Woke up itching to get to the water source 9 miles away. We were both going to have to conserve water because we didn’t carry enough the day before. I can’t wait to be in places where water is less of a concern. It was hot again and I was dragging. There was a lot of hiking on hot dirt roads with very little shade. I kept trying to make it to the next bit of shade just for a little break.
As we were getting closer to the water source I came around the corner surprised to find Jake waiting there. It was mile 600! We were both absolutely beat and so close to water so it wasn’t much of a celebration. I think I said “oh!” when Jake pointed out the mile marker, not very enthusiastic.
We finally made it to the water source only to find a small trickle and cow poop all over. The pipe that was there had gotten clogged with mud but neither of us knew that until another hiker showed up and started investigating. I had already gathered some water from the trickle and filtered and drank some. I was tempted to treat this water after I filtered it but I also just couldn’t wait 4 hours so I took my chances. Thankfully I didn’t have any issues. We filled a few bottles and decided to move up the trail a bit to find shade for lunch.
It was an immediate climb from water and I was needing to eat so I picked one of the first flat spots I could find. Unfortunately it was in tall grass and we were soon being visited by ticks. Gross. We quickly packed up and moved along to another spot where we just had to deal with ants. I was able to take a short nap so I was feeling much better by the time we took off to finish our afternoon miles.
We got down into a more tree filled area so that was a relief. As we got closer to our next water source we heard some distant gun shots which was jarring coming from the quiet seclusion of the forest. Moving along quickly through that area got us to the turnoff to the spring. This was the best spring yet! Super cold and clear water flowing fast from a pipe. It was fantastic.
After filtering water we picked up and headed another few miles to camp. It wasn’t far but it was still hot so it felt like it took a while. Finally we made it to the spot and it was perfect. The views were nice and there were no other hikers around. We made dinner and called it a night. Late in the night I woke up to the sounds of hikers going by and one of them was clearly upset that we were in the spot they were aiming for. I guess in the dark they couldn’t tell that there was space for several other tents near us. Oh well.
PCT Hike 