Miles hiked: 17.8
Gratitude of the Day: I’m thankful for my father. I’ve thought a lot today about what he’s gone through in my life, raising two sons with my mother and now raising his grandson who has become a wonderful, intelligent young man. My dad has taught me that there are no defined rolls in a relationship, he was the cook at my house growing up and he is damn good at it. (My mom is the baker, her chocolate chip cookies are the best). My dad has shown me how to love, even to this day he flirts and “chases” my mom around the house like they’re newly dating. He has taught me about work ethic and family. I remember him having to work 6 or sometimes 7 days a week, but I can’t remember a cross country meet, basketball game or track meet he ever missed. One of the greatest compliments anyone ever gives me is “you’re just like your father”. I hope to be and I’m proud to be his son.
Last night was intermittent sleep with the wind flapping the tent all night. I had to get up three times because the tent stake kept coming out and my tent would collapse in on me... still trying to figure out the best way to get it set up correctly... don’t worry I have another 140 times to practice.
Woke up early to a cold breeze, sat in my sleeping bag packing my tent up as long as I could. From where I camped 1/4 mile off trail there is a water cache that trail angels restock, so I went and grabbed my water for the day and loaded everything up to start walking down the trail at 7am.
Up, up, up I went on the exposed, curvy trail with wind gust cutting right through me. Clothing choices are hard when this happens. If you’re going uphill in the morning sun it’s hot and you want to take layers off, but pop around another corner and on the other side of the hill and now it’s shaded and cold. So onward I went keeping my jacket and stocking hat on.
Somehow 2 hours later I had gone 4.5 miles, I stopped and laid my ground sheet out, took off my shoes and took a nice 45 minute break in the sun. A couple other hikers, Sarah and Clyde who I’ve been hiking with and camping with recently caught up and basked in the sun with me until we loaded up and headed back down the trail. We’d hike the rest of the day together.
At 11:30 we hit a fairly memorable milestone, we passed the 100 mile marker and to celebrate we stopped to have our lunch break, I checked our mileage again and we’d gone nearly 9 miles of our planned 15... we were cruising through the day. Our other friends Joscelyn and Landon caught us during lunch and they continued the 1 mile jaunt to the water source down the trail. After lunch it was a routine of 3 mile hiking through open meadows with cows, then stop and take a break and then walk another 3 miles until we finally reached our 15 mile destination of Eagle Rock. Unfortunately at this precise time the rain clouds blew over head and we had to put our rain gear on take our quick photo with the freedom bird and hurdle down the trail to our camp site at mile 109.
Tonight we are camped on a sandy creek bed, refreshing cool running water is right outside our tents, I’m pretty sure I hear an owl down the canyon hooting away and the frogs are serenading us to sleep. I can hear a light drizzle on my near perfectly pitched tent, there’s no wind and I’m toasty warm in my down quilt. It was another great day on the PCT.
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