The End of Desert Section (D-33 652 - 672.8; D-34 672.8

The End of Desert Section (D-33 652 - 672.8; D-34 672.8 - 699)

The Kern Transit bus dropped me back at Walker Pass (the majority of the few passengers the bus has are hikers) by 9 am - a leisurely start - and I started hiking up a mountain. The above pic shows the Hwy 178 in the far left and the switchbacks that I had hiked up the mountain. The day was just a slog through the desert once again, with the second big climb coming in the second half - the hot half - of the day. It was a relief to reach the campsite, where a few people had already set up their stuff. But they were very welcoming and since most were cowboy camping, there was enough space for a lot of people. I also decided to cowboy camp as there was not much wind anyway.

A total of 9 people camped in the site.

Another of my creations for dinner: Ramen noodles mixed with veggie upma sprinkled with savory trail mix & cracked potato chips

Day 34 was much the same, except the climbs were a bit more gentler. The desert section of PCT was coming to an end.

This colorful snake was lazing on the trail for some time & then, it realized it was being photographed without it's consent and quickly slithered away. Wonder what this snake is?

The Sierra Nevada mountains are almost here!

And to announce the end of of the desert section, Kern River with plentiful water (so much water after so so long) shows up.

And my tent site was right next to the river, where it is a delight to soak my feet in.

Today's creation: Ramen noodles combined with sweet & savory poha garnished with potato chips & trail mix (much better tasting than the previous one 🙂)

Data:

Day 33

Day 34

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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