Easily our hardest day of the trip. We started earlier than usual at 6:30 AM. I never have trouble getting ready before others and I had plenty of time for my coffee and oatmeal with blueberries. We started the day with a long switchback climb and ended the day with a hot dusty climb through fireweed and burned forest to Spectacle Lake. We didn't finish up hiking until after 7 PM. Matt and I hiked ahead at the beginning and the end of the day. We really moved...

Deep Lake to Waptus River Campsite 7 miles Today I hiked some with a southbound PCT thru-hiker named Lucky. Lucky was nursing a sore foot and seemed to slow down a little allowing me to catch up. Lucky is from Modesto so in a way he is hiking home. Good luck Lucky! :-) Later in camp we met another PCT thru-hiker (northbound) named OCD. There are 2 OCD's on the trail. OCD shared his stories around our campfire. Everyone was impressed with OCD's pack that came in at...

Desolation Lake to Deep Lake 12 miles At Desolation Lake I slept without the rain fly and with the door open to enjoy the stars. In less than a minute I saw 3 satellites pass overhead. With a cold wind at Deep Lake I used the fly for the first time. Throwing bear lines has become a nightly ritual. The greatest effort was the night at Surprise Lake where we suspended bags across a ravine anchored by small trees that bent over. The two longest ascents have been up Trapp Pass and...

Surprise Lake to Desolation Lake 6 miles In order to rejoin the PCT we hiked in the trail alongside the east side of surprise lake. The correct trail (if one exists) climbs to a ridge line to the left. We crossed boulders at the top of the lake and started spreading out as we ascended and bushwhacked up the steep slope toward Glacier lake. After a long time of yelling through the woods and redirecting all of us rejoined at the shore of Glacier lake. Together we made our way...