PCT Blog

Person Irresponsible

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PCT Days 79 - 85

Day 79

We only managed 4 miles today due to a very late start and the long drive to the trailhead. Then we had to hide under some rocks as we were pelted by hail stones intermittently followed by huge fat blobs of rain, then blasted by North winds.

So we holed up 1 mile short of the twelve thousand foot summit. We figured we'd do the north side, which is snow covered, in the morning when it would be frozen and we were less likely to fall through the snow fields. That night a storm rolled in - bringing thunder, lightning and more snow!

"We" is me and Sunshine, my latest hiking partner who is just as frightened of the Sierra as I.

So it's all weather systems go!

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Day 80

A day of waterfalls and very wet feet as we slowly made our way up the mountain pass back to the PCT.

We collapsed 3 miles short of the next summit where it proceeded to rain, hail, thunder, lightning, snow and batter us with violent winds - scary stuff. My tent blew down in the night.

We're not sure if we're going to do the dreaded Muir pass tomorrow.

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Day 81

A day of snow and swearing...

Muir Pass is the most feared of the passes in the Sierra, despite not being the highest nor having particularly steep inclines.

Just short of 12,000 feet, it is notorious for always being under snow - miles and miles of it on the up and miles and miles of it on the down. It all has to be waded through, or fallen through or crawled through.

We left camp at 4 a.m and finally summited at 9:30 a.m. Yet it took us until 6 p.m. to complete the 10 and 1/2 miles between camps. Hence a lot of gratuitous swearing.

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Day 82

A day a frostbitten feet and fording fierce flows.

Wake up to find shoes frozen so gave self frostbite on toes as I crossed the first of many rivers and streams. I cried. I changed into my not-so-waterproof socks which barely improved matters.

Evolution Creek is not a creek but the place where all water is destined to land from their former mountain homes. It is icy cold snow melt - and there's quite a lot of it!

At five foot six I was pleased it only hit the mid-thigh point. Sunshine at five foot one got the full undercarriage blast chilling!

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Day 83

Woke up to ice on the inside of our tents, frozen shoes, and frozen water.

Saw a bear. Nearly pooped my pants it was about 30 feet away. I tried to take a photo as it ambled away. Failed miserably.

Saw a second bear immediately after. Nearly pooped my pants again.

Then summitted Seldon Pass - which should be called Seldom Pass because of the sheer number of false summits it has.

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Day 84

Today we climbed to 11,000 feet - it was just a stunningly lovely walk with amazing weather.

No bears, no rattlesnakes, no frostbite, hail or serial killers. Even the snow was perfectly traversable.

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Day 85

After days of summitting snow capped mountains, my lips are so sore and swollen from sunburn, I look like I've visited the world's worst plastic surgeon such is my trout pout!

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