Miles Hiked: 17.2
PCT Mileage: 2020.8
This morning I left camp at 4:50am. I think it’s the second earliest I have been on the trail hiking on the PCT. The day started with a five mile uphill climb. I was glad to get an early start to the day because I wanted to hang out at Whites Pass for as long as possible. The snowy mountains were so pretty in the morning light behind the trees. I am amazed there is still so much snow here in August. I think a lot of it just melted recently and that’s why the mosquitos are so bad. I took an alternate route that added 0.3 miles to Shoe Lake Because the comments about it spoke so highly of it. It was pretty but idk if it was necessarily worth it.
After the lake I climbed to the top of the pass where I waited for Midnight and Trail Diva. I can always hear them talking from so far away. The view was incredible. We all descended together down to White Pass. Once there I walked 0.5 down the highway to the store called Cracker Barrel.
We ended up hanging out at the Kracker Barrel all night long. It was great. I drank a few beers and an equal amount of Powerade. I bought my resupply and lounged outside behind the building hanging out with Trail Diva’s friend Danielle who drove up just to hang out with us. She was really fun and had her pet cat Stella with her. We also got to charge everything and take showers.
We didn’t end up hiking out until five pm. It was actually pretty hot today for the first time in a while. I think we left at the worst timing for mosquitoes. I hiked the seven miles to camp in just over two hours. The bugs were attacking me the entire time. I had my head net on but kept sweeping multiple of them off my legs at once. I was driving me nuts. I couldn’t wait to get my tent set up and dive in it. I did exactly that when we got to camp at the lake. I smelled a campfire but I didn’t see one anywhere. It turns out someone left the fire ring next to my tent smoldering and unattended. I was so mad because of the risk with wildfire season. There is currently a fire ban as well. I ate a bagel and cream cheese for dinner.
Happy Trails!
-Early Bird
Des Hikes Thru 