Here we go again.

Well 2020 has been an interesting year: due to circumstances, I’m a bit late hitting the Pacific Crest Trail. But I made it. Since it’s so late in the year I won’t have time to start at Mexico and make it to Canada before the snow closes the trail so I decided to start at mile 652, Walkers Pass, which is just before the Sierras and the high part of the trail. From there hopefully I’ll be able to make it Canada before snowfall and then find a way back down to Walker pass where I started and then finish the 652 miles across the desert to Mexico and the Triple Crown.

So I got started. I ended up driving my truck out from TN and putting it in storage in Ridgecrest California and taking the bus up to Walkers Pass. I got off the bus on the 10th of June and started walking the 2000 miles to the border. A long,  long way to go. It was broiling triple digit heat uphill thru the desert. I was quickly wandering what I had gotten myself into but the call of the Triple Crown is strong. I hiked all day finally hitting Spanish Needle creek just before 6 pm at mile 668.7. I had made it 16. 6 miles and I was overheating and exhausted. I drank straight from the stream managed to semi erect my tent and crawl inside. Too hot to eat I passed out for the night a bit concerned but still happy to be on the PCT.

I awoke on the 11th and knew it was going to be a rough day; I couldn’t hold down food but I had to hike I couldn’t just stay in the desert so I shouldered my pack and stumbled off into the dawn. It was up for miles and miles and the next water was 12.1 miles away up and over a small mountain. I knew I needed to push it and try to beat the heat so off I went. I drank water as I could but everything I ate I threw up. I knew this was heat exhaustion and I’d dealt with it before so while it sucked I could make it to town 30 miles away in a couple days if I persevered. By ten the heat had again reached above 100 and there was no shade in sight. I was staggering thru the parched landscape breifly resting on scorched boulders every half mile or so determined to carry on. A little after 12 pm I made it to Chimney creek. I was completely out of water and immediately drank my fill before promptly throwing it up again; some other hikers were resting nearby in the shade and they eyed me wearily before yelling “hi”, I grinned and said “hello”. We talked for a bit and they said they were only on the trail for a couple days and were hiking on. I decided to take the afternoon off and try to get rehydrated there by the creek. It was going to be a 6 mile climb from there. I stayed there all afternoon and into the night. Sipping water and staying in the sparse shade of a stunted pine. I still couldn’t eat but I was feeling better. I decided to wake up early and try for town the next day. I was at mile 689.8 I had only made it 12 miles that day.

The 12th I got up at 3 am knowing I had to beat the heat up the 6 mile hill. It had been 2 days since my last real meal and I had to hike; my pack was heavy as I strapped it on and walked into the dark. It was 19.4 miles to where the shuttle was supposed to pick up hikers and ferry them to Grumpy’s hiker retreat. So up I went, and up and up. Sunrise found me still climbing that barren ascent making my way thru the cacti and rockslides. A little after 7 I reached the summit and briefly rested but only briefly with 13 plus miles to go. I pushed on down the other side and towards the call of town food and rest. I realized just like my first days on the CDT these first few days had to burn away that thin veneer of civilization I had adopted over the past few months. I had to shed that skin and embrace the trail. I just had to really become Wallace the thru hiker once again and hike on. So I hiked; I ran out of water somewhere along the way but I didn’t stop.

I messaged the shuttle a mile out on my Garmin (satellite) since there’s no phone signal but got no answer. I made it to mile 700.2 and messaged again but no answer. I walked the .3 miles to the parking lot and waited a few mins before messaging  again but no answer. So I had to make a choice: sit in the completely exposed desert with no water and hope the shuttle came or hike the 3  miles down the road to Grumpy Bears retreat. So I hiked and I made it 2 miles to the main road and a local picked me up and carried me the last mile. When I got there Grumpy told me they were just about to leave to go pick me up.

So I camped at Grumpy Bears Retreat in Kennedy Meadows the gateway to the Sierras. I resupplied at Triple Crown Outfitters next door owned by the famous guide book writer and double triple crowner Yogi. I was t able to eat for a while but eventually managed to keep down some pizza. There were a few other hikers and I hung out with them for a while for retiring for the night a 22 mile day.

The 13th I rented a bear canister from yogi since it’s reguired in the Sierras. It’s ridiculously huge and heavy I just barely managed to fit it in my pack. And I moved a couple miles up trail to the Kennedy Meadows General Store to take the day off and recuperate. Everything’s run by generators out here. No phone signal but 10 bucks for sketchy WiFi so I hope I get this posted tho I won’t be able to upload pics till I hit an actual town. So yea I’m on my way: maybe not the most graceful start but I’ll hike on 🙂