Day 60 - PCT 2024
Miles Hiked: 13
Total Ascent: 2,418 ft.
Total Descent: 1,373.7 ft.
I didn’t want to get up today but I knew it would be better to beat the heat so I packed up and started hiking around 7:30am. I’m not feeling feverish anymore, thankfully but still a bit dragged out. I’m congested but it’s manageable.
The first 4 miles were mostly downhill and my knee started acting up. It wasn’t overly painful or anything but it’s tender. I find it hard to stop on trail to do stretches. Some areas, like later today, it’s almost impossible to find room to break and lay out. It got me thinking about my Sierra plans. I’m getting closer to the start of the Sierras, even hiking slowly with fewer daily miles. I’m just over 200 miles away. Wow! Crazy to think I’ve come all this way. Saw a cool cave this morning too!
My descent today got me thinking about my knee and it not being ready for snow in serious mountain terrain like the Sierras. I’m quite certain it was the snow in Big Bear and Wrightwood that set off my IT band issue. Or at least aggravated it. What does this mean for my hike? I’m not sure yet but I’m not ready to call it quits, even the thought of that is heartbreaking. I know my hike will need to change and I’ll need to be a little unorthodox on my approach to completing the PCT. But it might not be wise to enter the Sierra until I do better rehab on my knee. I’m going to think about it and try to devise a plan.
The climb up was hot but windy. I appreciated the wind. The airforce was back spraying this morning. I tried Googling what they’re spraying but I couldn’t find anything. Hopefully it’s non toxic. I hope it’s not getting into our water sources. I entered a burn area that had poisonous poodle dog bush everywhere. You could smell it before you saw it. It smells of a less harsh version of marijuana. If you’ve never heard of poodle dog bush, it can cause severe allergic reaction if touched. Blisters, welts and rashes are common. You want to stay away from it. The plants were mostly off the trail itself but some were encroaching on the trail so I spent the afternoon dodging the poodle dog bush. Afterward, I found out many hikers are choosing to dirt road walk around this part of trail in hopes of avoiding the poodle dog bush. I’m glad I stayed on the trail but at a certain point you need to weigh the pros and cons of the hazard.
Because I stayed on trail I found a lovely waterfall right before I was going to camp. Anvil was already at the waterfall, shirt off, sandals on when I walked up. Frogger joined slightly after I arrived. The 3 of us sat there for about an hour shooting the shit. They’re hiking 20+ mile days currently but respected my need to hike fewer miles with my knee the way it is. Crazy to think I may never see these hikers that pass me again. I filled up my two 1L bottles, my shake bottle for the morning and carried 3 extra litres to camp. All of the camp sites are overrun by poodle dog bush but someone found the spot I’m at currently and made a comment about it on FarOut. Thankfully no one else was there as there’s only room for 1 tent. Maybe 2 if you really squish in. Plus, I’m looking forward to camping alone tonight. I’m just not in the mood to be social.
I got to camp early, set up, did some stretches, enjoyed Banana Bread Oatmeal from Backcountry Foodie for dinner. This stuff is the jam. It’s so good and filling. She labels it as morning oats but this dish is saving me in the evenings.
I plan to head to bed early.
