My adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail, Part 3

Wherein I discover my fears

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I slept very well that night in Deep Creek canyon, snug in my daughter-in-law‘s little screen tent, the down sleeping bag with the inflatable mattress and tiny travel pillow like Goldilocks’ bed: just right.

I woke up a few times but couldn’t see the stars without putting on my glasses, so I let them be what they were: fuzzy, dim night lights in a friendly dark.

Caleb had already been to the hot springs to “limber up” and had the tiny firebox going with hot water on when I arose. He used a drip setup for a nice strong coffee brew. “I know you need your morning cup, Mom.”

“You got that right. Thanks!”

PCT hikers were already streaming by on the trail that ran above our campsite, moving fast and hiking lean with their dialed-in gear and poles. I felt decadent that I didn’t have to join them; I just had to get back to the truck five miles uphill.

I had packed a couple of things for myself which included the non-sugar sweetener and creamer I’d like to start my day with. I doctored my aluminum mug of coffee, stirred it with a twig, and changed into my (still wet) suit for another trip to the hot springs before we packed to leave.

“They have a long stretch until the next stop,” Caleb said. “A lot of the PCT hikers have left already to beat the heat.”

“Why do they have to hike that far every day? If I was doing it, I would just go at the speed I felt like and stop when I felt like, and camp wherever.” I was still thinking about all the vistas and flowers I’d had to roll past because of the oncoming dark last night.

“Most of them are trying to make it to the end of the PCT, or to a planned exit point, before the season changes and the snow or fires come up on the mountains,“ Caleb said. “There’s also the problem of resupplying.“

“What do you mean?”

Caleb rolled his eyes, making a gesture to encompass the wilderness around us. “Do you see a supermarket anywhere nearby? Any roots and berries to dine on? It’s really only possible to carry about a week’s worth of food at a stretch, so hikers time the distances to make it to different resupply spots where they can get off the trail and buy food. They try to only carry enough for how many days they think they’ll need.”

“I don’t think I could do fifteen to twenty miles a day which is what you’ve told me they’re doing,” I said.

“Then your pack would be heavier because you’d have to carry extra food supplies between the different resupply points.“

I finally understood why a longer hike of the PCT was not something I would physically be able to do, at least not at this point in my own health and fitness.