Day 58 – 32 km – Sunday 23.06.2024
Today I get up at 6 a.m. and by the time I leave it’s already half past seven. Since I want to reach the last shuttle, which comes at 3 p.m. on the road to Kennedy Meadows, and I still have 20 miles before me, I walk accordingly go
First it goes briefly along a lake and after a small climb I already reach the first pass of the day.
Behind it, it first goes downhill through snow, although finding the way is sometimes a bit difficult.
After crossing the river, continue on a path again and a few meters later I pass the 1000-mile marking. So I’ve actually already completed 1000 miles (1609 km) from the border with Mexico to here, which I am very happy about. But since I still have a lot of distance ahead of me (another 1650 miles), I’ll continue walking straight away.
It goes downhill through the forest and I’m making good progress. At some point the trail turns into a valley and it goes straight uphill again. The climb is quite prolonged. Soon I will leave the forest and it will continue up over rock and snow.
The environment changes quickly and somehow the mountains look different than in the last few weeks. After a long and strenuous climb, I reach a small plateau. There I sat down for ‘Rocket’, a hiker who got her name because of her fast pace and who was the only one who was about as fast as I was this morning. While we eat something and chat, we enjoy the view in front of us.
Later the other hikers, who I had all overtaken this morning, come and join us. But after about an hour I’m leaving because I still have a lot of distance ahead of me.
Actually, I thought I’d reached the highest point, but it’s always going uphill. First along the slope and then over a small pass to the other side of the mountain, only to then continue up the slope there.
Unfortunately, it’s not the highest pass this time either, so two more small passes will follow before I’ve really reached the highest point. After all, the landscape is fantastically beautiful and today I really enjoy hiking again.
I can already see the road from above and I should be able to do the remaining miles by 3 p.m. I quickly descend the mountain and there are always smaller snow fields to cross. Since it’s quite warm today, I have little grip on the soft snow and slide out a total of three times. Every time I land on my butt in the snow, but at least don’t slide any further down the slope.
Around 2:30 p.m. I actually reach the road and so my planning for the 20 miles worked pretty well.
Since the shuttle is only supposed to come in half an hour and supposedly costs money, I walk to a parking lot further down with another hiker who has just arrived, from where we can hitchhike better, because the cars can see us early. In fact, the first car stops there after about 2 minutes and takes us with us. Since there is no longer any space in the truck itself, we ride on the loading area.
The wind is quite pleasant and the view on the 20-minute drive is not bad either. As I find out, the other hiker from Munich is and would also like to stay in Kennedy Meadows. At the campsite, the family who came here for a burger meal lets us out. We book a place to camp and then go for a delicious meal. Even today there are cheeseburgers again.
Later I set up my tent, shop at the supermarket, shower, wash my clothes and charge my power banks. In the evening I go again with the hiker from this afternoon and another German dinner here. Since the woman cannot speak English and it is sometimes difficult for her in German, she is happy that she has some entertainment today. In the late evening (around half past nine), we then sleep against.
Day 59 – 29.2 km – Monday 24.06.2024
Today I wake up again at 5:30. Although I could actually sleep longer, my body seems to have gotten used to this time. I dismantle my tent and sit down in the hiker area, which is specially set up for the PCT hikers. There I talk to others and reload my cell phone.
Shortly before half past eight I make my way to the restaurant to have breakfast there. In the interior I meet a group that I know from the last few weeks and with whom I have been out for a few days. I sat down with them and together we have a delicious breakfast.
At 9 a.m. we all take the first shuttle back to the trail. The driver lets us out there and we set off again. Since it’s already just before 10, I’m hiking right at a fast pace to still complete a few miles.
It goes up the mountain and the view gets better.
On the other side I walk down again in the snow and finding the way is not always easy here either. Parts of the trail are covered with snow and occasionally lead footprints in any direction. After a longer, nerve-wracking descent, it goes back through the forest on normal paths.
The PCT takes me straight back up, although the path is pretty steep at first. In between I pass small waterfalls and streams.
The climb is quite long and I notice that I have set the pace too high. Because it’s going uphill for more hours and I’m really freaking out. After 10 miles I’m taking my lunch break, which is my first break ever. Then it goes further up and whenever it goes downhill for a short time, the next climb follows directly. After what felt like an eternity, I more or less reach the highest point.
From here it goes down more than up and I pass meadows. The edge of the road is also increasingly adorned with beautiful flowers and in between herbs such as sage and mint, both of which you can smell good, can be smelled.
Actually, despite the late start, I wanted to complete my 20 miles today. But since I see a nice place a little below the path after 18 miles, I decide to set up my camp there.
With a beautiful view I cook my dinner and enjoy the view into the distance while I eat my food.
Since there are no other people here, I then go to my tent and write a diary there and read a bit before I go to sleep early to rest for tomorrow.
Day 60 – 42.3 km – Tuesday 25.06.2024
Around 6 a.m. I take my tent down and enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the sunrise.
Then I hike off and it goes up and down through the forest at first. After a few kilometers, the path then picks up a bit and I quickly gain altitude.
Since I then leave the last trees behind me, the view will be really good.
It continues uphill before I reach a small mountain saddle. On the other side it goes down into the valley. After overcoming a small field of snow, I sat on a stone and took a break for breakfast.
After the break, it goes further and further down into the valley. The landscape is very beautiful again today and I feel really good while running. Soon I’ll be arriving on a street where, to my delight, it looks a lot like Trail Magic. There is a small tent on an indentation and a mini kitchen next to it. At the table I already see ‘One Town’ and ‘Sinombre’ and they wave to me directly. One of the two men who are doing the whole thing here gives me a short introduction to what there is. After washing my face with a warm washcloth and disinfecting my hands, scrambled eggs, rösti and beans are prepared for me. A short time later I sit at the table and eat the delicious food. There is also an orange juice and coffee. Then I eat a bowl of cornflakes with chocolate milk and drink a coke. The two gentlemen really thought of everything you could wish for. There is even a banana. One makes this stand for 13 years and more or less forced his buddy to help his buddy 7 years ago. Since then they have been tasting the hikers here every year and completely free of charge. They don’t even accept a donation because they like to do it and have a lot of fun doing it. Gradually other hikers arrive and after we talk for a while I go on again after about an hour.
This is followed by another longer climb, although after the good refreshment I literally fly up. In the distance I see beautiful mountains that look significantly different than in the last few weeks.
On the slope I descend again and shortly before the last descent, I have another snow field to master, which was announced as very difficult and dangerous, as it is said to be very steep down and when you slide, it can end pretty badly. But apparently that has changed in the last few days. Because when I see when the dangerous snow field should come, I realize that I’ve already overcome it. In the end it was just a small pile of snow and not really difficult.
Then I go down a little more into a forest. Since the mosquitoes are available here again in large numbers, I walk through this piece accordingly quickly. I fill up my water on a stream and climb a few last meters up a hill.
There I set up my tent between a few stones. Later, other people come along and after my dinner I sit down with ‘One Town’ and ‘Sinombre’ before the mosquitoes drive us back to our tents in the evening.
When brushing my teeth, I get a beautiful sight of a somewhat unusual cloud. After that I go to sleep after a nice day.
Day 61 – 37.2 km – Wednesday 26.06.2024
When I get up at 6 a.m., the others are already gone. I pack everything up and set off.
At first it goes briefly through the forest and then soon uphill again. I quickly leave the last trees behind me and I come into a very barren environment that looks a little like a lunar landscape.
But the view is getting better and better, the further I climb up. Today the wind is blowing here and so I’m glad that I see a wind-protected place on a comb for a breakfast break. I look at the beautiful surroundings.
After a short refreshment, a quick descent follows and then it goes up again. I also take one or the other snow field with me, although these are now becoming easier and easier.
It goes on and on and around noon I reach a street with a ranger station. Coke, snacks and fruit are also available here today. The cold watermelon tastes particularly good. I’m sitting with some others for a while and after a little over an hour I’m on my way again.
I walk around again for a while and still have a few meters in altitude to complete. I pass a camp by the lake, where there are already a few other tents. But I decide to continue walking and do a few more miles so I have a short walk to the next road tomorrow morning, from where I want to get to South Lake Tahoe.
At the end I turn off in a small square and set up my tent in the forest. From here there are still 5 miles that I should have completed quickly tomorrow morning. I cook my dinner and read a little before I fall asleep again.
Day 62 – 10 km – Thursday 27.06.2024
Today it starts again at 6 a.m. Since I want to be in town for breakfast and I’m already hungry, I’ll start walking quickly. Although there is still a bit of ups and downs today, I’ll stick to the high speed because I should hold out for this short distance.
I walk through the forest for some time and in between I get a nice view of Lake Tahoe, which is in front of me in the valley.
Then it goes downhill first and then again over a small hill to a highway. On the way I can see some burned trees that will probably accompany me more often in the next few weeks.
Departed on the highway, I stow my hiking sticks on my backpack and stand on the street to hitchhike into town.
Less than two minutes later, a car comes on the opposite side and lets two hikers out. The woman calls out to me directly that she can take me back to town. So I’ve been in a car almost 5 minutes after arrival and I’m going into town with the nice woman.
She gives me a short introduction about the various shops and restaurants and then lets me out at a breakfast shop that is said to be used by the locals and is supposed to be really good.
In fact, I seem to be the only hiker in the store, although I get the last free table. But one of the conditions is quite interested in my hike and so I talk to her about the current conditions in the mountains for a while.
After the meal, I book a room for two nights in a motel because I want to have a rest day tomorrow to give my body some rest and some organizational things to do.
Since it’s still morning and I’ve already had enough coffee, I’m going to a McDonalds to use the WLAN there. I’m buying a coke and encountering ‘Paranoid’, a hiker I met a few days ago. He would like to leave the city again today, but he still has to charge his power bank and so we sit together in the McDonald for almost 2 hourss around.
Around 1 p.m. I take the bus to my accommodation and can actually check in earlier. In my room, I take an extensive shower and wash some clothes.
After that, I go shopping in a supermarket to refresh my food supplies for the next few days.
I’ll rest the rest of the day, watch a few YouTube videos and read news or find out about the current status of the EM, which I’ve completely missed so far, which is somehow a strange feeling. Actually, I would certainly watch almost every game at home and here I walk around somewhere in nature and don’t even realize who actually made any progress. And the really weird thing about it is that I really just don’t care about it on the way.
Day 63 – 0 km – Friday 28.06.2024
Today I didn’t set myself an alarm clock because I want to sleep in. Nevertheless, I am awake at half past seven and have a relaxed breakfast in my room.
After that I go to a post office to send some things home. In addition to my ice ax and the microspikes, a few other smaller things are also included in the package.
Since it all takes a little longer at the post office, I won’t be able to get out until around 11 a.m.
I buy a large pack of salad (family size) in a supermarket and take the bus back to my room. There I eat the healthy lunch and then start sorting the food for the next few days and packing it in my canister of bears. As I have read, you unfortunately have to carry it around a bit with yourself and so I can’t get rid of it yet. Currently I’m even considering carrying him along the entire route to Canada, as the number of bears has increased massively in recent years.
Here is a picture of my food for the next 4-5 days. In the morning there are two packs of oatmeal. At noon two tortillas with Nutella and a clifbar (energy bar) per day for in between. My dinner this time is made of couscous with tuna and a pack of mashed potatoes. In addition, lots of snacks in between to be able to eat some calories quickly.
And indeed, everything fits into the bear canister.
After packing the food, I sort out some clothes. In the meantime, unfortunately, two stockings have a hole and my shirt is also pretty much through. Especially on the shoulders, where the weight of the backpack presses on it. But since I still have a replacement shirt, which I hardly ever wear, it is simply used as a new hiking shirt and the old one is disposed of.
Since I sorted out the ice axe, microspices, gloves and now also the socks and the shirt, my backpack will be a lot lighter. Let’s see how fast I can be with it.
In the afternoon I just rest. I spend the time reading and watching a movie. I eat delicious muffins and drink coke.
In the end, I don’t do much else for the rest of the day until I go to sleep in the evening.
Overview
Here’s a small overview again.
In fact, I’ve already left the Sierra behind me and I’m facing the next section that will lead me through northern California.
In the last few weeks I had to master some strenuous ascents and descents and was able to observe many great landscapes.
Despite the still existing snow, I really enjoyed running in the remote area. The fantastic mountain passes and the snow-covered mountains often made me marvel at the fantastic nature.
I was also able to leave the many river crossings, which were apparently particularly difficult this year, since there was a very fast snowmelt, which still snowed last year from last year.
Even if I left the mountains a little early and thus had to struggle with more snow and ice, it was a good decision, as the landscape was nicer and the whole thing was a bit more exciting.
Now that I’ve completed more than 1000 miles, I’ll probably be a little flatter for the next week, which will allow me to tighten my daily miles again.
My daily average (including break days, etc.) is currently 17.3 miles per day. I hope to get the cut again over 20 miles in the next few weeks to arrive in Canada before the onset of winter.
If you have any questions about any topics, please feel free to post them in the comments or send me an emailme@flo-hikes.com(whatsapp,Instagram, … works too) write.
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