Day 83

Mile 1174.7 to mile 1203.5

PCT Miles: 28.8 (46.1km)

Total Miles: 1203.5 (1925.6km)

This was my warmest night on the PCT. I’m happy that I swapped my -15°C sleeping bag (1kg) for a 0°C quilt (600g) last week!

As it happens every time that I sleep without the rain fly, I could see the stars during the night and it’s so cool! The sky was very clear and I could see a lot of stars!

Gladly when I woke up the fire from yesterday was gone. I met a hiker (Hatchet, I think) early in the morning who told me the fire was 10 miles south from Donner Pass (where I re-started the PCT yesterday). Good that I was already past it 😮‍💨.

Inspired by a beautiful sunrise, I did 12 miles before 10am. I kept pushing until 2:30pm, when I had covered already 22 miles! My thermometer 🌡️ peaked at 39° so I took a good break in the shade after hiking the other seven miles. Even though the mosquitoes were present in the morning they gave me a break in the afternoon!

In one of my breaks, while I was filtering water, an older hiker approached and started to chat. His name was Snakebite, he was 75 and he was from Japan! I had such a good chat with him (some in English some in Japanese), talking about the Shikoku Pilgrimage that I did with Maike last year). I made him cry when I said that I want to be genki like him when I’m 75. Since he hikes in a slower pace, I don’t think I’m going to see Snakebite again. Ganbatte Snakebite-san! Ki o tsukette!

While I write this post (already in my tent, ready to sleep) the sun is setting beautifully. I hope I wake up tomorrow before the sunrise to watch it 🌄👀!

PS: A rattlesnake (!) rattled at me today. I was not expecting to see rattlesnakes anymore! I’m glad that nothing happened… it would be pretty ironic to be bitten by a snake on the day I met Snakebite!