PCT SOBO DAY 109 – Miserable!

Day 109

Start: Dirt road, mile 2061.6

End: Highway 58/Tehachapi, mile 2089.3

Miles driven: 26.7 miles

When I woke up I didn’t want to leave my tent for anything. It was raining! And hard! I had breakfast in my tent and called Sun to see if he was up and moving yet. The rain was constantly pounding on my tent, but finally seemed to slow down. This was my chance.

I packed up all my things while inside my tent and put on my rain gear, preparing for whatever was outside. I quickly got out and removed the stakes from my tent, carrying it and my backpack to the camper area. At least there was a small awning that provided a bit of shelter.

Looking around, most people were already preparing to leave. I put my wet tent in my backpack and stood there, arms crossed and face wrinkled. I hated being wet and cold!

Luckily, I had one last treat to lift my spirits. A breakfast sandwich and a hot cup of tea arrived and I immediately felt ten times better. Maybe it could survive the rain after all.

Sun hadn’t left his tent yet, but everyone else had followed the path. When I went to look for him, he felt the same as me: unhappy and uncomfortable. In the end we managed to follow the path and immediately found ourselves in the middle of the fog.

The morning was long and terribly wet. Our feet were soaked, water washed away parts of the trail, and it was too cold and wet to stop for long. The rain kept coming. I was a little discouraged because it seemed like a really interesting section, but I couldn’t enjoy it. Huge windmills appeared here and there through the fog, but all I could see was my umbrella and the wet trail in front of me. I slipped and fell more than a few times.

As I began the main climb of the day, the air became colder. At some point, Sun had stopped to take a break, but he hadn’t caught up with me like he usually did. I tried to wait for him, but it was too cold. I had to keep moving. Soon, snowflakes began to fall and my toes froze. I wanted to stop but it was no use, I had to cross and get to the city.

The higher I went, the more snow I saw. He started to follow the path and I could see someone’s footprints ahead of me. After another cold hour, I finally saw a ray of hope: the blue sky! The clouds were beginning to clear and the snow had stopped. I was still cold and soaked, but the sun would warm me up in no time.

And so it was! The sun came out and the afternoon looked nothing like this morning. I was finally able to stop for a snack. I thought all my problems were over for today, but I had one more obstacle: mud! I thought I could make it up the last hill, but the mud stopped me and almost stole my shoe.

When I finally got to a good trail, I couldn’t do anything but laugh at how crazy the morning was and be thankful for the actual trail. I’d take it for granted now! The last few miles of the trail were easy and I was on the road before I knew it. I hadn’t seen Sun yet, so I expected him to show up at some point.

While waiting for the bus to Tehachapi, a trail angel stopped by to see if there were any hikers who needed a ride. I accepted his offer and found myself in my hotel room in no time. I took a very long, very hot shower and felt refreshed. The last stop of the day was The Burger Spot and then it was time to rest.

I texted Sun to see what happened to him. Turns out he got really cold and wasn’t feeling well, so he decided to camp out and wait out the storm. I’d be in town tomorrow.

With that, my hard work for the day was done.

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

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.