Day 93 - Big Day - July 7

I hiked a few miles today before reaching Scott Mountain Campground, where I was desperate for a pit stop.  It was a pretty chill little campground in the pine trees, I didn't see a host and there were only a few people camped there.

I met an older guy in his sixties named Houdini who's doing 30 miles a day.  His pace was slower than mine, but he just got up early and hiked all day.  I'd also have to take breaks to rest my shoulders and he's pass me.  The shoulder pain is just part of the hike.  I can put all the weight on my hips, but then the pack pulls back on my shoulders and rubs me.  Plus, that sometimes makes my lower back hurt, the pack twisting slightly when it doesn't rest some on my shoulders.  He was surprised that I am only this far, given when I started and the pace I was hiking.  I'd been real slow in the beginning, trying to let the snow melt.

I reached 900 personal miles today!  I stopped to take a picture to commemorate the occasion.



900 miles done!


The trail is up on the ridge again day, looking down at all the lovely lakes that are too far off trail to reach.  I felt good today, and talking to Houdini inspired me to hike and see how many miles I could get in.




I passed a group of teenage hikers led by a young woman, stopped by the side of the trail.  I talked to them briefly.  You never know when you could be talking to a future thru-hiker.  I saw two other groups, one I let pass and the other passed me during a break.

I passed a beautiful meadow to the right, and I just couldn't continue without enjoying it.  I laid in the grass, reading for maybe an hour.  I guess this is why Houdini is going to beat me to Canada.  I continued to a saddle where I stopped to camp and eat dinner as the sunset.  It was a good, big day.  Miles hiked was 23.9 today, the most I've hiked in one day!  I've hiked 912 miles total on the PCT.

Worth the stop.






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