PCT Day 65 It’s harder than it looks

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 20th June 2015

Mileage 20.5

Glen Aulin camp (948.5) to Smedberg Lake (969)

I set off alone. Teflon had some stomach problems and would hike at whatever pace her body allowed. KC caught sight of me after about 10 miles and we stayed together for the remainder of the day.

Brightly painted meadows, crystal clear mountain streams and fresh mountain lakes characterised the day. Both KC and I suffered. Our bodies simply lacked energy. Since Lone Pine KC has lost a lot of weight. The hip belt on my backpack will not go any smaller. It was easy for us to think that we had covered the highest and toughest passes.

The first climb wiped us out so much we lunched next to an unnamed lake and slept for 30 minutes. We both needed the sleep. The late afternoon saw us climb the last of the 10000 feet passes (we hope), Benson Pass. We didn’t linger, instead we descended completely exhausted to Smedberg Lake to allow the waiting Mosquitos to feast. They were horrific, but the views of the lake and surrounding mountains during the evening sun made the camp worth the suffering.

No sign of Teflon, Hummingbird, Mr or Mrs Smith. We shall have to hike a shorter day in the hope they will catch up, I hope they are all ok. Sorry for the short post, I’m exhausted.

10am
benson pass

Next : Day 66 Hike Naked Day

The Best information about the Pacific Crest Trail:
Complete Guide to the Pacific Crest Trail
Resupply Guide for the PCT
PCT Gear List

PCT Gear Review

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About the Author:
Brad is an Australian who has completed the hiking Triple Crown after he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail. He has hiked on every continent (except Antarctica) and has cycled from Alaska to Ecuador. He is an expert on outdoor gear currently living in Chile.

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6 thoughts on “PCT Day 65 It’s harder than it looks”

  1. Yeah, the trail in northern Yosemite is RIDICULOUSLY steep. Despite the scenery, I don’t have fond memories of that stretch.

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  2. I feel you man. Last year, we hit the wall right after leaving Tuolumne. It felt like we had no energy for days after that. By the time we got to Sonora Pass, all was right again. Just keep your head up and walking. BTW, we camped at Bugberg Lake too. That was the worst day of mosquitos on the entire trail. I bet I ate 20 of them for dinner. The Optimist

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