August 2, 2024 - Day 77

Burn sections marked todays hike. It was also the most elevation we’ve done in one day since starting the PCT. 7,300 feet of elevation gain over 18 miles. Brutal… Spoons’s mom is hardcore.

After our initial 5,000 foot climb, we began traversing down to our lunch spot for an early bite to eat and long siesta. Back in the heat that evoked memories of the desert. It was still beautiful scenery but I kept trying to imagine what it must have been before the burn.

Following our lunch, we traversed down to a dirt road where we met Panda and Houdini. Prior to doing so, we passed a big stretch of blackberries. Fresh fruit is such a treat out here. Even more so when it’s straight from the source. Houdini and Panda both mentioned a massive bubble of hikers behind us. I guess the fires pushed a big group to the town of Ashland and Quincy so much so that there was no places to stay. I’m glad we’re going to return to the section we skipped in the fall as it will have cooled down a lot.

We had one more climb for the day. A brutal one that left both Mackenzie and I exhausted but we were able to get to camp in time to set up and cook before the sun went down. We’re nestled in some conifer trees looking forward to some great rest.

Happy trails…