The Honeymoon Is Over

Don't get me wrong, I'm still enjoying hiking the PCT and everyday is a new adventure.  The romantic ideas of living on the trail are starting to fade, and the reality of hiking 20 plus miles every day, being sore, hungry, cold, hot, thirsty, dirty, and sunburned are starting to set in. I'm adjusting to the routine and trying to avoid getting overwhelmed by too many challenges at once. I'm doing well so far and expect to pass the 400 mile mark tomorrow.

Yesterday was a very long day with approximately 6,000 vertical ft. of altitude gain, made worse by having to carry enough water for a 22 mile dry stretch of trail. I was exhausted when I finally arrived at the location we were camping and couldn't stay awake long enough to write a blog. Before going to bed I watched the sun set and could see the lights of the Los Angeles area from a mountain plateau in the Angeles National Forest. 

Today there were very strong winds in the morning, a steep incline after lunch, and a long afternoon hike with some confusing trail junctions. Two people I was hiking with took a wrong trail and ended up getting into camp very late. I arrived around 6:30pm, set up camp, cooked dinner, and called Eva before crawling into my sleeping bag. It's only 8:30pm, but after hiking 20 miles, it's good to be off my feet and relaxing and resting my legs. By 9pm I'll probably be falling asleep so I can get up at 6am and do it all over again! 

Tomorrow we have a trail detour because of an endangered species closure and we may have to walk along a mountain highway for a few miles before joining the trail again. 

The picture above is a tunnel under a railroad track crossing on the PCT near Cajon Pass. Sometimes we walk over the tracks but other times, especially when the tracks are near a highway crossing, there is an overpass for us to walk under.

Thanks everyone for reading, commenting, and praying for me. You are a blessing to me and Eva! 

Butter Fingers