PCT SOBO DAY 117 – Cold and Heat

Day 117

Start: Agua Dulce, mile 2201.4

End: Campground, mile 2225.2

Miles driven: 23.8 miles

I didn’t sleep very well last night. I was afraid that someone would come and kidnap me, so my brain was on alert all night. Still, I started early in the morning and went to the grocery store next door to have breakfast and pick up a few things to get to my next stop.

Just as I started walking down the street (aka the trail), I saw a familiar face. It was the sun! I thought I’d see him soon. Last night he had stayed at a shelter in the city, but his water filter broke. Now he was heading to the next larger city to get a new one. Damn, I thought we’d finally walk together for a while.

I didn’t feel like taking another day off, so I said goodbye and moved on. The way things were going, I’d probably run into him again in a few days.

Today’s main attraction was Vasquez Rocks, a popular filming location and home to several interesting rock formations. I took a look at the museum exhibit and wandered among the rocks for a while before continuing. The rock formations were cool, but I enjoyed the chilly air of the rocky canyon that came right after.

Today was another hot day. The trail was mostly exposed throughout the morning and I found myself climbing uphill for quite a while. As a reward for my hard work, I stopped for lunch at a trailer park and bought a nice cold Coca-Cola to go with my usual sandwich. The RV park wasn’t very busy since it was the end of the season, so I didn’t stay long.

I wasn’t excited about the next part of my day, but I knew I had to do it. According to my map, I had about 5,000 feet of gain to contend with over the next 15 miles. It sounded intimidating, but once I started, it wasn’t so bad. There were flat areas between the climbs where I could relax a bit before climbing again.

Although there wasn’t much water in this section yet, North Fork Ranger Station caretaker Todd was a big help. Not only did he keep a huge jug of water full for the hikers, but he also gave us crispy rice treats and Gatorade. Hmm! A few other hikers were there with me taking a break, so it was nice to be among other people again.

After snack, I hit the trail for my last climb of the day. Now that I was higher up, the air was much colder. The clouds were coming in from the west and some isolated clouds were throwing their water into the distance.

I walked late into the night, hoping to get to the top of the mountain where I knew a campsite was located. The city lights were shining in the distance and I could see the line of car lights snaking through the mountains below.

I stopped near Messenger Flats Campground and set up my tent for the night. It was windy and cold! What a difference from this morning! After a hot dinner of macaroni and cheese and tuna, I settled in for the night and fell asleep.

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

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