Beauty & the Beast (D-36 709.5 - 735.5; D-37 735.5

Beauty & the Beast (D-36 709.5 - 735.5; D-37 735.5 - 760)

All I can say is that Seirras are absolutely beautiful and very tough too. Meadows, rivers, creeks and steep climbs up mountains. Unlike the desert, the elevation gradients are higher and the trail is not uniform.

Here are a few pics:

Bridge over Kern River

Kennedy Meadows

Saw a few more snow plants...they are so pretty (& interesting - thanks Lisa & Ritu) that I had to share again

A change in signage

Signs now on trees, instead of boards

Crossing a meadow

View of Owens Valley from the crest @ 10650 ft where I camped on Day 36

Mountains all around and meadows

Chicken Spring lake - the first lake I have seen on PCT

Filtering water at the Lake

For those who have had Biscoff cookies on Delta airlines and loved them, there is now Biscoff butter. Love it!

Some more scenery

My campsite on D-37 with Rock Creek flowing next to the tentsite and deer walking around in the meadow

Data:

D-36

D-37

NOTE: Another feature of the Seirras is that there is essentially zero cell phone connectivity. In fact haven't had any signal since the day I left Kennedy Meadows. So, while I am writing these blogs in real-time, it will be 10-14 days or so before it will be posted online when I get back into town & you will be able to read them. So, till Musk's satellite-based cell service (Starlink?) becomes a reality in a couple of years, this is the best we have.

Comments

Why you shouldn't (or should) thru-hike the PCT? (D-115: 2592.1 - 2613.1 - Nero @ Mazama, D-116: 2613.1 - 2642.6)

Over the last 116 days, I have had plenty of time to think about what's good or bad about this thru-hike and just in case, one of you is thinking about doing a PCT thru-hike, here are my thoughts about why you shouldn't or should do it. Why you shouldn't do a PCT thru-hike - It is very tough physically and mentally - There is less than 50% chance that anyone starting it will finish - Almost everyone seems to have negative physical effects including weight loss, muscle loss, days & days of tired legs & feet etc - You will definitely get scratches, bruises and cuts, if you are lucky. If you are unlucky, major sprains, muscle tears & other hike-ending injuries. Btw, most people who stop do so 'cos of injuries. - You will trip & fall down multiple times (when the avg number of steps is 50000 - 70000/day over uneven paths, the law of large numbers takes over and some of those steps will lead to falls) - It is an expensive activity, with a bulk o...

Gratitude (D-114: 2577.8 - 2592.1 - Nero @ Mazama)

As the last town day on the trail ends and a few dozen miles left to the end point, I would like to speak of gratitude. Every so often on the trail, there are moments of "why the heck am I doing this?" and that's when I have to compel myself to remember that this is an option and an opportunity given to me. I am fortunate enough to be able to hike on this trail for a long period, which is essentially a vacation (albeit, a physically & mentally demanding one). Not everybody gets the option of taking such a long vacation from work, family and other commitments. It may be a cliche, but I am full of gratitude for this. I am also deeply grateful to a bunch of people who made this hike possible and I would like to use this post to mention those people. Ravin & Deepika opened their home and hearts so that I could do all the preparatory work before the hike. They were generous to a fault and I used (& perhaps, abused) their generosity. Even during the hik...

Wind, constant wind & Trail Provides (D-4)

Finally the hike thru the "real" desert - as I had imagined it - happened today. No trees at all, only shrubs, cacti, dusty, wide flat vistas and absolutely relentless wind that almost never let up till the late evening. The wind was so strong in the second half of the day that it even literally pushed me uphill sometimes. The extra backpack weight seemed like the only thing that kept me from being blown here & there 😄. One good thing about the wind...it made the day seem cooler. And wind/sun way better than wind/rain. I have been drinking water from 1 liter bottles that are kept in the side pocket of my pack. Unfortunately they are not easy to access and I have to carry a bottle in my hand when I need to sip it frequently. This is a pain! So, I had decided to buy a thin tube at the next town in a few days and insert it into the bottle cap to make a flexible straw to make my life easier. However, this afternoon, I came upon the water cache ...

A thru-hike attempt

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