Trail Magic

Day 4

Mile 63.7 to mile 86.6

PCT Miles: 22.9 (36.6km)

Total Miles: 86.6 (138.6km)

After sleeping for 11 hours (!!!) I woke up around 5 and right before 6 I was already hiking. Not much because I wanted to, but because I needed to beat the heat. Besides the forecast of 30 degrees and almost no shade, this section doesn’t have many water sources.

I hiked mostly alone (yay!) and did another 10 before 10, properly celebrated with my first snake sighting! It was not a rattle snake though, just a normal scary terrifying long random snake 🐍.

I kept pushing until Scissors Crossing, where most hikers hitch to Julian, a hiker’s town. I didn’t want to go to Julian, but I was out of water. Then, I experienced my first trail magic: right under a bridge (one of the few places with a shade today) there was a water cache! It’s a known cache, replenished every day (multiple times a day) by trail angels. While I was there having my lunch and resting (it was a pretty tough and warm morning), I saw someone coming with more water, tangerines, bananas and cold gatorades and leaving everything there for the hikers. I find it truly amazing and inspiring that people do that!

After a good two hours break it was time for the toughest part for me so far: the next water cache should be 14 miles ahead, which basically meant that I had to dry camp tonight: camping without a water source nearby. I started my afternoon carrying 5 liters of water, which almost doubles the weight of my backpack. For the next 10 miles I had absolutely no shade and I sweated like a madman. I can see stains of salt everywhere on my clothes. My face literally has a white layer on top 🧂!

I’m eating my dinner as I write this and now there’s only one meal left on my backpack! My plan is tomorrow to first not die and second hitch to store and resupply for the coming 4 days!

And yes, Marlos. Today I used my little shovel 😌

the heat hits hard

hard hits the heat

was that another snake

or just my heartbeat?

the scorching desert burns

my strength seems to fail

while the dry wind

sucks all the moisture away

but then there are angels,

who bring magic to the trail

my hope is restored