PCT Day 4 – Now That’s More Like It

At 6pm last night, the power went out in my motel room. The power company turns off the power when storms are immanent to prevent forest fires. I am not sure how this helps, but the power company is super cautious now that it has been accused of inadvertently starting some major fires out here. It was too hot in the room so I slept on top of the bed with the door to the parking lot open.

The power came on after 11:30 – in time for me to see the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. (Save Buck Beak!) I ate some yogurt, posted one blog post, and went back to bed.

Here we go!

For this one day, I am the most focused hiker on the PCT. I have thought over and over about every single detail for today’s hike. It must be better than the first two days.

I am packed and waiting by the road at 6am. The motel owner has offered to give me a ride at 8:30 “if that is not too early.” Ha! He has no idea. I must start hiking as soon as possible for those cool morning temps and low sun. Oddly, no cars are on the road. It’s the main highway through town! What is this? Have I been transported to the Twilight Zone?

I call Patti to chat. She reminds me it’s Sunday. Doh! Of course. And then somebody pulls over. This gentleman owns the ice cream store a few doors down. He saw me as he was dragging his sign out to the road. He needs to go to the grocery store for supplies when it opens, but since he has a few minutes, he would just drive me the eight miles to the trail and then come back! Can you believe how nice that is? I was at the trailhead at 7am.

Up and at ‘em

As I begin, temps are in the low 70s. I am headed toward the summit of Butt Mountain. (Yes, I am wondering the same thing as you.) It’s ten miles to the top of the Butt (don’t get me started) and then 5 miles to camp for a total of 15 miles. It’s not that bad except that my confidence is low. There is only one water stop at mile three. I will have to collect enough water to keep me going for 12 miles (5 hours). I normally drink a liter every 4 miles (2 hours), but that has not been working. Instead I am going to drink as much as I can hold at the first stop and the drink another liter every hour after that.

The burn is really bad. Everything is gone except charred naked trunks. But there is a slight breeze and the sky is full of clouds.

When I reach the first water stop, there is a man camped along the trail in the burn. His name is Chief (his real name is Dave). He camped here overnight because he was too tired to go farther even though it is very dangerous with dead trees and branches falling. He said that during the night he heard a large tree crash to the ground nearby. He said it scared the shit out of him. His appearance seems to bear that out.

Markers

The trail always surprises and sometimes challenges me. I am struck by the irony of this fallen log by the trail in the burn. What does it mean?

Thankfully the flowers soon cheer me up. They are one of the first living things to grow in the burn.

Not long after that I see a metal army tool box on the ground. Inside is a trail register. I sign it and then sit next to some Nobo hikers just up the trail. As we chat another hiker comes up and screams, “No, I just can’t look at it!” She is looking beyond us at the tool kit. Then I see it. The register is for the PCT halfway marker – an unobtrusive concrete post beside the box. We all go over and take pictures. The significance of this moment for people that have hiked from either end of the trail is enormous. For them it must be like when I reached Canada last year.

In a particularly charred area at the top of the climb I find two old PCT blaze markers partly buried in the ashes. I stick them into a tree so I can read them. Hikers have scratched their initials in these markers. The oldest etching I can make out is dated 1975! These markers may have been absorbed by trees that recently burned. The markers popped out as the trees burned up. Can you make out any dates older than that? Look closely!

It’s working

I have made it to the top. I have drank my water (with added electrolytes!) as scheduled. I have eaten most of my snacks. Now I am actually going to eat lunch although I am not hungry. This is me taking a break from FORCING down two naked tuna wraps.

The trail opens up and I see again the beauty that I enjoyed in California last year. Here are a few things I liked.

Something completely different

Is this video strange or what? Just taking it was slightly embarrassing. In case the video doesn’t load, it’s a deer peeing along the trail. I snuck up on her because I thought she was some floundering bird. It was her flapping ears that fooled me. And then there we were, awkwardly staring at each other. Ever accidentally walk up on someone going to the bathroom? Maybe you can relate.

Conclusion

I make it to camp. I even eat some dinner. It all worked out. I have a plan for tomorrow. I am back on track. I am so happy.

• July 31
• Starting marker: 1331
• Ending marker: 1315
• Total miles today: 16
• Total PCT miles: 43
• What the other side says: Mexico 1325