The week of exertion! I started up Mt Shasta on Monday evening, hiking 1.7 miles from the trailhead to Horse Camp, a Sierra Club outpost at 7900ft.

After a few mysterious events (I think the mountain is haunted or something), I went to bed early for a 3am start. I hiked up 2500ft to Helen Lake (a popular camping spot), where I switched into boots & crampons. The final 3700ft are up a steep snowfield, punctuated by the occasional rocky cleaver or cliff band. I stopped just below the summit to see the hot volcanic vents, then continued to the top by 8am. It was cold-ish, 40s and windy, so after some quick photos & summit logbook, I headed down. A 4-hour descent and a whole pizza completed the day.

But, I had killed 2.5 days around Mt Shasta, so I cruised some mileage the rest of the week. After three 30-mile days and 9 miles on Saturday, I was in Etna!

Day 91: (July 20th)

Day 92: (July 21st)

Day 93: (July 22nd)

Day 94: (July 23rd)

Day 95: (July 24th)

Day 96: (July 25th)

This was a beautiful section, Castle Crags park and the Trinity Alps Wilderness. The cool temperatures, moderate terrain, and lack of mosquitoes & poison oak = my favorite section of NorCal.

Next week I’ll be in Oregon!
-Recon

The miles are really flying by now, with smoother & flatter trails, long daylight hours, & good company…it almost feels easy to do 24-25 miles per day!
The heat is intense, but that’s what early afternoon breaks & naps are for!

Day 83: (July 12th)

Day 84: (July 13th)

Day 85: (July 14th)

Day 86: (July 15th)

Day 87: (July 16th)

Day 88: (July 17th)

Day 89: (July 18th)

Day 90: (July 19th)

Gonna relax at a motel in Mt Shasta on Sunday, before renting gear and starting up the mountain on Monday! The Avalanche Gulch route is the plan, and hopefully “Misery Hill” doesn’t live up to it’s name!

This section was quite varied, and it completed the transition from the Sierras to Norcal. The trail begins to feel very different- wetter, lower elevation, hotter, and lots of poison oak. And I met a whole new group of people after leaving Sierra City!

Day 76: Sunday 7/05/2015, 8.0mi/12.9km

Day 77: Monday 7/06/2015, 24.0mi/38.6km

(Thanks Nomad, Milkshake & Stickybuns for the encouragement & photos!)

Day 78: Tuesday 7/07/2015, 24.7mi/39.8km

Day 79: Wednesday 7/08/2015, 25.4mi/40.9km

Just a few of the many “decorated” PCT markers between Bucks Lake and Chester…

Day 80: Thursday 7/09/2015, 20.5mi/33.0km

(And then we climbed 3800ft out of the Belden valley. Ouch)

Day 81: Friday 7/10/2015, 26.5mi/42.6km

The PCT halfway marker. Cue Bon Jovi’s “Livin on a Prayer”. Hiker-trash karaoke session!

Day 82: Saturday 7/11/2015, 7.2mi/11.6km

(Thanks Mr Buels!)

I spent a night in Chester to relax and get clean. Its a nice little friendly town, and it was easy to get rides to/from the trail. And it even has a microbrewery that just opened this summer!
Next, onto Mt Shasta & the rest of Nor-cal!
-Recon

What amazing scenery this week! The Desolation wilderness and Granite Chief Wilderness are spectacular, and I saw quite a few other hikers (on the Tahoe Rim Trail) enjoying it as well.

Day 70: Monday 6/29/2015, 13.3mi/21.4km

Day 71: Tuesday 6/30/2015, 20.0mi/32.2km

Day 72: Wednesday 7/01/2015, 26.2mi/42.2km

Day 73: Thursday 7/02/2015, 7.8mi/12.6km

Day 74: Friday 7/03/2015, 22.5mi/36.2km

Day 75: Saturday 7/04/2015, 17.0mi/27.4km

I celebrated the 4th of July in Sierra City, population 225. So…no fireworks. But I found a nice swimming hole, some kettle chips, and a free shower…life is good.

Another amazing week in the Sierra – even more alpine lakes & marmots, a little less altitude, and with some new characters – mosquitoes! Oh, and smoke from a nearby wildfire (california-speak for forest fire).

Day 56: Monday 6/15/2015, 16.9mi/27.2km

Day 57: Tuesday 6/16/2015, 22.5mi/36.2km

Day 58: Wednesday 6/17/2015, 21.7mi/34.9km

Since the PCT and the JMT (John Muir Trail) are concurrent for 190 miles, I decided to hike the last 22 miles of the JMT from Tuolumne down to Yosemite valley. An “easy” day since it would descend from 8600 feet down to 4000….an easy 22 miles.

Apparently bears are also ninjas…scary.

Day 59: Thursday 6/18/2015, 13.0mi/20.9km

Day 60: Friday 6/19/2015, 20.2mi/32.5km

Day 61: Saturday 6/20/2015, 18.9mi/30.4km

Day 62: Sunday 6/21/2015, 19.5mi/31.4km

Day 63: Monday 6/22/2015, 21.1mi/34.0km

Day 64: Tuesday 6/23/2015, 30.7mi/49.4km

I didn’t get too many pictures today or tomorrow, I was too busy hiking 30+ miles each day, to put as much distance as possible between myself and a “small” forest fire near Markleeville CA, about 4 miles from the trail.

Day 65: Wednesday 6/24/2015, 23.4mi/37.7km

Day 66: Thursday 6/25/2015, 7.9mi/12.7km

I got off trail today, and went into South Lake Tahoe to meet up with my friends Jeremy and Kim (and get a shower/laundry, for their sake!)

Day 67: Friday 6/26/2015, 0mi/0km

Day 68: Saturday 6/27/2015, 0mi/0km

No pictures from today, but I tried stand-up paddleboarding. It is pretty difficult, but also very awesome…I need to do it again.

Day 69: Sunday 6/28/2015, 0mi/0km

Jeremy, Kim, and I likely had a first ascent of a technical climbing route today. We got up at 4:30am, started hiking on the trail at 5am. Our bushwhack (manzanita-whack?) began before 8am, and by 10am we were at the base of our objective cliff. We had no idea if it was climbable, a choss-fest, or a 5.13d climb. It climbed some mostly nice granite, and 4 pitches later, we were at the top of the cliff! A short scramble over the ridge to the summit of Tallac Mt. (el. 9,700) completed the day. Well, the hike down and some burgers/beers completed it.

Tomorrow I get back on the trail, and I’m going to hike straight thru to Sierra City, then Chester CA– the halfway point of the PCT!

-Recon

This week was incredible – so many alpine lakes, marmots, more altitude than you can shake a stick at, and even a little bit of snow!

Day 48: Sunday 6/07/2015, 7.1mi/11.4km

Day 49: Monday 6/08/2015, 16.0mi/25.7km

Day 50: Tuesday 6/09/2015, 19.6mi/31.5km

Day 51: Wednesday 6/10/2015, 23.6mi/38.0km

Day 52: Thursday 6/11/2015, 20.6mi/33.2km

Day 53: Friday 6/12/2015, 19.3mi/31.1km

Day 54: Saturday 6/13/2015, 19.4mi/31.2km

Day 55: Sunday 6/14/2015, 0mi/0km
This was a zero day. Still, I walked a few miles down the 203 to the Safeway…it was worth it! Picked up some Chunky Monkey and Half Baked

More Sierra next week…
J

We jumped off the Trail at Kearsarge Pass, and after an easy hitch down to Independence, we got a ride to Bishop with a trail Angel whose son is also on the PCT.

We made our way to The Hostel California, where we were greeted with a “welcome beverage”, a hot shower, and indoor beds. Nice!

Day x: Monday 6/01/2015, 0mi/0km

The ancient bristlecone pine forest was a worthy side-trip, but unfortunately no photos since my phone was dead that day.

Day x: Tuesday 6/02/2015, 0mi/0km
The next day we checked out Yosemite Valley!

We had a couple visitors at our backpackers camp area that night…

We met a group of 3 hikers camped next to us, and found out they were doing half dome the next day. Since that was our plan too, I asked them for any trail beta, how much vertical, etc…and found out a permit is needed! No problem, they offered us a couple spots on their permit, and we departed with them the next morning at 5:30am!

Day x: Wednesday 6/03/2015, 14.2mi/22.9km

Day x: Thursday 6/04/2015, 0mi/0km

The next day we visited the Giant Sequoia grove, the trees are ancient and enormous.

We camped in the park, and had a nice night under some giant evergreen trees.

Day x: Friday 6/05/2015, 0mi/0km

We packed up camp and drove to Jus-Jo’s for breakfast. We visited Forestiere Underground Gardens, which is a series of residential tunnels built by an Italian immigrant over 4 decades, impressive! On the way to the airport, we stopped and got some fresh nuts at a roadside stand, and then stopped for lunch at Quiznos. I dropped by dad off at the airport, and then went to visit friends Olesh and Jane in Oakland. After a Seth Rogen movie and beers, I was ready for bed!

Day x: Saturday 6/06/2015, 0mi/0km

I saw Bridal Veil waterfalls on my way back thru Yosemite, on my way back to the Eastern Sierra. I make it to hwy 395 near Mammoth, and call it a night.

An amazing week! There is so much stuff to see/do in the Sierras!! I’m definitely coming back here someday soon.

Back to hiking!

I spent a couple days at Kennedy Meadows, cleaning up, filling up, and socializing. The large group that was present Thursday night was reduced in size by Friday night; a portion of hikers decided to hitch north and avoid the snowy sierra. As I would find out, the fears of snow were unfounded, as the only snow I encountered was a half-mile section coming down the north side of Forester pass.  And I can definitely feel the change in the trail, this is no longer high desert, but high Sierra … Alpine lakes, deer, marmots, snow-capped peaks, bears, and JMT hikers everywhere!

Day 39: Saturday 5/23/2015, 15.1mi/24.2km

Day 40: Sunday 5/24/2015, 19.9mi/32.0km

Day 41: Monday 5/25/2015, 10.6mi/17.1km

Day 42: Tuesday 5/26/2015, 0mi/0km
Battery died! No pictures, Zero day in Lone Pine.

Day 43: Wednesday 5/27/2015, 0mi/0km

Day 44: Thursday 5/28/2015, 14.1mi/22.7km

Surprise! My dad joined for a week, from Lone Pine to Reds Meadow (150 miles + Mt. Whitney)

Day 45: Friday 5/29/2015, 25.2mi/40.6km

Going up to Mt Whitney Summit….

Day 46: Saturday 5/30/2015, 15.8mi/25.4km

Day 47: Sunday 5/31/2015, 10.0mi/16.1km

We jumped off the trail for a few days at Kearsarge Pass (Onion Valley trailhead). The original plan was for us to get to Reds Meadow (155 trail miles) in 8 days, which was pretty ambitious, especially given the altitude of 10k+ feet and the crossing of 4 high mountain passes. After sustaining a post-holing injury coming down Forester pass, we decided to do some local dayhikes in the Sierra region.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had access to WiFi… I’m posting updates from week 6 & 7 from a McDonalds playground!

Day 32: Saturday 5/16/2015, 23.6mi/38.0km

Day 33: Sunday 5/17/2015, 19.2mi/30.9km

Day 34: Monday 5/18/2015, 23.9mi/38.5km

Day 35: Tuesday 5/19/2015, 26.0mi/41.8km

Day 36: Wednesday 5/20/2015, 24.0mi/38.6km

Day 37: Thursday 5/21/2015, 22.1mi/35.5km

Day 38: Friday 5/22/2015, 0mi/0km

The section from Tehachapi pass to Walker pass flew by, completing the 85 miles in 3.5 days. The first day I hiked my first marathon, getting in 26 miles by 5pm. I felt good and had plenty of food because I was ahead of schedule, so I combined it with the 50 mile section to Kennedy Meadows.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had access to WiFi… I’m posting updates from week 6 & 7 from a McDonalds playground!

Day 27: Monday 5/11/2015, 19.5mi/31.4km
Most of this day was a roadwalk, a fire from 2010 closed about 20 miles of trail.

Day 28: Tuesday 5/12/2015, 19.4mi/31.2km

Day 29: Wednesday 5/13/2015, 24.0mi/38.6km

Day 30: Thursday 5/14/2015, 16.9mi/27.2km

Day 31: Friday 5/15/2015, 0mi/0km

My old shoes had 600+ miles on them, time for new ones!

The section from Tehachapi pass to Walker pass flew by, completing the 85 miles in 3.5 days. The first day I hiked my first marathon, getting in 26 miles by 5pm. I felt good and had plenty of food because I was ahead of schedule, so I combined it with the 50 mile section to Kennedy Meadows.