PCT Day 78, Lost Lakes to Eagle Creek, 17 miles
Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror. – Byron Katie The Sierra welcomes me with intense, gusting wind all night, the alicoop shuddering and rattling, but she’s still upright and I’m cozy and warm. It’s a cold morning and clear – so far – as I get breakfast […]
PCT Day 77, Highway 50 to Lost Lakes, 21 miles
Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got. There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, it’s all the same day. – Janis Joplin I want to establish this rule right from the outset – always, at all times, take earplugs with you wherever you go You will never regret it. We can, for the most part, […]
PCT Day 76, Middle Velma Lake to Highway 50 (South Lake Tahoe) 19 miles
I try to live in a little bit of my own joy and not let people steal it or take it. —Hoda Kotb The purple sky reflects on the lake as I slowly wake up. It’s not too cold packing and eating before I head off from this soulful spot. Granite slabs of rock heaved […]
PCT Day 75, Five Lakes Trail Junction to Middle Velma Lake, 26 miles (+3)
The best protection any woman can have is courage. – Elizabeth Cady Stanton It’s a perfect morning, waking in a cozy bed cuddled up with a Swiss duvet. Ursula offers me eggs, bacon, toast, cereal and coffee. Yes, please! Alain arrives early ready to hike up to the ridge in his La Sportiva boots and […]
PCT Day 74, ‘slackpack’ Highway 40 ‘Donner Pass’ to Five Lakes Trail Junction (Alpine Meadows), 17 miles + 3 miles
Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – Marilyn Monroe It is so nice to awaken in Jayne’s beautiful, soulful home. She takes Ruby out and begins cooking the most awesome breakfast burrito ever, while I organize the bear box, warm gear and new La Sportivas […]
PCT Day 73, Mules Ear Creek to Highway 40 (Truckee) 26 miles
Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward. – Hillary Clinton It’s cold now. I sleep in all my clothes and wrap my raincoat over my legs and do just fine. Richard has sent a liner and merino and I hope it’s enough for the high altitude I’ll walk. An animal came close […]
PCT Day 72, Highway 49 to Mules Ear Creek, 16 miles
These things are ours, for God creates within our soul a mystic sense of wonder that we may hear allegro tunes among tall swaying cattails. —Gwen Frostic Indeed, sleeping in a bed is absolutely wonderful. My legs splay akimbo, the covers are warm, swaddling my body, the mattress gives my muscles, joints and bones just […]
PCT Day 71, A-Tree Spring to Highway 49 (Sierra City) 24 miles
We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. – J.K. Rowling I wake to a purply-orange glow on the horizon and my owl’s “Hoohoo-hoo-hoo!” It’s cold and I wonder if I’ll be warm enough in the Sierra […]
PCT Day 70, Middle Fork Feather River to A-tree spring, 30 miles
Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance. – Anne Lamott I feel much better this morning and come to this conclusion – sleep matters. Still a blareathon light, but those hikers are far across this sandy, rocky, brush-strewn dry riverbed. I don’t understand the thinking, but glad […]
PCT Day 69, ridge above Belden to Middle Fork Feather River, 25 miles
You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. – Tina Fey I can’t sleep. The view from my tent is to smoke glowing hot pink above the mountains, the sky a deep velvety blueblack. Klaus mentions it might get cold before falling […]
