Archive for June 2015
Day 44: Stormy South Sierras
June 13, 2015 Tentsite near Mulkey Pass junction (744.6) to Crabtree Meadow Ranger Station (1.3 on Alternate) 21.7 PCT miles, 1.3 Alternate miles (Mt. Whitney Summit) 780.6 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 3,306 ft, – 3,372 ft As I write this, rain is pouring down on our tent and any would-be views of Mt.…
Read MoreDay 43: Motivational Mountains
June 12, 2015 Tentsite after Cow Creek (722.4) to Tentsite near Mulkey Pass junction (744.6) 22.2 PCT miles today 757.6 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 3,628 ft, – 3,181 ft Today was another stunningly beautiful day of hiking in the Sierras. Our feet hurt less today than they ever have, the weather was a…
Read MoreDay 42: The Game Changer
June 11, 2015 Kennedy Meadows (702.4) to Tentsite after Cow Creek (722.4) 20 PCT miles today 735.4 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 4,865 ft, – 1,122 ft The transition from desert to forest was faster and more thorough than Pickles and I could have ever hoped for. We started out from Kennedy Meadows a…
Read MoreDay 41: Learning How to Zero
June 10, 2015 Kennedy Meadows (702.4) 0 miles today 715.4 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 0 ft, – 0 ft It turns out that I’m not very good at taking zeroes. They always turn out alright in the end, but the long hours off-trail tend to be filled with more stress and confusion than…
Read MoreDay 40: Turning 30 at Kennedy Meadows
June 9, 2015 (9th Re-Ration – Kennedy Meadows) Chimney Creek (681.0) to Kennedy Meadows (702.4) 21.4 PCT miles today, 1 non-PCT mile today 715.4 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 3,998 ft, – 3,681 ft Well we finally made it. I’m writing this blog from my tent behind the Kennedy Meadows General Store and I’m…
Read MoreDay 39: No One Said it Would be Easy
June 8, 2015 Ridge after Walker Pass (656.1) to Chimney Creek (681.0) 24.9 PCT miles 693 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 5,560 ft, – 6,208 ft Wow, today was a hard one. This morning we finally had the chance to meet a hiker whom we had heard a lot about, Jaba, and he threw…
Read MoreDay 38: Building Up to Greatness
June 7, 2015 Bird Spring Pass (630.9) to Ridge after Walker Pass (656.1) 25.2 PCT miles today 669.1 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 4,784 ft, – 3,725 ft Today was one gradual progression from good to better to best. If I weren’t so exhausted from all these high-mileage days all stacked one on top…
Read MoreDay 37: A Storm in the Mojave
June 6, 2015 (8th Re-Ration – Bird Spring Pass) Tentsite before Landers Meadow Spring (608.0) to Bird Spring Pass (630.9) 22.9 PCT miles today 643.9 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 3,193 ft, – 3,909 ft I have a feeling that the desert is upset with us for talking so badly about it over the…
Read MoreDay 36: A Change of Scenery
June 5, 2015 Golden Oaks Spring (583.3) to Tentsite before Landers Meadow Spring (608.0) 24.7 PCT miles today 621.0 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 4,380 ft, – 3,512 ft Today was an unexpected delight. Without doing an unreasonable amount of research from the trail, it is hard to really know what sort of environment…
Read MoreDay 35: If You Had a Million Minutes
June 4, 2015 Willow Springs Road-Tehachapi (558.5) to Golden Oaks Spring (583.3) 24.8 PCT miles today 596.3 miles total Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 5,133 ft, – 4,002 ft Today we made a wonderful discovery, and it made for one of our best days yet. At some point a couple weeks ago, perhaps it was the…
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