April 27, 2022 Campsite at mile 112.5 to campsite near Tule Spring, mile 137 24.5 miles The original plan is 18 for today. We wake up early and start hiking around 5:30. The trail turns steep, and almost immediately, my foot catches on a rock and I land hard on my knee. I’m okay, and …
April 26, 2022 Campsite at mile 96.5 to campsite at mile 112.5 16 miles This is a long one. But I think it’s pretty good. Read on. The start of the sunrise wakes me up before my 5:45 alarm does. It streams through my thin tent walls and bathes the campsite in orange. I start …
April 25, 2022 Campsite at mile 80.4 to campsite at mile 96.5 16.1 miles My alarm goes off at 4. It’s the first time in the past week that I wake up with the alarm instead of hours before it. Finally, a good night’s sleep! I figure I have plenty of time before our planned …
April 24, 2022 Mile 68.3 to mile 80.4 12.1 miles I wonder how long it will be on this trail until I sleep through the night? I had another subpar night of sleep, but I still feel much more rested and pleasant today. I think I’m packing up quickly until I realize that Andy and …
Continue reading PCT Day 6: Heaps of Flowers and Julian Again
April 23, 2022 Mile 47.7 to mile 68.3 20.6 miles I wake up to condensation and turkeys gobbling. I think I have more time than I really do, so I make a leisurely coffee in my tent—my first in two months—and sip it slowly. Andy comes over and asks if I’ll be able to pack …
April 21, 2022 Fred Canyon to tentsite at mile 47.7 15.7 mi I didn’t sleep well. The sleeping pad situation is getting increasingly terrible, and I have to wake up at least three times to re-inflate it. Last night Andy gave me his sleeping bag liner to help with the cold situation, which makes it …
April 22, 2022 Campsite at mile 47.7 to Julian via hitch on Sunrise Highway 0 miles Yet another night of hardly any sleep. This time it was because of the wind, rain, sleet, and now hail that pummeled the tent all night. It’s still standing when we wake up, amazingly, but it is a precarious …
April 20, 2022 Hauser Creek to Fred Canyon - 16.6 mi My alarm wakes me at 5:10. I turn it off and snooze for ten more minutes before finally remembering that I’m getting breakfast at Lake Morena! I pack up quickly after that. It’s so nice not to be hooked on coffee anymore. It means …
Continue reading PCT Day 2: Breakfast, Wildflowers, and Creek Baths
Day 0: April 18, 2022 It’s happening. Today I am flying to San Diego, and tomorrow I begin hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. This morning Katie drives me to the Oakland airport, where my flight is delayed, then delayed again. I eat a breakfast sandwich and focus on finishing my book so that I don’t …
Hikers love talking about gear. I think the only thing we might love more than talking about gear is buying new gear. Believe me, I understand the impulse to purchase a whole new kit before another thru-hike. It's exciting to look back on past hikes and to tinker with the setup, upgrade items to newer …
Continue reading Why I’m Not Buying a Ton of New Gear for the PCT
Passport Somewhere 