Flipped to Walker Pass and hiking south toward Hikertown. Hiked 16.7 PCT miles. At mile 541.5. The weather was on my mind. I didn’t want another windy day. The wind wasn’t as strong and as clouds gathered the wind seemed to stop at times. As I continued to climb toward the clouds, I became a little worried about rain. I never reached the clouds, but at the highest elevation for the day a few snowflakes fell for a short while. As I lay here under the tarpon Tylerhorse canyon, the...
Flipped to Walker Pass and hiking south toward Hikertown. Hiked 23.9 PCT miles. At mile 517. 6. One Man Band was walking north along the LA aqueduct with a guitar strapped to his pack when I stopped to chat with him. Everyone who thru-hikes carries a part of themselves with them. For One Man Band, it is the love of music and the way that music opens people up to self expression. One Man Band told me that he found PCT hikers particularly expressive. I’ve seen this myself with the...
Tehachapi owes it's lively and attractive presence to an event back in 1876. That year signaled the completion of the Tehachapi Loop of the Southern Pacific Railroad bringing the railroad to Tehachapi. This vital railroad link between the productive Central Valley and much of the rest of the nation was later double tracked to accommodate high demand for transportation needs. Northbound PCT hikers walk across this double track shortly before reaching Highway 58 at the Cameron exit. Here is where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the "double track". View...
Having hiked 650 miles from the Mexican border at Campo to Walker Pass in 37 days without having a single zero day, I'm now taking a 26-Zero. That's 26 days off the PCT. Over this break I've eaten a lot, but I've also started back with some high intensity training by pushing my heart rate to 160 plus during short workouts. I have to admit that the eating has happened more frequently than the training. The reason for this planned return to Roswell, Georgia was the expected birth of...
I'm beginning to get excited about my anticipated return to the PCT. Preparations are coming along fine. I've just logged into Amazon to exchange a too small size 11 Altra Olympus shoe for a size 11.5. Same for a pair of gloves that were X-Small which should have been Medium. Hiking pole parts were ordered and poles repaired long ago. Even resupply boxes are nearly ready. I still need to mend my hiking shorts. With little remaining preparation, I'm getting my fix of the PCT by following Instagram...
At mile 1104.1. Hiked 11.8 PCT miles today. After 26 days off the trail, I’m back and restarting my hike at the Echo Lake Spillway at mile 1092.3. I’ve hopped forward about 440 miles, bypassing the Sierras for now. After reaching Canada, I’ll come back to Echo Lake and hike 440 miles south to Walker Pass. The morning started off with a long walk up Pioneer Road as I hitchhiked. Finally, I was piled up by Simon who happened to be on his way to Echo Lake. Simon is a...