PCT Day 36

Miles: 702.2 - 716.5

Photo: Excited for the Sierras

Today was easily one of my favorite days on trail! The day started with sleeping in at Kennedy Meadows and getting a very filling breakfast of pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon at the general store. I met mleseitz and  feral_mike who were also planning to hike today. They also had the same goal of going slow and steady so we grouped together and went back to the PCT around 10 AM.! Shortly into the hike, we ran into up dabenor who had just gotten back on trail. He had the same mindset as us so he joined the crew! 

It was the first day on trail where I hiked with a group the entire day and it was amazing! Usually, when I hike with other people, we tend to split up during the day because of different paces and then meet at various spots down the trail. We all bonded over working in tech before heading out here, our love for electronic music and concerts, strange stories, and our favorite video games, board games, books, podcasts, and shows. Being around familiar people was definitely what I needed for my first day of hiking.

Near the end of the day, we all felt a sense of awe and wonder as we were finally entering the Sierras! High altitude, large meadows, scenic landscapes, and lots and lots of trees. If this is just the beginning, I can’t wait to see what’s up ahead!

15 miles felt like kinda a big day for me, but because we took breaks and took it slow, I think I am going to be okay. There is a tiny bit of pain in my arches, but it always went away after elevating my feet and resting. Hoping the routine of going slow and resting keeps things steady. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCT Day 33

Image
Miles : 0   Photo : Walking Down From Wrightwood I tried walking this morning and my feet still felt a bit funky so I thought another zero would be a good idea. My mind wants to keep going on to crank out big miles, but I need to listen to what my body tells me. I also figured the next town that will be worthwhile to zero in won’t be until Tehachapi (200 miles from here) so I might as well take advantage of the good rest now while I can. It wasn’t another day of just kicking up my feet and resting. I tried to be a bit more active, alive, and present. First was a gear shakedown with a group of friends I had met briefly back at the I-10 near Cabazon (Spider-Man, Ryan, and Kitchen Sink). For those who don’t know, a gear shakedown is going through your entire backpack to evaluate every p iece of gear within it to see if you can justify why you carry it. If it’s not needed, it’s thrown away, given away, or shipped away. The shakedown was for the appropriately named Kitchen Sink. It was us j
Read more

PCT Day 37

Image
Miles : 716.5 - 730.8 Photo : Serendipity after the climb Much harder day than yesterday. The first 9 miles were a long and steep climb up to Olancha Peak.  During the climb, we took many breaks just like yesterday. The change in altitude is no joke as we’re all still getting acclimatized.  We eventually made it to the top though and were excited for a nice view on top of the mountain. The trail at the peak didn’t have a view as we were still in a forest, so feral_mike and dabenor went scouting for a good viewpoint and luckily found one! Such an amazing reward for the difficult day of hiking.  After that, we slogged it down to the campsite to have a fairly late dinner, all while sharing hilarious stories. The second day in the Sierras was a success!
Read more

PCT Day 35

Image
Miles : 0 Photos : Dad dropping me off at Kennedy Meadows + Optimism in Kennedy Meadows Finally back on the PCT! During my last update, I thought I would only be out a week, but one turned into two, then three, and finally…four. I skipped ahead to the Sierra Nevadas, shaving off 330 miles of the desert section. If the rest of the hike goes well, I plan to do those miles southbound sometime in October. During my time away I was able to get an appointment with a podiatrist. One of the best near my Dad’s home! The diagnosis was post-tib tendonitis. The fix was to rest, ramp up my mileage slowly once I get back on trail, and get a pair of custom insoles. They gave the analogy of my tendons being like a rubber band. You can only stretch a rubber band so far before it loses its elasticity, or worse it breaks! When I did my two ambitious 27-mile days I definitely overworked my feet, stretching the rubber band too far. I’m making sure that this time I don’t do anything like that again.  My fir
Read more