Day 81 - PCT 2024
PCT trail miles: 11.4
Ascent: 2,776.6 ft.
Descent: 1,524 ft.
Woke up to the worst condensation on trail yet. Everything was soaked. The inside and outside of my tent, my quilt, my pack, clothes (except what was kept in my dry pod) and I was not enthusiastic about getting up. I was warm under my quilt but the top was wet. And this morning was foggy, overcast and cool so we couldn’t even wait for the sun to dry things out. Packing up wet gear is never fun and adds to a heavier pack.
Today was a big climb going from 7800ish feet to 10500+ feet before descending to 9094 feet for camp. After being off trail for so long, this seemed like a tough feat. But I did it! Took a lot longer than I’d hoped but I’m battling a stomach bug (maybe bad water? Not entirely sure unfortunately but definitely something GI related) that definitely slowed me down. The sun also got to me today and I am rather sunburned.
Thankfully there were plenty of water sources on the way to camp today and although we’re dry camping this evening, we never had to carry more than 2.5 litres. We had a couple of great breaks too! Got to dry out all of our gear in the sun during our lunch break.
Climbing above 10,000 feet means thinner air. I didn’t feel much of a difference when relaxing on break but the climb sure winded me! It’s really neat being so high in elevation. The view from up here is stunning. Too bad it’s a bit hazy otherwise it would really be remarkable!
By the time we reached camp, I was so exhausted I needed to lay down. I hastily put my tent up, tried to inflate my sleeping pad with my inflator to find out the battery is garbage. Last night it died, despite having been fully charged in town a couple nights ago, so I charged it, but something is wrong and it’s not working. I don’t have the pump sack unfortunately so I had to manually blow it up. Not a big deal except the sun got to me and I was feeling really nauseous. I laid down for awhile and vedged before dinner. I didn’t feel like eating but forced myself. That didn’t end well.
Our campsite is a gem. Slightly off trail but tucked amongst the boulders. A previous FarOut comment lead us to this discovery and the three of us are grateful! Plenty of flat sites, high up, away from everything. 10/10 spot!
Despite not feeling great, I’m so happy to be in the Sierras!
