PCT: Day 113

Today’s word of the day is hungry. I didn’t get the best sleep last night as hiker hunger has fully kicked in, and I woke up hungry in the middle of the night.  If I weren’t in bear country I’d keep a snack in my tent for these occasions, but I’d rather be hungry than waken by a hungry bear.  With the longer miles I should be consuming at least 4000 calories a day and probably closer to 5000.  I’ve already planned on doubling my breakfast and lunch portions and adding more snacks so hopefully that helps.

The trail starts off in forests with lakes scattered about before starting the climbs.  I’m sluggish up the first hill as I clearly haven’t quite regained my trail legs.  Muscles are sore and joints ache.  I stopped a few miles in to talk to a couple I’ve been leap frogging since yesterday.  Oddly enough they are both teachers from Cincinnati (Dusty Buns and Little Critter).  They’re enjoying their summer off by hiking a stretch of the PCT.

I stop for lunch just before the climb up Carson Pass and eat 2 days worth of lunches hoping to curb my hunger. It seems to help for the next few hours. After Carson Pass the trail descends to a day use trailhead for the pass where there was trail magic waiting.  It turned out I was the 50th PCT hiker of the day.  I don’t doubt there were many more behind me.  This sounds like a lot of people, but when everyone is going the same direction at a similar pace you don’t actually see that many people.

I continued another 10 miles after the trail magic seeing maybe 6 other people.  There were a couple of unusually steep climbs in this stretch which taxed my already worn out legs.  I was shooting for 22 miles today, but due to a lack of good water sources and flat campsites I ended up at 25 miles.  This puts me a little over 5 miles from a resupply in South Lake Tahoe and might give me enough time to grab breakfast in town before Aaron shows up with the resupply.