Miya
Because I am able.
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2017
- Messages
- 1,404
Days: 91 - 111
Miles: 1044.1 - 1376.1
Zero Days: 2
Northern CA had sooooooooooooooooooo many flowers. I tried to only pick my favorites to show, but there are MORE. Northern CA was my 2nd favorite part of the PCT, but nearly tied with 1st, which is Washington.
Usually when I saw these flowers on the PCT and other hikes, the petals are a soft purple, but they were BLUE in a very short section of the trail.
It was always fun to round a corner and BAM something random and different!
I was finally ready for some trail magic. I finally felt like I had earned it! And it was the best ever! I consumed lots of other food and drinks that were not captured.
I took break next to these caterpillars and assumed it was clumps of animal hair or weird moss? It wasn't until I moved in real close that I realized what they were.
Lupine is always nice to see.
We thought we were done with snow crossings. Sorry NightRyder!
I think this reminds me of Bowser's shell? But the colors are wrong. Let me know if there is another cartoon character with a cray cray shell but is white!
Found more Pho in Tahoe. Even with how hot it was, I craved soup.
Leaving Lake Tahoe put us right back around mile 1100. I am actually being consumed by mosquitos in this photo. NightRyder had his picture taken and ran off. Tom Sawyer is the one braving the bloodsuckers. It was a "One shot and run" type of moment.
Carrying out food like this for meals really helped make the days go by. It made me look forward to my breaks or the next day, when I could have another one!
In the Sierras and Northern CA, it became pretty normal to have an afternoon storm everyday. Luckily, this one was not on top of us.
Blackbird and Jukebox, fellow Purists. We had been leap frogging with this couple for many moons. In fact, I can recall waving at Jukebox on my day 3. She had started March 17th.
My mom and stepdad would come and pick us up and take us to Reno. We would find a little time to relax amongst the chores and play some games at Circus Circus. This would be my last visit with them until I finished and came back home. My mom really struggled to say goodbye when she dropped us off.
Only 3 miles from where my folks dropped us off, was a busy rest stop where my friends/coworkers surprised me! It was so good to see them, especially baby Zoey (in the belly) plus they brought us Subway and Vodka!
We would only hike a few more miles before making camp in this cabin. The cabin would fill up, and while it was cool to say I slept in a random cabin, I wish I had just slept outside. Too many people for my comfort.
The next morning marks the start of my 5 weeks of diarrhea. The initial 3 weeks were morning, any snack/meal, and before bed. The 4th and 5th week would slow down to just morning and before bed. I no longer had health insurance so I just hoped it wasn't a parasite that could kill me, and I kept walking.
Coldest shower on trail was in Sierra City. It was free and public, but it was over a 100 outside and this thing would have you freezing in seconds.
There were a lot of hikers in Sierra City. They were all a buzz about the climb out of Sierra City and the heat. At least one group of 16 was going to skip this section and get a hitch to Belden and celebrate the 4th of July there. Obviously, this would not be the way for me.
Getting much closer, but still quite far. Pretty damn determined though.
Mile marker 1200 is on the climb out of Sierra City. It actually wasn't difficult. There would be steeper climbs to come.
Watched a wildfire in Plumas NF during a snack break.
Science.
This section was an old burn area and it was just hauntingly gorgeous. LOVED.
Empty Cicada shell, skin, skeleton?
Fly or bee nestled all cozy in this flower.
Heading down into Belden, Even though it had been so hot and lots of climbing, I was feeling amazing! I split from the boys and hiked 6.7 miles in 2 hours. So far, I had been taking my time, not in a rush. There were a lot of hikers much faster than me and they may have been hiking this fast all along, but I was proud!
Leaving Belden is a 6,000 ft ascent in 8 miles. It was 93 degrees by 09:30 and it would stay 103-105 for most of the day. Even more hikers skipped this section. I was a little concerned about the climb and the heat, but I just went real slow and we made sure to stop at any and all water sources.
1300 miles.
The next day, after the difficulty of the previous, I was on cloud 9! I couldn't feel more powerful, more fierce, more strong, more of a badass (and any other positive word about my power!). Unfortunately, NightRyder was NOT in a good way. He had been the fastest one the day before, he had always been able to deal with the heat far better than Tom Sawyer and I. It was quite a surprise to us all and we did not think it was heat related.
By afternoon, I had been waiting for Tom Sawyer. Once he arrived, we waited over an hour for NightRyder. I understood he wasn't feeling great, but I just wanted to fly! It was always something. Either I was sick, injured, or friends/family were visiting, or it was Tom Sawyer, or then it would be NightRyder. It is actually really difficult to hike with a group if you are an impatient person like me, and a person that is out there trying to prove something. My Tramily always knew I was itchy to just GO. So when NightRyder needed to lay down and rest, I let them know I would keep going.
I expected to meet them in the next resupply or two.
There is like 1% of the trail that is so flat and debris free. I lived for moments like this.
Hit the midway point the same afternoon I left my Tramily.
RAPTOR!!!! Oh oh oh, thank goodness, it is just a Grouse.
This would be my first and only lake/creek swim on trail. I am just not one of those people that likes to jump in random bodies of water, even though I love swimming. It needed to be 104 outside, my chores needed to be done/camp set up, and I needed time to dry off before bed. Check. Check. Check.
The next day, 07/08, was my highest mileage day, 27.6 miles and it was 106 outside. I could have easily done 30 along the trail, just like so many others did, but I just never found a reason to. Maybe next thru hike I will do a 30 and 35 mile day *shrug*.
I would end up pretty sick and would stay at Old Station Gas station for 2 nights to recover. Tom Sawyer would catch up with me and let me know that NightRyder had quit the trail. We would find out a few days later that he had suffered a heat stroke. People were constantly leaving the trail in EVERY section. We had already said goodbye to so many. I was sad to see NightRyder go, but he was Tom Sawyer's bestfriend BEFORE trail, so it was especially hard on him.
Miles: 1044.1 - 1376.1
Zero Days: 2
Northern CA had sooooooooooooooooooo many flowers. I tried to only pick my favorites to show, but there are MORE. Northern CA was my 2nd favorite part of the PCT, but nearly tied with 1st, which is Washington.
Usually when I saw these flowers on the PCT and other hikes, the petals are a soft purple, but they were BLUE in a very short section of the trail.
It was always fun to round a corner and BAM something random and different!
I was finally ready for some trail magic. I finally felt like I had earned it! And it was the best ever! I consumed lots of other food and drinks that were not captured.
I took break next to these caterpillars and assumed it was clumps of animal hair or weird moss? It wasn't until I moved in real close that I realized what they were.
Lupine is always nice to see.
We thought we were done with snow crossings. Sorry NightRyder!
I think this reminds me of Bowser's shell? But the colors are wrong. Let me know if there is another cartoon character with a cray cray shell but is white!
Found more Pho in Tahoe. Even with how hot it was, I craved soup.
Leaving Lake Tahoe put us right back around mile 1100. I am actually being consumed by mosquitos in this photo. NightRyder had his picture taken and ran off. Tom Sawyer is the one braving the bloodsuckers. It was a "One shot and run" type of moment.
Carrying out food like this for meals really helped make the days go by. It made me look forward to my breaks or the next day, when I could have another one!
In the Sierras and Northern CA, it became pretty normal to have an afternoon storm everyday. Luckily, this one was not on top of us.
Blackbird and Jukebox, fellow Purists. We had been leap frogging with this couple for many moons. In fact, I can recall waving at Jukebox on my day 3. She had started March 17th.
My mom and stepdad would come and pick us up and take us to Reno. We would find a little time to relax amongst the chores and play some games at Circus Circus. This would be my last visit with them until I finished and came back home. My mom really struggled to say goodbye when she dropped us off.
Only 3 miles from where my folks dropped us off, was a busy rest stop where my friends/coworkers surprised me! It was so good to see them, especially baby Zoey (in the belly) plus they brought us Subway and Vodka!
We would only hike a few more miles before making camp in this cabin. The cabin would fill up, and while it was cool to say I slept in a random cabin, I wish I had just slept outside. Too many people for my comfort.
The next morning marks the start of my 5 weeks of diarrhea. The initial 3 weeks were morning, any snack/meal, and before bed. The 4th and 5th week would slow down to just morning and before bed. I no longer had health insurance so I just hoped it wasn't a parasite that could kill me, and I kept walking.
Coldest shower on trail was in Sierra City. It was free and public, but it was over a 100 outside and this thing would have you freezing in seconds.
There were a lot of hikers in Sierra City. They were all a buzz about the climb out of Sierra City and the heat. At least one group of 16 was going to skip this section and get a hitch to Belden and celebrate the 4th of July there. Obviously, this would not be the way for me.
Getting much closer, but still quite far. Pretty damn determined though.
Mile marker 1200 is on the climb out of Sierra City. It actually wasn't difficult. There would be steeper climbs to come.
Watched a wildfire in Plumas NF during a snack break.
Science.
This section was an old burn area and it was just hauntingly gorgeous. LOVED.
Empty Cicada shell, skin, skeleton?
Fly or bee nestled all cozy in this flower.
Heading down into Belden, Even though it had been so hot and lots of climbing, I was feeling amazing! I split from the boys and hiked 6.7 miles in 2 hours. So far, I had been taking my time, not in a rush. There were a lot of hikers much faster than me and they may have been hiking this fast all along, but I was proud!
Leaving Belden is a 6,000 ft ascent in 8 miles. It was 93 degrees by 09:30 and it would stay 103-105 for most of the day. Even more hikers skipped this section. I was a little concerned about the climb and the heat, but I just went real slow and we made sure to stop at any and all water sources.
1300 miles.
The next day, after the difficulty of the previous, I was on cloud 9! I couldn't feel more powerful, more fierce, more strong, more of a badass (and any other positive word about my power!). Unfortunately, NightRyder was NOT in a good way. He had been the fastest one the day before, he had always been able to deal with the heat far better than Tom Sawyer and I. It was quite a surprise to us all and we did not think it was heat related.
By afternoon, I had been waiting for Tom Sawyer. Once he arrived, we waited over an hour for NightRyder. I understood he wasn't feeling great, but I just wanted to fly! It was always something. Either I was sick, injured, or friends/family were visiting, or it was Tom Sawyer, or then it would be NightRyder. It is actually really difficult to hike with a group if you are an impatient person like me, and a person that is out there trying to prove something. My Tramily always knew I was itchy to just GO. So when NightRyder needed to lay down and rest, I let them know I would keep going.
I expected to meet them in the next resupply or two.
There is like 1% of the trail that is so flat and debris free. I lived for moments like this.
Hit the midway point the same afternoon I left my Tramily.
RAPTOR!!!! Oh oh oh, thank goodness, it is just a Grouse.
This would be my first and only lake/creek swim on trail. I am just not one of those people that likes to jump in random bodies of water, even though I love swimming. It needed to be 104 outside, my chores needed to be done/camp set up, and I needed time to dry off before bed. Check. Check. Check.
The next day, 07/08, was my highest mileage day, 27.6 miles and it was 106 outside. I could have easily done 30 along the trail, just like so many others did, but I just never found a reason to. Maybe next thru hike I will do a 30 and 35 mile day *shrug*.
I would end up pretty sick and would stay at Old Station Gas station for 2 nights to recover. Tom Sawyer would catch up with me and let me know that NightRyder had quit the trail. We would find out a few days later that he had suffered a heat stroke. People were constantly leaving the trail in EVERY section. We had already said goodbye to so many. I was sad to see NightRyder go, but he was Tom Sawyer's bestfriend BEFORE trail, so it was especially hard on him.
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