Скачать или смотреть My First Fall On The PCT [Pacific Crest Trail Episode 6]

Day 20-21
May 15, 2024 - May 16, 2024

We left Idyllwild, CA after 2 restful, expensive zeros. Trail Angel, Grumpy, gave us a ride back to the trailhead. We ascended 4 miles back up the Devil's Slide trail to rejoin the PCT. We took a break to filter water and joyfully watched a squirrel build its nest for 20 minutes. We entered back into the Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness and welcomed with snow again. This time, I have micro spikes. Giant pinecones lined the trail. We even played a game who can knock off the pinecone first. Katie won. The snowmelt gushed over the trail and we collected the last water before the long descent tomorrow. Found camp with another hiker, Nate from Georgia (AT '16).

There has been lots of fear mongering around the Fuller Ridge section. It's steep, covered in snow and lots of blowdowns. I probably could've made it through without spikes but I guess they helped. We met another hiker, Joel from France. "I AM ALIVE!", he shouted, as he stumbled his way through the snow. We quoted him all the way to Canada. Such a nice man. The temperature got hotter the closer we got to the desert floor and the wildflowers made a comeback. The trees thinned out and San Jacinto stood tall and beautiful. I was obsessed with that gorgeous view all day. The constant switchbacks became very mundane. As I decided to take a timelapse, I tripped over the tiniest rock and down I went. Practically became a scorpion and was centimeters away from smacking my face onto a rock. I was humbled really quickly and the trail reminded me to "be present." After basking in the hot sun all day, we finally reach the shady side of the mountain and cross 200 miles and our first water source in 14 miles. We made it to an epic camp spot with a bunch of new faces. It was a very mild, but windy, night.

I also find it funny that I fell around mile 200 because on the AT, I also took a really hard fall right after crossing mile 200. History repeats itself, I guess.