Mile 1468 to 1494.
A sleepy morning turned into a spirited morning walk. Today we dialed back our mileage goal because we will cover the most elevation gain (7000 feet) of any day on the PCT yet. Mileage does not always indicate how challenging the day will be, so “total elevation gain” is a nice number that can help us figure out what to expect.
In the High Sierras we would do 15 miles with 5000 feet and it would be a full, exhausting day. Luckily, the terrain has changed and the monster day of climbing we had planned was comprised of a very gradual, smooth incline in the shade of large pines.
You’ll notice that I don’t have that many stories about interactions with other people. This is partly due to the fact that I am not as good as Fey at remembering the daily events and expressing them so succinctly in written format, but it’s also because there aren’t as many people!
Over the past 3 days, aside from the characters of Slow Magic that you already know, we’ve seen 5 people. Patch, Meerkat, Aquarius, Miagi, and Desert Steve. 5 people in 3 days!? What is the trail coming to! Aside from a quick chat at water stops, I haven’t hung out with any of them and have no funnies to pass a long.
Most of my day I hike alone, left to daydream or listen to audio books. It’s quite a different experience from hiking with Fey. I have total freedom to do whatever I want (the big decisions include when to eat, when to rest and where to camp) but it is a much more solitary experience. The amazing views, critters (I saw more bears during this day!), and revelations that occur throughout the day are seen only through my eyes, and aside from a few iPhone pictures, can’t be adequately shared. There is a pleasant simplicity in the solitude, but I'm happy I have gotten to experience both hiking as a couple and alone, as each are different, fun and enlightening in their own unique ways.
