Monthly Data Update (M-1; 30 days)

Distance traveled on PCT: 631 mi / 1015 km

(actual distance traveled would be about 10 miles more for misc activities)

Total time: 280 hours

Total ascent: 117,830 ft / 35,915 m

Total descent: 115,912 ft / 35,330 m

Highest point: 9407 ft / 2867 m

Average distance/day: 21 mi / 34 km

Average time hiking/day: 9.3 hours (incl Zero days)

Average pace: 2.3 mi/hr (or) 3.6 km/hr

Number of Zero days: 1

Number of Nero days: 4

Number of meals eaten that I hadn't carried on my back: 15 (out of a total of 90)

Number of proper showers taken: 7

Number of animals seen: 1 bear, 10+ snakes, thousands of lizards, birds & other insects

Number of items lost: 1 beanie, 1 filter bag cap

Number of items lost & found: 1 pair of sunglasses

*Lessons learnt* :

- As my friend & mentor, Mark, says: always check and double-check the spot where you have stopped, even it is for a short time

- I am not an Ultra Light Backpacker. However much I want to be, I like the margin of safety & my comfort too much to be one 🙂

- Per my friend & running buddy, Vijay: I have got excellent training for Ultra Running now...eating, drinking & walking!

- Humanity is underrated - there are lots and lots of good people all around us

Comments

Kusum said…

Truly there are still angles in the world. You are experiencing it first hand!!

May 20, 2022 at 12:37 AM

Aam Aadmi said…

Ravi, it has been a month for you and every Saturday morning I go through your updates. Your posts teleport me to the great outdoors better than any Nat Geo documentary. You will have stories to tell from some time and I look forward to hearing them all.

May 20, 2022 at 5:22 PM

Pleasures of being on PCT (D-16; 303.7 - 328.8 miles)

Heading out from the cowboy camping experience last night, I was looking forward to Deer Creek Hot Springs that is apparently very popular among the locals too & tended to get crowded during the weekends, even though one has to hike in a mile or so from the trailhead parking (or hike 308 miles on PCT 🙂). Reached it early enough, but still it was chock full of people - locals & thru-hikers both - most of whom had camped there overnight in spite of it being a No Camping zone. People were lazing around in some of the pools in various states of undress, as it was a clothing optional area. It was way too crowded for me and I decided to head out. But, as I was heading out, I saw a small pool of water with nobody in it and the water was pleasantly hot (not just warm). Pool I "discovered" away from the crowds Close-up of the pool Me in the pool 😋 What a lovely feeling to be in a hot pool, especially after not having had a hot

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

A thru-hike attempt... successful! (D-117: 2642.6 - 2653.6, D-117S (SOBO): 0 - 17.1, D-118S (SOBO): 17.1-30.6)

It is done! Finally, on August 10th, 2022, 117 days after I started at the US-Mexico border on April 16th, 2022, I reached the US-Canada border. Walked 2653.6 miles (4270.6 km) south-to-north through the states of California, Oregon and Washington. No bittersweet moments...just sweet relief to be done 😀. We were few of the lucky thru-hikers this year who were able to go south-to-north continuously without any interruptions. People who started even a couple of weeks earlier and maintained this pace hit a lot more snow in Seirras and a hell lot more in Washington, the latter being almost hike-stopping. By the time we got to Seirras, the snow was much more manageable, and almost all the snow had melted in Washington. People who started later or were slower have had to skip parts of Northern California due to forest fires. Even Oregon and Southern California have some fires starting already. Anyway, reached the northern terminus of the PCT yesterday morning around 8:40 am

A thru-hike attempt

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