Day 50

Mile 863.7 to VVR (mile 875.7)

PCT Miles: 12 (19.2km) plus 7.2 miles on Bear Ridge Trail to VVR

Total Miles: 875.7 (1401.1km)

The day started perfectly on schedule: at 6 we left camp, around 8 we were having breakfast at the top of Selden Pass. At 9 we started the descent… which took a while.

There was a lot of soft snow. The temperature didn’t drop enough overnight to really refreeze the snow on that side of the mountain. So it was a tough descent, until a point where there was no snow. Then it was the type of hike that I enjoy the most: clear defined trail, challenging but without snow.

After having lunch (me and Geezer only, the other two stayed behind) we started another ascent. At the top, there was a junction with another trail and a nice space to chill. Geezer decided to take a break and wait for the other two and I continued.

Two miles later, when I checked on the map, I actually took the wrong trail at the junction and I was on a side trail called Bear Ridge Trail, leading to Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR). I even started hiking back, but I really didn’t want to go back these past two miles, so I continued towards VVR. When the initial frustration of taking the wrong trail vanished a bit, I started

to enjoy the misfortune: I was pretty sure that I could camp at VVR and maybe even get a meal 😋.

After hiking for three hours I finally arrived at VVR. It was a bit weird to be in “civilization“ all of a sudden but it was not weird at all to have pasta alfredo with salad, beer and ice cream for dinner! The first drink for PCT hikers is free and PCT hikers can camp here for free too! Not bad!

It was fun the last days to hike with a group but unfortunately I’ll probably be on my own for the coming days. I’m considering taking a zero here at VVR to rest my muscles a bit and to enjoy the free stay. But I also would love to be advancing, at least a bit. Let’s see how I feel tomorrow and then I’ll decide.