PCT SOBO DAY 2 – TO THE Border and Back

Day 2

Home: TENTSITE, Mile 14.7

END: PNT Boundary Trail, Mile 3.7

Walked miles: 18.4 miles

Last night it was much colder than expected! Part of the problem was that the Down in My comfort was not distributed well enough, but they told me with what I had. I put all my clothes and was warm enough to sleep all night.

When I woke up around 6:20 am, I received 2 deer grazing on the hillside, a young dollar and a deer. They made my first path of the path.

My goal was to start walking very early, but I slept for an hour because I wanted the air to heat a little. I fixed them to leave quite early (according to my standards) just after 7 am, and enjoyed picturesque mountain views while heating my body.

All the photos and videos I had seen of PCT in WA came to life, and the mountains were even more impressive in real life. When I arrived at Rock Pass, I was fascinated once again. The mountains were so large and expanded in all directions. A long set of curves brought me halfway through the mountain and until the next pass I had to climb.

This time it was not easy! I was not yet adjusted to the elevation, so I had to take many breaks despite the fact that the curves were a luxury welcome. After overcoming Woody Pass I had a soft and flat walk until the next climb that I had to address.

There, near the point of view of Lake Hopkins, I found my first truly incomplete snow journey. There were 4 of us who were there at the same time, so we approach him together. First, we tried to follow the real path where we could see the steps already cut in the snow. However, after a few steps, it was too incomplete without microspikes or an ice ax. Fortunately, there was a flatter route that, although the snow still covered, climbed and on the incomplete outbreak and provided a very small probability of falling from the mountain. And in 2 minutes, we pass it!

We had a beautiful view of Lake Hopkins from above, but after being relentlessly ingreted by mosquitoes after only 2 minutes of admiring the view, the consensus did not stop there. If the mosquitoes were so bad here, they would be doubly worse by the lake.

Hopkins Lake

After some curves and a cruise path through the forest (where we had to dodge an endless number of worms hanging from the trees) we finally arrived at our camp at night. But the day was not over!

To make the last edge a little easier, we install our tents, we abandon most of our team and Slack we packed 3.7 miles to the border. The path was a bit covered in some places and we had to jump over and around some blows, but otherwise it was a soft and constant descent. Suddenly, I looked up and I could see the infamous line in the trees; We were almost there!

2 minutes later, he was standing in front of the term with which he had spent years dreaming. The PCT had officially started! Of course, we all had to get our photos, sign the registration book and enter Canada (Shhh, don’t tell anyone!) After soaking at the time, we took our light packages (merciously) and we returned to uphill. It was a very gradual uphill, but I still felt the effects of altitude, so I took several breaks.

When everyone returned, we sat down, eating our dinners and exchanging stories of trails. Some other hikers had also gone to label the border, so we also went out with them when they returned.

Now, everyone has retired to their stores despite the bright sky. It does not help the sunset be after 9 pm tomorrow will be my first full day officially walking on the PCT. I am not looking forward to uploading all the passes that I have already made, but that is the life of a PCT Sober!

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