After a great breakfast of sausage, bacon and eggs I packed up and hit the trail. The predicted rain did not materialize and there’s no rain predicted for the next few days. The section I am starting today is about 125 miles from Stevens Pass to Stehekin, which I planned to take about 8 days (read: my pack is heavy with food).
I talked with others heading out who convinced me that, while the trail has a lot of up and down, it has more switch-back sections and so is less steep than the previous section. I decided that I could make the trip in 6 days instead of 8 and donated 2 days of food to the hiker box.
On the trail I ran into a legend, “Metric Ton” – a guy known for his hiking the PCT with a 100 lb pack! Here he is with all his gear. His food bag alone (black bag under his left elbow) weighs more than my whole pack! He wants to keep in shape and so continues to carry the weight he carried while serving in the armed forces. He prides himself as a “hiking trail angel” and often provides food, water and repair service to other hikers in need. I had heard about him during my 2018 PCT hike and he was a major topic of discussion at the hostel last night. He’s a really nice guy and I’m glad to have met him.
Today is a mostly uphill climb to ridges with great lake views
There were a lot of day and weekend hikers out. I was worried that I would not find a decent, quiet campsite at Pear Lake, but with a fair bit of scouting I was successful.
I hiked 20 miles today, even after getting a late start (9am instead of 6am), so I’m feeling a bit more confident in my decision to drop two days of food.
Another great nights sleep!
Dale's Pacific Crest Trail hike -- 2019 