I decided to try to push through to Julian in two days which meant two very long days in a row. I hiked 15 miles today and tomorrow will be 20.
I am beyond exhausted and found a little campsite for one tent a quarter mile before the campsite I was intending on staying at. But when I reached this site, I was just DONE and having a campsite all to myself and sleeping ALONE near NOBODY snoring was an absolute luxury I couldn’t pass up.
This morning I watched an Instagram video about the chirps that mountain lions make, and even though there are definitely birds chirping near this spot, I don’t think I’d know a mountain lion chirp from a bird chirp if I heard one. I’m so tired that I’d probably just sleep through being mauled at this point.
I was out the door on the trail at 7 this morning and I didn’t sleep well last night even though neither Pink Panther or Crossroads was snoring. I don’t know if it’s just the fact that I’m in a new place every single night and my brain can’t shut off, or it’s just too many things going through my mind the first week on trail, but I desperately need a good night sleep. I am hopeful tonight will be the night.
This campsite isn’t even level, and I don’t care. It’s the most beautiful campsite I have seen all week because it’s all mine. It’s like a U shape with both sides slanted up. My tent only needs the sleeping part to be level though and the rest doesn’t matter that much.
I didn’t see anyone on the trail for hours this morning until I stopped to get water and I saw Pink panther and Eden as well as a guy Grizzley who was like, “are you Amelia?”. I said yes and he told me he followed me on Instagram. I’m famous! Another man gave me some pointers on how to better attach my umbrella and that was a game changer. It was unbelievably hot today (it was in the 70s). He asked if anyone was a physical therapist and could give him some pointers to stretch his legs. I paused and nobody else said anything, and then I said, “I’m a future one”. I gave him some stretches both static and dynamic and he said they helped. I’m on the right path. Literally.
I hiked over 7 miles by 11am but really started dragging after that, finally reaching Pioneer Mail around 1pm and got some water and collapsed in the shade. I was laying on my backpack cover and a trash bag attempting to nap. Am I officially hiker trash now? I ran into Pink Panther and Eden again and they were planning on two more days to Julian, but I’m hoping to get there tomorrow and then take a rest day.
At Pioneer Mail I ran into Shawn and his tramily. One of the girls looked so familiar and we realized we also followed each other on Instagram. It’s so funny how many people I’m meeting in real life now after following and chatting with so many other PCT hikers online before coming here!
I have always been a sprinter – when I ran, when I swam, I could expend great amounts of energy but then I’d need to rest. I may take it easier after this though and slow down my pace again. It’s only the first week and I’m trying to do 20 miles? This feels dumb, but if I do get a good night sleep tonight and get up extra early I could get a good amount of miles in the morning before it gets hot.
I have a healthy respect for the desert for both how hot and how immensely cold it can be. The air smells sweet most of the time – like sage, pine, or some combination. Today I tried to find little things to be grateful for – the smell of the air, a moment of shade, a breeze. I don’t want to forget these little things.
Today was the first day with breathtaking views, including the peak of San Jacinto mountain in the distance. It’s wild to think that I’m walking over there, and then going to climb that mountain too! This morning, I had been alone for hours and then passed a man named Dan. We chatted about the mountains and he whipped out the Peakfinder app to figure out which one was the San Jacinto range. Very helpful.
I made a very conscious effort to eat more today and I think I did a better job. I also was eager to get out the door this morning and I left before eating breakfast. I promised myself I’d eat something at mile 2 though and as soon as my watch beeped, I said to myself, “you promised” and took off my backpack even though it wasn’t even a good stopping point, and I ate breakfast.
The beans were so yummy and after eating them, my pack quickly felt lighter. So did my colon. The beef smelled like canned dog food, literally something I have probably fed Marble in the past, but I didn’t care. It was perfect.
I’m so tired right now, this blog post feels pretty lackluster to be honest but this is all I have right now. I need to manage my energy better but that’s just part of the learning process. I’ll get better at it soon.
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