PCT SOBO DAY 105 – All you can eat pancakes!

Day 105

Start: Kennedy Meadows south, off mile marker 1952.4

End: Camp Chimney Creek, 1973.7

Miles driven: 21.3 miles

Everyone woke up early in the morning and was ready for pancake breakfast. The cooks weren’t that eager, so we sat and chatted for a while while we waited for the place to wake up. I also met one of the resident dogs, but he wasn’t too keen on being petted.

Word spread on the trail that two hikers, Shaggy and Peaches, had friends and family coming to the trail to cook dinner tonight and provide magic on the trail for the next few days. We wouldn’t need to buy much food to resupply since they would provide most of it for us in the next section. The only drawback was that we had to keep up with their pace to get from one point to another.

I was a little unsure if I could keep up, so I bought some snacks just in case and planned to restock in a couple of days. Still, your offer was so generous! I also definitely wanted to continue hanging out with everyone, so I decided to at least make it to the planned camp tonight.

Breakfast finally started and man, was it good! I ate a whole plate of M&M pancakes, bacon, and eggs. And yes, I came back for seconds! Some of the guys came back for the fifth and sixth courses! Unfortunately, I was so excited about the pancakes that I forgot to take a photo of them.

There were about 10 of us sitting at the picnic tables, talking about this and that. It was so much fun being part of a group! This type of gathering was rare among SOBOs, so I enjoyed being in the bubble while I could.

The planned campsite for dinner was about 22 miles down the trail, so I decided to leave a little early to make sure I arrived on time. The day was warm, but not unbearable. The trail started out pretty flat for a few miles, so at least I didn’t have to work too hard in the heat.

I climbed following the contours of the rolling mountains and tackled my first climb of the day. It was a good elevation gain, but the incline was gentle and steady, making the hike easy. With about 2 miles to go, some of the hikers surrounded me, but I knew I would make it to camp in plenty of time.

And what a surprise when I arrived! There were 2 campers and several tables of goodies for us hikers. It was more than I imagined! Additionally, Shaggy owns a brewery in San Diego, so he provided his beer for us hikers to enjoy.

One by one, the hikers arrived and we cheered them on. Dinner consisted of hot dogs with baked beans and salad, plus dessert. We all stayed awake well past our normal bedtime, enjoying the food and the company.

Tomorrow we would have to walk 30 miles to the next location, as the motorhomes would only be able to find us in places accessible by road. Someone jokingly suggested packing loosely, but I accepted the offer seriously. I didn’t think I’d get this far in a reasonable amount of time with my full backpack.

Full and happy, I went to bed as things calmed down, happy to be walking among friends and good people.

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

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