Day 38 - PCT 2024
Miles Hiked: 9.5
Total Ascent: 678.5 ft.
Total Descent: 1,774.6 ft.
Woke up to condensation in my tent. That’s the unfortunate thing about camping near a river. Felt tired this morning. I think I’m going to have to prioritize getting to camp earlier so I can unwind a bit and eat dinner before bed. Getting to camp late means eating and going right to sleep. Not much time for recovery. At least the sun came out and I took the time to dry out all my gear. It was lovely.
Today was hot. I had 2 litres of water that barely lasted to the next water source. I felt overheated and slow because of the sun. But the gorge I was hiking in was spectacular. The views were stunning! I couldn’t have asked for a better hike minus the blow downs and the rock slides. It’s a shame that the heat sort of got in the way.
I passed mile 300! What a huge accomplishment. The goal is obviously Canada but so many things can get in the way of that. Each mile counts. Each day counts. So happy to be out here, definitely for the good days but even during the bad. I break it down into bite sized chunks, trail town to trail town, or one day at a time. When I make it, I celebrate a little. Why not?! I’ve never hiked a trail like this before.
By the time I reached the water crossing, I was so tempted to jump in. The great thing was, the bottom of the river was sandy so I was able to take my shoes and socks off and cross the knee deep water without soaking my shoes. Normally, it’s not recommended to take your shoes off because you don’t want to cut your feet but this crossing we could see the bottom the entire way so I went for it. So glad I did.
Kathryn and I took a much needed break at the river. We both quickly drank a litre of water before starting lunch. We hiked 7.5 miles before breaking so we wanted to make this stop count. Usually I prefer stopping every 4-5 miles but we had a goal in mind for today so we just gave ‘er. Unfortunately my knee starting acting up about 2 miles before the river and I had to take a Naproxen which is strange. It’s a bit alarming but I can move it and stretch it so I’m hoping it’s okay!
We hiked on 2 additional miles to reach Deep Creek Hot Springs! My first ever natural hot springs!! A bunch of thru hikers and day hikers were here already but we joined the group which included the section hiker I met the other day back before Little Bear Springs Camp! We all enjoyed the three hot spring pools and some of us even sat in the river to cool off. It was a bit too hot for the hot pools when I first arrived as the sun was still beating down. I’m probably going to be very sun burned tomorrow. I carry a tiny travel size container of sun screen which wouldn’t cover my entire body so I went without.
We all hung out, chatted, ate an early dinner and ensured the naughty squirrels that are known to eat through hiker tents and bags to get at food weren’t nearby. After dinner, we all got back into the hot pool. I decided to go topless! It’s a clothing optional hot springs and many day hikers were nude or topless. And to think I used to be so shy! I stretched my quads out during the soak and that felt amazing. Hoping it’ll help my knee for tomorrow.
Originally we weren’t going to camp at the hot springs, mostly because of the squirrels, but the vibe here is so chill, and it being my first time at a hot spring, it was worth losing a few miles over. I got out of the hot pool around 7pm and hung out in my tent just lounging. The air was still warm despite the sun going down. I didnt feel a need to rush into my thermals. Even now, I’m not all bundled up like usual. How cool!
Today was a good day!
