Friday, April 17, 2015

Hiking the PCT

As promised in the previous post, we loaded up our little 5 pound packs and took off from the campground heading south on the Pacific Crest Trail.  The other hikers we passed knew we were day trippers from the lack of 45 pound packs and the fact that we were going the wrong way.  The usual direction is to hike north from the Mexican border.  We exchanged minimal pleasantries because we didn't want to impede their progress.  After all, they had a long way to go.  At first I was surprised how many hikers we saw, but soon realized this is the perfect time of year to start this journey of 2,650 miles.

We soon realized that this section of the trail didn't live up to its 'crest' name.  It immediately took us into a valley and through the brush.

Then we made our way across an endless meadow . . .

Where we spotted the occasional interesting dead tree.

Then we traversed a small forest.  (Hey!  I just realized we went 'over the river and through the woods')

And just about the time the scenery got a lot more interesting, we turned around.

And back we went across the meadow.

But we did spot this stone owl watching over the PCT hikers..

Now I realize all 2,650 miles of the PCT can't be spectacular, but I just wish we had gone north for our longer leg.  Just from the short stretch we did the first day, we could see that was lovely. Next time.

5 comments:

  1. They're also expecting a lot more hikers this year because of the movie "Wild."

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  2. 45 pound pack? Those hikers surely are dedicated. Wow!

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  3. And now, are you on your way to grandmother's house?

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  4. It is one long hike, I wonder how many do the whole lot in one go. Sometimes people spend years hiking sections at a time.

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  5. Finding the best parts of a trail isn't always easy ... sometimes the parts we walk end up being "for exercise."

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