PCT SOBO DAY 106 – A 30 Mile Day

Day 106

Start: Chimney Creek Campground, mile 1973.7

Finish: Walker Pass Campground, mile 2003.3

Miles driven: 29.6 miles

This morning, everyone else and I woke up to the smell of hot bacon sizzling in the air. It was still dark, but it was enough to get me out of my tent. I had to get an early start today to get the 30 miles to the next campsite, so breakfast was at 6am.

And it was totally worth it. When I left, I was full and well fed for the day. The bike started cool and cloudy. Feelings of gratitude washed over me as I climbed my first ascent of the day. You never know what a hike will surprise you with and I was so glad that mine had been full of pleasant surprises so far. Being among the other hikers really lifted my spirits.

As I climbed, the air became colder and more humid. The trail took me directly to a cloud pushing through a clearing in the mountains. It was so cold! A few other hikers surrounded me at this point, but it didn’t matter. The only thing I was focused on was staying moving and getting over the cloud.

Finally I did and the air became warm and dry. It was like I was in a completely new land. The mountainsides were covered with low, stunted trees, and Joshua trees made their first appearance. I sat under a tree, hiding from the sun while I ate my morning snack.

Soon it was time to climb again, but only for a short time. I loved the view of the valley in the distance and kind of wished the trail took us in that direction. Of course it wasn’t like that.

After another short descent, it was time to tackle the last climb of the day. This was quite big and steep at the end, but with steady steps I made it to the top. And what a view! The flat land stretched in all directions; I could almost see Mexico in the distance (almost).

This was another place where I just had to sit and take in the view. The cool air swirled around me and the sun warmed my back. It was nice up here.

The final descent to Walker Pass campground was too long and windy. The curves seemed to last forever and I just wanted to get to the road. The sun began to set and the air became cooler, forcing me to move faster to stay warm.

However, I finally made it to camp just before dark and claimed a campsite. Not only were there hikers here, there were also several hunters, who wore their bright orange gear even in camp.

Our gracious hosts lit a propane fire to keep us warm in the windy air. I was perhaps the fifth or sixth hiker to return, so while the rest arrived, we all huddled around the fire, drawn by the warmth. Dinner tonight was homemade beef chili along with many more snacks and sides. Of course, Helix Brewery beer was also on the menu. After hanging out with people a bit more, I went to bed a little early, knowing that tomorrow would bring another early morning.

And that’s a day in the life of a PCT SOBO hiker!

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