Sonora Pass to South Lake Tahoe

DAY 84 (July 24) | Inspiration
To mile 1031
13.8 Miles

I walk towards the road at 9 a.m. to get a ride back to Sonora Pass. It is Sunday and I would expect some cars with day hikers heading to the trailhead but it is pretty quiet for the first 15 minutes and all cars leaving the campground are heading in the opposite direction.

I get a ride with a friendly family from the Bay area who goes fishing. Arriving at the pass they offer me Gatorade and cookies. While standing there at the pass trying to get ready, another car pulls into the parking lot. It is a dad and his daughter who want to go on a day hike. We talk for at least 30 minutes about the PCT and hiking in general before they put on their hiking shoes and start walking right from the pass.

Hiking feels a bit lonely today as I do not meet any familiar faces on the trail. It almost feels like I am walking in the wrong direction. A hiker coming from the opposite direction feels the same way though; he thinks more people are walking in the same direction as I do, saying that he had seen quite a few PCT-ers today already.

DAY 85 (July 25) | No motivation
To Sherald Lake
18.2 miles

Bad morning, no motivation to walk, thoughts about quitting. The battery of my phone is empty so I have no music, no navigation or mileage to see my progress and there is no people on the trail. Not a good combination :( 

I manage to do 10 miles by 12h30 and meet a nice couple at lunch. Furthermore, my battery is finally charged again, so my GPS is up and running again which significantly improves my mood.

The afternoon goes smoothly and I arrive at Shepard Lake at 7 pm.

I continue to have problems with my tent though: one of the zippers of the inner door (mosquito net) has not been working properly for a couple of weeks already and the second one does not close anymore either. Really annoying now that I am in mosquito country…. argh

Once I have set up my tent 2 section hikers arrive which camp at the other side of the lake.

DAY 86 (July 26)| Big miles
To mile 1070 (Lost Lakes)
20.7 miles

Break with 3 young section hikers who share their treats with me and give me some recommendations for camping and a nice site around Lake Tahoe.

10 miles by lunchtime.

I decided to walk another 3 miles at 6.30 pm; quite some uphill but a beautiful view towards a lake that was not visible from below.

I set up camp by the lake where some families are having a barbecue.

Felt save.

DAY 87 (july 27) | Surprise at Carson Pass
To mile 1087
17 miles

Michael from Reno “Your feet will be grateful although they are getting hot.”

Likely that snow in Washington will come late this year; hasn't been raining since May. usually a few thunderstorms in Sierra too at this time of the year.)

DAY 88 (july 28)
Easy hitch to South Lake Tahoe
3 miles

DAY 89 (July 39)
Zero-day at Karen & John's cabin
0 miles

Emerald Bay and hanging out at the Huckleberry House.

South Lake Tahoe to Sierra City

DAY 90 (July 30) | Aloha hey!
To Fontanillis Lake
17.6 miles

Karen and John do a little morning hike and accompany me to Echo Lake which is really cool.

Meet a group of girls from the Bay Area close to Aloha Lake with whom I have lunch. Christine is very interested in hiking the PCT and we talk for quite a while.

They all go back to Echo Lake while I  continue ahead to Fontanilis Lake where I set up my tent.

DAY 91 (july 31) | The Rattlers are back
To mile 1130
21.4 miles

Saw two rattlesnakes today: one crossing the trail and another one rolled up by a trunk, apparently sunbathing. There are still some beautiful lakes around but it's going to get dryer again soon, so this seems to be their habitat again.

More PCT hikers again! Caveman had just camped a mile further ahead, Ninja Turtle came from the opposite direction slack packing between Truckee and Echo Chalet and Jazzman showed up during lunch at Robinson Lake. 

After taking a short break at a trailhead in the afternoon I felt quite confident to be able to do close to  20 miles today. However, at one point, I felt pain in that same tendon on my right foot again. I continued uphill and it was hardly hurting but I was still a bit worried it would become worse again.

DAY 91 (august 1) | Magic
To Donner Pass
24 miles

I did not sleep really well last night as a deer was walking around where I camped, passing by tent real close a few times. Not sure what it was looking for, I definitely did not camp on some yummy fresh leaves or grass.

There are a few climbs today passing by two ski resorts. There is coverage on top of these mountains and I take the chance to call back home to check how Ramon - my cat who is in the hospital - is doing. They have found out in the meantime that it is pancreatitis what makes him vomit and not eat.

I meet quite a few hikers on trail today including a small group of day hikers with whom I chat for a while. I ask them about the Donner Ski Ranch which is supposed to be very close to Donner Pass and  where I plan to go to for breakfast the next day. 

I push on all the way to Donner Pass in the afternoon and get there by 8 pm. As I hit a side road a motorbike passes me, turns and comes back. It is Ron whom I met in the afternoon telling me that the ranch was in the other direccion and asking where I was heading. Once I mention that I am looking for a place to camp, he offers me to come to his house. Hot shower, good food? It takes 2 seconds to convince me, I jump into the car of his daughter Kaithlin and we head down toTruckee. Once we get to their house we see a bear crossing the street. Kaithlin tells me that it's trash day the next day so he might be checking (although most trash containers are bear proof).  

After a quick shower I have a delicious dinner with the whole family and some friends of theirs. I am very tired after a long day (and some glasses of wine :) but extremely happy once I fall into bed.

DAY 92 (August 2) | Hard to leave Truckee
To Lacey Creek
18.3 miles

After a yummy breakfast, Ron drives me back to Donner Summit. We make a little detour via the center of Truckee which really looks like an interesting town with nice restaurants and bars.

I join two girls doing a section hike by Lacey Creek around 7.30 pm and I am happy to have company.

It is a colder night and I do not sleep really well. I wake up twice although it is quiet, lay awake and do not feel tired at all really

DAY 93 (August 3) | Crunching Miles
To Sierra City
25 miles

Sierra City to Belden

DAY 94 (August 4)
To Tentsite Mile 1199
3.3 miles

I call Wissem to see how Ramon, the cat, is doing. He is back from the hospital and has started eating a little bit, not much but some of his favorite treats. Not sure though if that is enough. In case he does not eat he would need a feeding funnel. I see him via FaceTime video and although he gets painkillers, he looks weak and exhausted. I feel so sorry for him that it makes me cry while sitting on the porch of the general store.

I leave Sierra City with Troubadour and Bubble Boy in the late afternoon to avoid the heat.

There is a bigger climb out of Sierra City but I am happy to be back on trail. The temperature is ideal and it feels a lot less exhausting than expected. It smells like incense on the way up. Is it sandalwood?

DAY 95 (August 5)
To A-Tree Springs, Mile 1217
18.5 miles

I wake up around 5.30am and start walking at 7am.

On top of a ridge, I receive a text message from my mum. Realizing that I have service up there, I call home to see how Ramon is doing. He is eating some treats every day, so at least a little bit.

With Bubble Boy and Troubadour, we set up our tents by a spring and a road. Not a cozy place but a good starting point for tomorrow's ascent. Troubadour is playing some songs on the ukulele while we prepare dinner and a curious dear starts sneaking around the tentsite, not being afraid at all.

DAY 96 (August 6)
To Tentsite Mile 1239
21.8 miles

Slept pretty well and woke up at 5.30. The deer show up again and we stare at each other for a while. Funny situation.

Troubadour is going to zero today. I head out at 7.30 but Bubble Boy catches up shortly after.

After a tough climb late morning, we have lunch. An older gentleman joins us and we admire his super light pack (roughly 4 pounds, feels like a shopping bag). It's all quite expensive stuff though (tent, backpack, and rain poncho from ZPacks). His wife is following him in an RV providing his resupply every 3 days so he does not have to carry much food which is another reason why he can go that light. Great that he is through-hiking at his age though.

We camp by a trailhead at a paved road and I learn how to light a campfire. Nice!

DAY 97 (August 7)
To Tentsite Mile 1258
18.5 miles

I love the mornings on the trail! While I have my coffee, rays of light are slowly making their way through the trees. I haven't slept so well for quite a while, did not even wake up once at night.

10 miles downhill - 8 miles uphill - 5000 ft elevation gain

DAY 98 (August 8)
To Tentsite Mile 1280
22.4 miles

We find a snug little campsite just four miles before reaching Belden. It's a small, sheltered spot with some lovely views. I'm looking forward to catching the sunrise from here tomorrow morning. While I drift off to sleep, the crickets provide a comforting backdrop with their chirping.

DAY 99 (August 9)
11 miles (4+6)
To Myrtle Flat & Tentsite (Mile 1291)

It’ s all downhill into Belden but I am happy that we did not do it the day before when we were tired already. Knowing myself I might have stumbled a few times running down.

We get into Belden just right when the restaurant opens and have a yummy breakfast.

I call Wissem and see a Ramon that looks like the one I know so I am relieved that he is doing better again. Still has to get antibiotics but is eating his normal food again.

With Bubble Boy, we hitch to a campsite that has a little post office just 1.5 miles further up the road. He has a resupply box there. Get some food from Bubble Boy and buy the rest in the small store. A bit pricey but I prefer to buy here instead of going into Chester (in approx. 45 miles), going off trail and losing time. I want to get to halfway PCT and then to the Oregon border asap!

Old Station to Castella

DAY 104 (August 14) | First time 30 miles!
To Crystal Lake
31 miles

Hat Rim 20-mile stretch without water. 18 miles done by noon.

Local trail angel showed up at water cache with some homegrown peaches and delicious bacon-cheddar-bread.

First sights of Mount Shasta

Dry but beautiful landscape finally something different than always the same forest

With Sue and Bubble Boy camped at Crystal Lake just 2 milles from Burney Guest Ranch.

DAY 105 (August 15)
Nero day at barney mountain guest ranch
1.5 miles

DAY 106 (August 16) | Burney Falls
To Tentsite Mile 1425
18 miles

Got up early and headed out of the ranch at 5.20 am. Got to a campground close to the falls where I met Bubble Boy and his friends.

Went down to Falls with Fancy Pants. Hanging around at falls during the day with Fancy Pants and Backout was way too hot to walk (99 degrees Fahrenheit). Pickles and Forget-me-not showed up again too.

Headed out again at 5.30 pm with Backout. We had dinner by the creek at 7 p.m. There were some wasps around and I thought I better put my empty tuna pouch into my trash bag. While doing that I suddenly felt a pain in one of my fingers and it turned out that a wasp had just stung me.

We continued walking into the night and reached camp at 22h completely soaked. Still quite warm, guess roughly 28 degrees Celsius.

DAY 107 (August 17) | Hot, Hot, Hot
Meet giggles again. Long lunch break.

DAY 108 (August 18)
To Fitzhugh Gulch (Creek)
25.9 miles

Woke up early and couldn't sleep anymore. Started walking at 5 am.

Met Giggles 5 miles further up the trail having breakfast in her sleeping bag. Camped by a short road but south a garr view of Mount Shasta.

Had breakfast by a creek at around 9.30 and had walked 10 miles by them already. By 2.30 pm I had already walked 20 miles! Will this be another 30-mile day?

Crossed quite a few southbound thru-hikers that had started in Canada. One of them (with a small pack) had started on July 1. He confirmed that Oregon is quite flat with one major ascent to Crater Lake which seems to be very gradual though.

 Arrived at 6 pm at a creek and decided to set up camp there. Did  25 miles today which was my objective. This leaves 27 miles to Castella tomorrow.

DAY 109 (August 19)
Castella State Park Campground
27 miles  

My alarm was set to 4.30 but I was way too tired and snoozed a bit before packing and finally starting to walk at 6 pm.

Decided to do 3 sets of 9 miles to tackle the 27 miles to Castella which worked quite well. There was some climb during the day and I was a bit short on water as I had overlooked a bigger stretch without a water source but I managed to “stretch” the water I had and the climb was compensated by some great views of Mount Shasta.

When I finally rolled into camp at the State Parc I could not believe my eyes: I saw a face that looked familiar and it was Caveman indeed. What a surprise! Hadn't seen him since Sierra City and he had skipped a few miles in the meantime. I felt fired after dinner but could not end the day without some (free!) hot showers. Amazing feeling after a super hot and sweaty day.

Castella to Etna

DAY 110 (August 20)
To Disappearing Creek & Tentsite 
9 miles 

Went to Amirati's Market (which is basically) a little shop in the gas station to pick up my (last!) resupply box, get some coffee and a fresh sandwich.

Hung out there in the shade with Zeth, Old School, Gazelle, and Bubble Boy. Caveman left quite early to get back on trail.

Left with Bubble Boy and Smile to Fleming trail which leads to the PCT.

DAY 111 (August 21)
To Deadfall Lakes
25.1 miles 

I started early at 5 pm to tackle an ascent which was exposed before the heat of the day would start. Saw a bear that was running away into some bushes a bit further down the hill. Only noticed it as it was making quite some noise. Not very discreet these bears ;)

A group of day hikers we were chatting with gave us melon, cucumber, and a sandwich. Sweet!

Our tent site after the targeted 25 miles was at a beautiful lake with lots of cozy grass to camp on.

It's been a long time since I slept so well without waking up at night. Very cozy and peaceful.

DAY 112 (August 12)
To mile 1559
25 miles 

Go through options about how to continue all morning. Northern California seems to last forever ambidextrous walking has become really boring. I divide the day into 3 sections of 8 or 9 miles after which I take a break and eat something so what I am actually looking forward to is a meal :)

Passed 2,500km marker. Fancy Pants catches up.

DAY 113 (August 23)
13 miles to go to Edna 

Meet Jazzman during breakfast break at one of the water sources. He had been to PCT days at Cascade Locks by train and is now back on trail.

Reaching the road, I wonder if a car would ever come that way at this time of the day. And we were four! To our surprise, a pickup truck came up the hill and stopped. While the other 3 squeezed into the backseat, I took the passenger seat beside a big rifle. A hunter who was heading home after a successful early morning hut. A bit scary but still happy to get into town so quickly.

Etna to Ashland

DAY 115 (August 25)
To Marble Valley Campground 
24.1 miles 

Hitching out of Edna in the morning is not as easy as we thought. After almost one hour standing in front of the Hiker Hut hostel, 2 young guys stop and give us a ride back to the summit. They are doing a study on one of the rivers in the area and are on the way “into the field”.

Although I often find it hard to get into the rhythm after a town day, the first 10 miles pass by relatively rapidly. The afternoon is not that easy: a lot of steep up and downs over rocks and stairs. Very exhausting but we manage to do 24 miles in the end. Not bad for a day with a late start! And we see mama bear and a cub down in the meadow on the last 2 miles before arriving at camp!

DAY 116 (August 26) | Oregon I can feel you 
To Grider Creek Campground 
25.7 miles

The day starts with a few ups and downs and then a steeper climb before it gets pretty flat. It is a beautiful walk - partly shady, partly sunny - and I suddenly feel very happy to be on this trail still. From now on it will be gradually going downhill until Seiad Valley.

Walking is very easy and I decide to have breakfast after not more than 10 miles under a giant tree. A female southbound hiker joins and I ask her about the steep climb coming up after Seiad Valley. She had done it both ways already (did trail northbound last year) and says it's “hell both ways” but doable.

Leapfrogging with Mishap and Jazzman all afternoon. The trail follows the Grider Creek all afternoon and while Mishap decides to stay a bit further up the river (and I guess Bubble Boy might too), I decide to go to the last campground before Seiad Valley where I met King Arthur again and a few Southbounders. Still, 7 miles to go into town including quite a bit of road walking.

DAY 117 (August 27) | Seiad Valley 
To Tentsite mile 1671
24.1 miles 

Easy walk into Seiad Valley. I leave camp at 6.15 and get there by 8 am. The last 1.5 miles are road walk on a highway without much traffic at that time. When I reach the bridge over the Klamath River, I hear a car approaching and turn around. A guy with a pickup truck (and a big dog on the passenger seat) stops and with his hand makes a gesture inviting me to hop on in the back. I do so and within 5 minutes I am in town at the RV park which is right next to the general store and post office. Some hikers hang out there; Sunshine and Jammin whom I haven't seen since Reds Meadows and a few others.

It is Seiad day today, some kind of festival in the tiny town. With some other hikers, I head to the fire station where there is breakfast: pancakes and coffee for just 1 dollar. 

I want to leave as soon as possible in order to start the upcoming big climb before it gets very hot but I chat here and there with some hikers and locals and I finally leave town at 11.

It is a long and partly steep climb, 5.000ft elevation gain over 5 miles, but not as hard as initially expected. I arrive at the top at 3 p.m. and then continue to walk another 12 miles.

When I set up my tent, I notice the difference in temperature: yesterday so hot that I did not want to use either my sleeping bag or sleeping clothes, today I gladly use both.

DAY 117 (August 28) | Oregon Calling 

I wake up and it smells like there is some campfire around but it seems that this still is yesterday's forest fire. Does that mean that it has not been successfully extinguished?

As I walk further up and get a few into the valley, it is completely covered with clouds. Or is that smoke? Or a mix of both?

After my morning break at 10.30, I  start flying: only 9 miles left to the California-Oregon-border!

I reach the border (which is basically a sign nailed onto a tree) at 3.30 p.m. I check the register and see that Listen & Squirrel had passed about a week ago. That's so funny to see because I had completely forgotten about them and then this morning I was wondering if they were still on trail.

Initially, I wanted to have lunch right there but there is not much space to sit so I walk a bit further up the trail until I find a nice spot below a tree. There are two or three yellow jackets but I think they will not be a problem. One is repeatedly flying under my skirt though and I take extra care not to close my legs but at one point it stings me in the back of my upper leg. 

There are no campsites indicated in guthocks for the next few miles but I find a spot after a ridge with two other northbound hikers around 7.30 p.m. 

As the sun goes down, the sky turns into a mix of purple-dark-pink-grey due to the fire in the other valley.

DAY 118 (August 29) | Running into town 
To Callahan lodge/Ashland 
18 Miles

DAY 119 (August 30) | Zero-day Ashland 
0 miles