Friday June 26
Last night, Willie said, "Bobaroo, would you be willing to go to the town of Chester in two days to resupply? It would save us from having to carry 6 days of food; we would only need to carry two, and then four from Chester."
I said I'd think about it and let him know in the morning. I decided that I would go to Chester, but I would keep my dinners. I would donate four days of snacks to the hiker box.
It is not uncommon to change a resupply plan, especially if two people want to continue to hike together. Besides, it is another opportunity to eat town food!
We left Belden at 5:30 AM. It was still in the 70's as Willie and I made our way back onto the trail. The literature we had read said that the trail was "graded", so we expected to make good time. Unfortunately, the trail was fairly steep in some places, overgrown with plants in others, and difficult to find in a few sections. We did manage to gain enough altitude before it began to warm significantly. We reached the top at 11:30, after six hours of steady climbing. We had climbed 4,870 feet!
At the top, we rested along with several other hikers.
From the top, the trail followed the ridge line and often dipped into the forest. We often walked through fields of blooming flowers.
At one spring, these flowers were blooming. I wish I knew what they are.
It was in the mid-80's again, so hiking was hot and sweaty. Water is still an issue and all of the hikers talk about their plan for resupply. We ended up carrying extra water so we can dry camp tonight.
Often I am asked, "Why don't you slow down and enjoy the view?" The answer is, we do enjoy the view, but much of our time is spent looking at the trail. There are so many things that can cause an accident: roots, rocks, holes, sticks, gravel on rocks, slippery rocks, mud, trees across the trail, and on and on. And sometimes we have to hunt for the trail! We may miss a view or two, but usually we have many opportunities to take in the beauty.
I am camped tonight at PCT mile 1315.1. We hiked 25.9 miles today. The elevation here is 6,599 feet.
