PCT SOBO DAY 96 – Does an apple a day keep the snow away?

Day 96

Start: Horseshoe Lakes/Mammoth Trailhead

End: Virginia Lake, mile 1763.0

Miles Traveled: 15.1 miles, 11.6 miles of trail

This morning I woke up groggy and forced myself to get out of bed earlier than usual. I didn’t want to spend too much time in the city this morning since it was my third time in the city in about a week. Still, I wanted to enjoy the benefits of the city, so I walked to the breakfast place in front of the hotel and sat down to eat, still half asleep.

Being in the city as a hiker can be fun. Sometimes I sit and look at everyone going about their normal lives and think that no one knows about the adventures I’ve been on. My story is invisible until I tell it. But the same can be said for everyone else. Our facades don’t reveal much about what’s going on in our lives.

As I was sitting in the restaurant thinking about this, someone approached my table and nodded at me.

«Hey! Princess, right? You remember me? I know I look a little different than the last time you saw me.»

It took me a second to recognize it through my drowsiness, but I finally understood. It was one of the brothers he had sent a message to! We chatted for a while. They had finished their JMT hike and were enjoying a hearty meal. The other brother greeted me from his table and I waved back.

When the only brother returned to his table, I had to laugh to myself. You never know when or where you might see someone on the trail.

Before long, my food arrived and I ate every last piece of pancakes, eggs, and bacon on my plate. The pancakes weren’t the best I’d ever had, but there were no crumbs left when I was done. I was too worried so take a photo, sorry!

After breakfast, I headed back to my room, quickly gathered my things, and then did a quick resupply at the grocery store before catching the bus back to Horseshoe Lake. There was a woman traveling with her husband who sat near me on the bus. I was so excited and intrigued by the trail that we talked about the trail and my trip almost the entire way. When he got off the tram, he gave me an apple from his garden as a farewell gift.

Lake McCloud

I was back on the road, but after a while, I didn’t feel like walking anymore. I took a couple breaks and chatted for a while with a hiker I had met near the Desolation Wilderness. The day was beautiful and clear, but I felt a little bored. Fortunately, most of the trail was relatively forgiving today. As I sat on a perfectly placed rock on the side of the mountain, I looked down into the valley. The trail was quiet and the air was slightly chilly. The warm sun felt good, but it was going to get colder.

One of the reasons I wanted to get some good miles in today was because the forecast called for snow, real snow. I knew that the more miles I could cover now, the more forgiving I could be with myself later if I got caught in bad weather. With a sigh, I got up from the rock and returned to work.

Purple Lake

I walked until just before dark. I probably could have kept going, but I just didn’t have it in me. As soon as the sun set, it got pretty cold. My fingers were so cold as I set up my tent. It was all I could do to quickly gather water and enter the tent.

Virginia Lake before dusk

However, Lake Virginia was beautiful at night. The moon shone brightly over the water as soft licking sounds lulled me to sleep. Another place to put on the list of places to return to.

Virginia Lake after dark

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

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