Start: 0700 - next to Wilson Creek
End: 1900 - PCT mile 983
Miles (today): 18.5
Miles (cumulative): 1040 (895 PCT, 91.5 alternate, 53.5 off)
The trail was extremely tough today - the ascents and descents were endless! We'd hike up one side of the mountain, hike down the other side, get a little reprieve with a few minutes of flat, and then do it all over again with another mountain. Add in a bunch of stream crossings (several that we had to ford) and a muddy trail and you have one tough day. I wasn't very graceful with crossing some of the streams and two separate times I slipped on a rock and got a foot wet (shoe, sock, and all). I discovered that walking in wet shoes and socks isn't the worst thing in the world, although I'm still going to take them off when I can.
My biggest issue is the leg I hit on that rock the other day coming down Sliver Pass - I can walk on it but it still feels weak and will buckle on me if I step the wrong way. I thought it was on the way to healing but I keep messing it up by slipping on and tripping over rocks. This little injury definitely doesn't make stream crossings any easier, either.
Ellie and I hiked together for most of the day - it really is nice to hike with someone who has a similar style of hiking to my own. One of the streams we had to ford was pretty intense and I'd say was the worst one yet - the water was up to my waist at one point, the rocks were slippery, and the current was strong. There was no way I would have crossed that one alone and I'm glad Ellie was with me.
I do miss seeing Nick, though. Around noon, Ellie and I came upon three hikers we've been leapfrogging and ate lunch with them at a lake. After lunch they planned on taking a swim - if I was with Nick I might have joined them, but Ellie and I wanted to press on (the water wasn't all that clear and we wanted to get the next downhill over with).
the lake where we stopped for lunch
our view for lunch
By 1700, after fording yet another stream, Ellie and I were beat. I knew if we weren't feeling good then Nick probably wasn't, either, so we decided to stop and wait for him (we had planned on a 23 mile day but i didn't want Nick to show up to camp late like he did yesterday (I felt so bad for him!).
Nick showed up around 1900 (to be fair, he is carrying more weight than I am AND he stopped when he saw Cedric fishing) and the three of us decided to hike until we found water and a suitable campsite. Not too far up the hill we found both. As a bonus, there was a campfire spot already there so we lit a fire to help keep the mosquitoes at bay (I'm not sure it worked, though).
Nick and a fish he may or may not have caught
I'm definitely going to sleep well tonight. What sucks is knowing that tomorrow is going to be even worse (we looked at the elevation profile and my stomach churned). Oh well, that's why I'm out here - to be challenged. :)
