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Scotts' PCT Section Hike

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    • Day 5: Tehachapi to Walker PassUp at sunrise once again. I have to get the miles in before the day heats up.

      The trail: Harsh but pretty.

      'Polar Bear'

      I really struggled today. The sun, the heat! Fortunately a kind hiker named 'Polar Bear' helped. She got the name Polar Bear because she is from Alaska. I said, 'Polar bears do not belong in the desert.' She laughed and agreed. She was suffering too, but she still took the time to check on me and shared her electrolytes with me. I meet such great people on the trail.

      The sign looked like how I felt.

      This is the caterpillar of the White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata).

      Another bouquet of Indian Paintbrush.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • When I hit the kelso Vally section there was no water casche. after 15ish miles from the last water We came up to a cow pond complete with cows in it pissing & crapping in it. Back in 95 we hqd limited maps & were searching for altenatives. A few dirt bikers were driving by & we flagged them down & asked them to check their ORV maps.While we were doing this a pickup stoped by asking us if we had troubles. We explained our predicament, he said to throw our packs in the back of his truck, he would take us to his house a mile or so down the road where he had just filled his cistern up. A few minutes later we were in an oasis. Lush green lawns & a swimming pond. He had to run to town. but called his wife to tell her we were there & invited us to spend the night. We rested for a while & contined with our plans to nighthike as far as we could to the next water source at Walker Gap.

    • Wow Mountain Mike, that section would be so much more difficult without the two water caches. You lucked out meeting that guy in a truck. I did not see a single vehicle the entire section.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • I have returned from another PCT section hike. I will give a brief summary for now. I will not have time to play with my photos and write my journal until later in the Fall.

      The hike covered from Dunsmuir, CA to Etna, CA, a 98.5 mile section. I had intended to go further, but the trail was
      closed after Etna due to wildfires. I was hoping oregon was finally within reach, but that will have to wait until next year.

      After 4-days of hiking past Castle Craigs and with views of Mount Shasta, I needed to get off trail. It was 90 degrees plus and the heat and sun were once again doing a number on me. This was to be the hike to let me know if I could really finish this thing since I was finally 'out of the desert,' and it felt like a fail.

      However, after a zero day in Etna I was feeling much better. I had not pushed myself s much that I needed a week to recoop (like last time). So I went back on trail to finish the section. It had cooled off considerably, and I at least felt better in the second half. However (it seems there is always something), the smoke from the fires had thickened by the second half, and I was hacking and wheezing by the finish. Most days were 14-mile days, my miles are dropping with every year I get older.

      So I would rate my abilities at this point a C minus. I am determined to finish CA next year, but time seems to be against me for Canada.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • New

      I have finally updated my Trail Journal to include my PCT section hike from LAST AUGUST!
      You can tell I am not feeling the Trail Journal thing anymore. Honestly, I started doing this mostly so my wife and kids could follow my hike, but the truth is they are not interested.

      The kids are busy with their own lives and it is hard to find time for their parents. They magically think we will be there forever for them. Actually, my son is good about coming around, it is the girls we never get to see.
      Oh, I know, I should have some cheese to go with my whine :)

      Anyway, for the purpose of completeness, here is where my Trail Journal picks up with my August section (Dunsmuir, CA to Etna Summit).
      There are 9 entries. Just click 'Next' to see the next entry.

      trailjournals.com/journal/entry/669089

      And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
      Little boy blue and the man in the moon
      "When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when"
      But we'll get together then, dad
      You know we'll have a good time then
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • New

      IMScotty wrote:

      I have finally updated my Trail Journal to include my PCT section hike from LAST AUGUST!
      You can tell I am not feeling the Trail Journal thing anymore. Honestly, I started doing this mostly so my wife and kids could follow my hike, but the truth is they are not interested.

      The kids are busy with their own lives and it is hard to find time for their parents. They magically think we will be there forever for them. Actually, my son is good about coming around, it is the girls we never get to see.
      Oh, I know, I should have some cheese to go with my whine :)

      Anyway, for the purpose of completeness, here is where my Trail Journal picks up with my August section (Dunsmuir, CA to Etna Summit).
      There are 9 entries. Just click 'Next' to see the next entry.

      trailjournals.com/journal/entry/669089

      And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
      Little boy blue and the man in the moon
      "When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when"
      But we'll get together then, dad
      You know we'll have a good time then
      Awesome photos as is now expected from you! :thumbup:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Astro ().

    • New

      Astro wrote:

      Looked at the mileage graph at the bottom, and really impressed with the 176 mile day on the JMT. ;)
      Ha, ha. That is an artifact from when I combined my 'JMT miles' Trail Journal (which I did first) into my PCT miles.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier