Day 31: One month down

May 20, Day 31: 458.6-478.2

Miles Hiked: 19.6

Gratitude of the Day: I’m thankful for my friend Missy. Without going into too much detail, Missy helped me through some truly tough times post divorce, and I’m grateful for her acceptance and amazing friendship. I can’t adequately express or emotionally convey how thankful I am in such a small post; what she unknowingly has done for me.  She is my favorite “asshole” and I can never begin to repay her for how she’s changed my life and saved my life. 

Thru Hiking Terms:

NOBO= northbound 

SOBO= southbound 

Zero= no PCT miles hiked for the day

Nero= some PCT miles hiked, but usually into a town to resupply.

Hitch= hitch hiking

Trail Angel= a person who assists hikers in some way ie: hitch, place to sleep, places water caches, puts out goodies for hikers (beverages, fruit, snacks)

Cat hole= outdoor toilet for #2

Cowboy Camp: camping without a tent. Sleeping under the stars. 

10x10: hiking 10 miles by 10am

Slack packing: when a thru hiker has someone take the bulk of backpack (hiker will carry only a day hiker essentials) and the hiker can make bigger miles without all the weight. 

Blazing: there are different types

-yellow blazing= taking a “taxi”, hitch, lift past walkable sections of trail

-pink blazing= changing your hiking pace to stay with a hiker you’re attracted to: applies to both sexes

ONE MONTH ON TRAIL!!!!

We all woke up to soaked sleeping bags and gear this morning and a nice chill of a breeze. No one got up early to get out of camp, so we all started down the trail around 6:30. Luckily it was a good uphill out of camp so you warmed up quick with the morning sun cresting the ridge to the East. Our first stop was at a small spring, just running enough to give us all a liter or two of cool water to get us to a known water cache about 2 more miles down the trail. Today the group was like an accordion, we’d bunch up at breaks and water and then spread out while hiking. Everyone I hike with seems to be super strong hikers, hopefully this 40 yo can continue to keeps up with all these 20 somethings.

Lunch today happened 13 miles in at a nice shaded campsite, I love nothing more than getting my shoes and socks off, and laying down. Lunch was just over an hour and then it was 7 miles to the next water source and our camp, giving us around 20 miles for the day. 

Just over 2 hours later we all had made it to our campsite, it was 3:30, this is super early to stop hiking for the day. Most thru hikers with hike until 6 or 7 in the evening, but there was a reason we wanted to stop. Just 1.5 miles down the road was the Green Valley market, a gas station with cold Coke!!!  We all decided to set up our tents tonight after last nights wet affair, plus there were some suspicious clouds above. Then it was  a fairly quick hitch in the back of a pickup truck into the market and a gluttony of gas station fare: two Gatorade, two Coca Cola, two Slim Jim’s, powdered donuts, a package of pop tarts, white chocolate M&M’s (never had them needed to try), and a six pack of beer.  The crazy food hikers buy. 

After enjoying the markets WiFi for 30 minutes where I called my parents, updated this blog for the previous day and scrolled through social media it was back to camp. After about 1/2 miles we were able to get a hitch back to the fire station where were camping with a PCT trail angel. 

Dinner tonight has kind of become my new staple. Couscous, 1/2 a dried vegetable packet, sun dried tomatoes, coconut oil, and a tuna packet.  We all sat around chatting while dinner happened, cracking beers and eating our own trail meals.  Then it was off to bed by hiker midnight which is 9pm.