44 Miles a dumb Idea

It's hot here in California.  Too hot for me.  After ten easy miles in the morning and a hot seven hour siesta in the afternoon, I decided to walk all the way to Burney Falls State Park where I know my friends would show up.

I saw a lot of things and I realized that I'm too tired to write a blog.  Another time folks! Bye! 

 My arm.  Top dirt, bottom cleaner.

Halfway Done

Yesterday I finally passed the halfway mark.  It took me eighty five days!  Don't worry and freak out and say "Oh no Jerry, you're only halfway and still have 1,300 miles to go and it snows in Washington and you'll die because you'll get there late and run on sentence!"

I'm up to a twenty five mile minimum day (except today and yesterday) which means 100 miles goes by fast.  As I approach Oregon, I'm hoping I'm doing thirties!  

Lost my hat!

I wish I had some more insight on what's going on but my brain and body are on over drive. 

Day 79 - Here in Sierra City

The daily grind has begun.  Since South Lake Tahoe, I've been aiming to complete twenty five miles, everyday.  It's  exhausting and recently, mind numbingly boring.  The scenery has changed.  I was spoiled in the high sierras.  Now I'm walking through the forest without any views.  I'm sure I'll be fine after a few days.  It'll just take some time to adjust.

Everyone else is picking up their pace as well.  There are also a lot of quitters or it at least appears that way.  The herd has seemed to thin out.  When I was hiking in the desert, I could see fifty other PCT hikers in a day.  Now, at most I see ten.  

Anyhow, I thought there was more to write but my brain is fried.  Hunger and exhaustion is a real thing folks!  Well, I have about five hundred miles until Oregon!  See you soon! 

An interaction on a bus in SLT

The bus pulls up to the stop. A tall, slender older fellow with a blue jacket and green baseball cap walks up to the front door.

"Hey, do you like it when people walk in your side door?" The man says with slurred speech.

"It doesn't bother me" said the bus driver

"I'm going to go in on your side door, ok?"  Says old guy. He starts to make his way to the side door.  

The bus driver exclaims "You can do whatever you want. You're drunk as hell and this is America, Freedom!"

And then I laughed.  

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I have plenty of stories just like this.  The trail is a gift that keeps on giving.

Day 73 - 1000 Done

Cheers!  I have surpassed 1,000 miles!  Myself and a few friends walked 17.76 miles on this special day since it was Independence Day! 

Currently I'm at South Lake Tahoe which is about mile 1,090 or so.  It's a few mile hitch off trail.

The High Sierras are over!  Which is sad because some of the best days on the trail were chilling at 9,000 feet.  

The best day easily, was when myself and some other hiker trash relaxed at a lake.  There were some nice cliffs to jump off, into a warm lake below.  I think we were there for three or four hours.  We also did nine miles that day.

The High Sierras took tons of energy out of me.  My daily average was around fifteen miles.  In the desert, I could do twenty five easy.  It's the elevation man!

I also saw plent of JMT hikers. All their packs looked wayyyyyyy too heavy.  They also smelled fresh.  I'd like to have given them a shakedown but there isn't enough time!  Onwards to Canada! 

Since I'm through with the High Sierras, I'll have to put on higher mile days.  I've done back to back marathons and I'll need to keep this pace to finish on time.  It's all a mental game now!