mix of steep snow traverses, ridge walking in talus trail, and glissading to avoid walking huge switchbacks across snowfields. The main difficulty was the constant wind, which was biting cold and threatened to knock us over. But it was a manageable and worthwhile challenge.
I got to the Sonora Pass trailhead planning to head to the nearby resort of Kennedy Meadows to resupply and rest, but when I found out my new friend Snickers’ family was in town and driving hikers to the far-away town of Bridgeport, I decided to be social and head way out there for an evening of catching up on missed calories and fun times with my new friends. I can’t wait to eat until my stomach hurts and swap war stories about how awful Yosemite National Park was.
Day 50 | 12 miles | 1017 to 1029
I woke up at the crack of dawn on day 50 of the PCT, even though I had the luxury of a hotel room in the town of Bridgeport. I can’t really sleep in once the birds start chirping anymore. I went to the local bakery and ate some of the tastiest and freshest doughnuts I’ve ever had in my life, and then went back for more.
After errands and more breakfast, me and the rest of the crew I came into town with were ready to head back to trail around noon. Getting back on after the comforts of town is always hard, and it didn’t make things easier when we got hit by a windy afternoon storm with some light snowfall on our first climb. Thankfully, we were able to hike out of it pretty quickly, and got down out of the snow onto a beautiful section of forested trail. Most of the crew set up camp at the first site we came across, but I was ready to hike the rest of daylight away, especially since we got such a late start. And I’m glad I did, because as I climbed up the valley, surrounded by big boulders and cliffs, the sun started to peak out for the first time since the storm, and light everything up in gold. I hiked until sunset, picked a tentsite with good stargazing, and ate a huge dinner in my tent along with a beer I carried in from town.
My pack felt heavy today, and I almost certainly packed too much food to make it to the next resupply. But after running out in my last stretch, the weight of all that food on my back was almost comforting.
Day 51 | 20 miles | 1029 to 1049
Day 51 was a good one, probably better than any I had had since getting into the snow. I got to walk through the first snow-free alpine meadow I’ve seen on trail, with the smell of wildflowers in the air, and their dots of colour all over the landscape. It reminded me of summer in the coast mountains of British Columbia near my home.
Patches of snow were still consistent, and I continue to look forward to the day I’ll be out of it, but I tolerated it well today as I walked through the beautiful landscapes. The day was getting late and I was starting to look for a place to camp when I got to the Ebbetts Pass trailhead and was surprised to get the most unbelievable trail magic from two angels named Alan and Jeff. Because I was walking so late in the evening, they had already packed up for the day, but still went out of their way to dig a bunch of food out of their vehicles and make me a couple of salads, a sandwich, homemade cookies, and a bunch of treats to take away in my pack. It was way beyond anything I could have expected and I sat gratefully by their campfire eating and chatting until I was totally full. Guys like them make such a difference for us hikers, especially when the conditions are tough like they are now.
Day 52 | 21 miles | 1049 to 1070
Day 52 was a really good one. I’m not quite out of the snow yet, but today the miles of dry trail outnumbered the miles of snow for the first time since leaving Kennedy Meadows. And some of those miles of trail took me through alpine meadows that were like heaven on earth, filled with wildflowers and surrounded by craggy peaks.
There was a bit of stress and panic in my day when I went to have a sip of water, but realized that both my water bottle (with my filter on it) and my tripod that I keep in the side pocket of my pack weren’t there. I decided I couldn’t go on without them and walked about a mile southbound, stressed to be heading in the wrong direction and about losing my stuff, when a hiker named Ace showed up, having hiked my stuff forward from where he found it in the ground. I gave him a big hug and felt relieved.
All in all, it’s great to start to feel like a hiker again. It was great to not have to check my GPS every couple of minutes, and not worry so much about slipping on the snow. When I showed up to camp with dry feet, I realized it was the first time in a couple weeks that had happened.
Day 53 | 20 miles | 1070 to 1090
The morning of day 53 took me up and over Carson Pass through some alpine meadows that not only looked beautiful but smelled amazing. Then, at the Carson Pass trailhead, I got some trail magic in the form of a sandwich, beer, and snacks from the aunt and uncle of Snickers, one of the hikers I’ve been with the last couple of days. Since his mom and other aunt gave me a ride and bought me lunch in Bridgeport a few days ago, I would say I’ve been lucky to be hiking with him.
After Carson Pass, I saw a lot of dayhikers out on the trail enjoying themselves, which made me happy because as I get further away from the harsh conditions of the high Sierra, hiking is once again looking and feeling like a fun hobby people get out and enjoy, not just something to be endured.
In the afternoon, there was a section of pretty tough and tedious route finding on snow below the treeline. I’m not quite out of it yet, but it’s getting less and less frequent. And then once I got out of the snow, it was mosquito armageddon, which was not fun. Usually I would complain about the mosquitos, but right now that would make me sound ungrateful to be out of the snow, so I won’t.
Day 54 | 0.5 miles | 1090
Day 54 on the PCT was my first true “nearo” on trail. I slowly woke up at my warm and sunny campsite, and walked a heroic entire half mile to the Echo Summit trailhead to hitch into South Lake Tahoe, where I would spend the night in a motel room.
I actually agonized over the decision to nearo into town late into the evening last night and even after I woke up today. It seems kind of silly, but agonizing way too hard over logistical choices just seems like what I do on trail because there’s not so much else to think about.
Part of me didn’t want to take such a low-mileage day, part of me wanted to get used to longer stretches between town stops, and part of me wanted to push the 60 miles to the next town of Truckee to share a house for a 4th of July party with some friends I met earlier on trail. But I ultimately decided that the rest and relaxation would be good for me today after this tough section of trail, and as I transition back into walking in the lower country.
As for the 4th of July party, after doing a few kinds of town stops over the last few weeks on trail, I came to some conclusions about how they affect me in different ways. I realized that the kind that most hikers do, where they all share a house or a suite and hang out doing chores and eating out together is not actually restful for me. It’s fun and engaging and it makes me feel part of the thruhiking community, but it kind of tires me out. True relaxation for me is my own room, some time on a barstool to write and edit photos, and the freedom to be on my own schedule. I guess that’s the definition of introversion, even if I’ve never liked the label for myself.