17 Miles
The night was cold, and left a thin layer of frost on our bear cans. We got up slowly knowing we wouldn’t have to rush to beat the heat. We made our way down to the bridge where we could get water. There we saw Shade, Studio 54, Maverick, and a few other hikers I hadn’t met. We leapfrogged with them most of the morning and eventually stopped for lunch. It was nice to have shade, but for the first time we wanted to be in the sun for the warmth. The weather is so different so quickly. The hiking is perfect. Cool, breezy, gradual inclines, shady, in tree-filled forest. Plenty of water, almost no bugs, clear skies. Unmatched views, great campsites, wildlife. Just perfection. On our way to the last water source for the day, we passed two different hikers with campfires burning. California in the summer during a draught is not a place to have a fire. We let it go, but it struck us as risky for no reason. We got to our campsite just before sunset, and were joined by a few other hikers after a few minutes of setting up the tent. Lego, Full Moon, Polka Dot, and one other dude I haven’t gotten the name of yet. He’s been leapfrogging us the past two days, but doesn’t talk much (Later chatted with him and his name was Andy. He’s involved with research in Antarctica and was on leave).
PCT Hike 