#pct2017

My favorite part about hiking in the mountains of California is all the snow fed mile high ponds and lakes you can only get to by hiking multiple days. I've never swam in such beauty!

Well I made it to mile 1100. Through the desert and the Sierra Nevada's 200% snowpack. Unfortunately a broken foot has brought my trip to an abrupt and unwelcome end. Until I reattempt, farewell.

Awesome day at Deep Creek Hot Springs!!

Despite the lack of pictures I spend the majority of my day in class.

That is all.

I have mostly been updating my Instagram Rachael_Rabbit with everything going on. I had a great hike I to the Sierras and up Mount Whitney. After that point the snow and rivers turned the hike into a mountaineering trip. After getting swept down two icy rivers I knew the conditions were too dangerous for me to continue in that section. I have now gone farther north on the trail and will return within the season to complete the sierras when it is safer. This section of the hike has been the hardest emotional and physical challenge for me so far. "I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me."- Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

I set off on the PCT hoping to hike 2650 miles, but decided I’d had enough after 109 (plus a lot of road walking). 5 hiking days felt like a month, and two of those days I hiked 26 and 35 miles. I was nearly bitten by a rattlesnake, I survived 110*+ heat in the desert, and walked along edges of mountains that made my palms sweat and my knees weak. All along the way are trail angels and people going out of their way to help and welcome PCT hikers, and the community, to me, is almost as impressive as the hiking itself. A big thank you to anyone that offered a ride, or a place to stay, or ignored how bad we all smelled to make life a little bit easier. Thru-hiking really comes down to this: adjusting your perspective to be reminded that it’s the little things that make a difference.

PCT snow depth map link You can check out the snow depth along the trail with this map, just select snow depth from the menu on the left and scroll around. We are hitchhiking north to Ashland, Oregon from Lone Pine, California due to dangerous conditions on the trail ahead. From the Oregon/California border we will hike north to Canada. From Canada we will flip back down to Lone Pine and hike north to finish the trail at the California/Oregon border. Flip floppin' baby! What a fun adventure!!