Pacific Crest Trail Documentary: A YEAR OF ICE AND FIRE

so this Hill is a doozy but uh it feels really good strangely to like I don't know exert myself and this is like the physical challenge of it immensely I know I can do this I think it's adventures like this any little struggle in life that you overcome this makes you a stronger and more confident person I'm just gonna keep doing all I can and keep trucking along and keep trying to see the sunny side of it but it just feels good to be back out here and free [Music] well there's a there's our first um rattlesnake no no do you want to find out give him a kiss still let me back up a minute my name is Jessica and I'm from Alabama but bucks on the trail know me as Dixie and in 2015 I through hiked the Appalachian Trail so this year in 2017 I'm setting out to complete the two thousand six hundred and fifty miles span of trail from Mexico to Canada that runs through California Oregon and Washington know maybe you should remember what it looks like it's crazy how like each turn okay well no I'm grinding over with all right we get over eventually yeah well then I'll get over because clearly I'm the one that's mainly freaking out is that one up there on the trail yes yeah son of a mother hunter is it oh no it's just a show so it's like every stick is a snake and every so that's the man that you can see through my tent [Music] I can't explain like how gratifying it is to be laying here in my tent look at the moon through it and what be the throbbing and my legs are sore and I don't know that I could be any happier right now it is really hard to explain this one I think it's something that you just have to get out and do it's like nature reboot like I always say just gotta get out there and go for it and it's totally worth [Music] [Music] I think Park is probably if I had to guess like 20 to 25 miles head I don't know for sure haven't had real good reception to get in touch with him but that's the way the trail works and I know that we'll catch each other and see each other again so I'm backpacking you know you gotta get yourself out of that mindset of like you're eight to five but you do end up with more of like a it's like you know asleep wake up hike hike eat sleep wake up it sounds monotonous but every day is so different and you know you see different things and I told my mom once you feel like I moved out of my apartment every day to a new one but yeah you know I feel like my rhythm was kind of thrown off now it's finally starting to feel good again so a lot of folks are talking about the snow all of us have been warned that what we're getting ourselves into but locals before I got started kind of you know we're like it is a concern for sure but just you know be careful and evaluate the situation as you get closer and so when I get to Kennedy Meadows you know I'll think on it I would prefer to do one continuous northbound trick but but we'll just see hopefully it'll warm up and melt it all away I know that's not really realistic but but um you know if you wait too long then you've got fours and if you uh go too soon then you know you might be surfing in an avalanche so um so we'll just see as it gets closer but I mean I'm kind of up for the challenge so we've officially left out a wild and there I ended up getting micro spikes and I have my ice axe because apparently over san jacinto so here is the not drill we're trying to find the trail again and here are my micro spikes I am sliding in the snow because it is not packed I see but instead soft snow don't do anything you don't want them back even fortunately not quite sure but we do have GPS so that's a good thing follow your arrow wherever at points it's pointing to the Pacific Crest sure we go into the peak well this trail is taking longer than expected because keep losing it in the snow so the gut hooks up with GPS is coming in very handy hand hiker bot so highly recommend those man you're walking through the snow Oh making progress what uh what happened taking this Pacific Crest Trail he needs a little hopeless taller than me so the snow kicks my butt and if this is what the Sierras are gonna be like then uh we'll need about five months to get there I don't really want to look where these are my feet and there's down there I'm sorry for doing this mom but living dreams right this is freaking awesome can I explain so we are all safe and sound in this little stone cabin on the mountain and tomorrow we get to walk like what a tenth of a mile to the summit something like that and it was a hard day but it was good there were times where I wanted to freak out but I stayed calm and I think we got some I got some good prep for the Sierras I mean we put our feet in snow so that's a start it was a good day and even on the freaked out parts it was better than the best day that I've ever had at work so there there's that hey guys come in that's a heck of a night huh girl so last night we're like all asleep it's about 1:00 in the morning and I was having kind of a bad dream anyway but like then I heard voices and I was like is that I think those are people and so then I thought maybe I was dreaming but I listen closer and I heard somebody say I found the shelter and then I was like Park Park do you hear people the headlamps like came closer and closer and you know this is an emergency shelter so it was just like oh crap you know and like we didn't necessarily plan to stay here but getting up to the top of the mountain took a lot longer than intended but anyway so these dudes you know came in and they had been hiking for since like 2:00 a.m. and had come up through the desert and whatever and then ended up taking longer getting lost we're y'all using a GPS or anything or you just [Music] anyway they came in and we cleared one of the bunks for them and like they have extra sleeping bags in the cabin thank goodness so they you know we're able to get a good night's sleep and we gave them some a little bit of grub and some water and stuff like that to get them going but anyhow so that's pretty crazy and that's exactly what this emergency shelter is for but also a good reason why you should always carry a headlamp even if you just plan to be out for the day which they started in the night but you know and maybe like an emergency bivy or a blanket or some kind of stuff just in case you're stuck in these conditions a bunch of snow so pretty crazy but we did get a quick ice axe lesson this morning from one of them so that was pretty awesome okay I can fall down there there now climbing the summit finally and pin it on doing this yesterday but didn't quite make it well uh victory touch the sand or didn't happen or at least the marker [Music] so another indication of how deep nowhere to go ten miles yes bring yeah that's what I heard about and are we going any of those directions no well we are now descending and after my tutorial this morning I am toting ice axe for the first time so far apparently I need a better leash so I'll get one of those but a snowy slope that's not fun to see that means somebody went out and kind of kept on going which or not to do that hey how about some thorny bushes no well since I do not have britches I don't want to tear holes up in my wool sleeping britches or get them in this water to be wet to sleep in tonight it seems that the snow line was at about 80 100 except for maybe on the north side of the mountain which doesn't get much signed but um we had heard that fuller bridge was horrible uh but compared to summoning San Jacinto it was like like baby snow baby snow experience so I'm really glad that we did that even though it was probably a little dangerous or whatever it's definitely good practice pulling our micros off probably put the ice axe away and now we need to be on alert for rattlesnakes again bad days are worth it when you see stuff like this so it never ceases to amaze me like you know some folks like watching TV but for me I don't know the most like entertaining or like captivating things are just like the simplest things in nature like crazy and a cactus like this like you just see and you're like oh those are some cool flowers but then like when you start getting up close on the flowers you can see how much life and just interaction and just little ecosystem you know even the Wildfire areas to me either they're pretty because you know it's just it's just nature I mean of course not all of them are started actually but wildfires are natural and just know like all the different landscapes and different things and clouds you know they're being little islands papa [Music] there's all the simple things it's truly preggers TV check it out got a ways to go we aren't getting around to the hostel in this sweet ride right here I have to ask you how much have you had to drink before you drive [Music] registration no insurance unlicensed vehicle on the highway oh my god I mean you know I would probably just think they'd just go through the rope but then well he and I went to court so this is and this is a little chant I have lunar clothes and towels and whatnot so this place is essentially a free hostel that trail angels just decided to set up to help hikers out and that's honestly just crazy like it's awesome to be part of a community that does stuff like this but just the fact that they support you know our little world I know is just it's just really neat and don't ask for anything in return you know but these are the types of experiences that you encounter on a long-distance hiking trail and it you know it makes you want to pay it forward and show somebody the same like kindness just to a stranger you know that you've received from people so it's very cool so I asked Robert and Patti you know what section of the PCT have y'all done and she said well you're looking at it right here about 40 years ago he brought me on our first date to this area and we've been coming here ever since and I was like so y'all haven't even done the PCT and you do this consistent trail magic for people it just blows my mind I mean it makes sense for somebody like me who has received trail magic along the way you know a through hiker that understands the value of it but for somebody who has never even experienced it on the receiving side to be so like caring and giving to just know help people out it's just it just blows my mind it's just cool the people you meet along the way on trails like this there's this mom this son that are hiking together this year and she found out that she had glaucoma so she's hiking with her ten-year-old son before she goes blind so she can like see some of the beauty that the PCT has to offer I decided that I wanted to do something bonding with my son because I don't know what's gonna happen in the future I think this is the perfect fourth grade experience pretty crazy some of the different reasons that folks come out here to do things like this there's this fellow that I've been leapfrog in today with on trail and his name his real name is grandpa GRA MPA and why because my granddaughter said well I always call you grandpa saw your grandpa he is 70 years old and that his wife thinks he's absolutely insane but he's out here doing something that he's always wanted to do and there are just so many good people on trail like that and you just don't know who you're gonna meet and here you can see the wild hot legs in his natural habitat hey so where are y'all from I'm from Belgium it's just it's really cool and I compared the 80 and I think any trail is probably the same it's like Alice in Wonderland you know you just don't know all the characters that you'll meet in the woods but it really makes the journey what it is [Music] the struggle has been real this morning the winds like nearly blew me down a couple of times coming up this climb and I still have about just two and a half miles of it my hands are numb nose is running but really actually think for the cool weather and the wind and the clouds because this long stretch without water would be much more miserable if this wasn't the case so always you know try to look at the sunny side of things I think it's also learning to recognize the things that you can change in your life and the things that you can't because people get so upset about you know presidential elections and different things like that that they can't personally as a single human change and they let so much energy be wasted on those things but when you're out here on a trail like this you can get mad at the wind all you want but guess what like you're still gonna have to put your tent up in it and it's still gonna blow things around hanging on like a hare and a biscuit but then you learn like huh I just have to appreciate the days that aren't windy you anti-semite Sun up and when everything goes perfectly because like I can't change the wind like the one's gonna blow whether I want it or not or I can't make it not rain you know so it just helps you identify like okay I can get mad and make myself more miserable right now or I can just get over it and learn to appreciate the good days so I've had a lot of time to like think about things since all up and dance walk in and just got to thinking maybe it wouldn't be so daggone windy if they turned these fans I don't know if it sounds crazy or not but honestly I'm a little uh anxious about hitting Kennedy meadows I'm excited but like I don't know it's such a landmark you know and it's like like when you get there I don't have it for me right now it's just like it it'll be official that I'm through hiking the PCT which sounds silly because you know just past mile 700 but like I don't know it's just like stuffs about to get real just finish the last climb of the desert oh it feels so good huh I have no idea what ladies in store and these mountains coming up but you know Kennedy Meadows has been pretty cool the general store here is where everyone hangs out and they've got a grill so of course I had to have a victory burger and beer when I got here everyone's just hanging out and when other hackers arrived we all cheer for omen it's just kind of you know like congratulations you made it 700 miles into the landmark that has Kennedy Meadows in beginning the Sierra so it's just it's it's exciting and you can definitely feel the excitement among everyone and and some nervousness because the Sierras are gonna be a really big deal over at the Sierra Nevada the snowpack has gotten is so deep the tools used to measure the amount of snow can't even reach the five six seven hundred inches of snow storms aren't coming in inches they're coming in very significant increase in snow water content throughout the state almost phenomenal increases in snow barter contact it is officially the wettest year on record in the Sierra there was a lot of fear-mongering and people who were blowing it up and really just freaking people out but it really comes down to what you're comfortable with trusting yourself using common sense just because other people say it's impossible like don't necessarily take that you know go figure it out for yourself even though I've been kind of back and forth on the whole do I go ahead into the Sierras or do I skip ahead and come back later and and and see the raging river for myself I came out here to do this through hike and to be an oboe and going forth alright so if I was going to continue on the PCT and Knox I'm at Whitney then I would continue this way towards Forrester past but when am I ever gonna be this close to Whitney again only eight point three miles to summit going that way so going for it so I have been talked into that crazy fools that are hacking around me hacking up to the summit leaving here about midnight and watching the Sun Rise so it's probably going to be pretty awesome don't Whitney dream team oh are we already lost you all really so we just realized that we are going the wrong way somehow we start going down again yeah yeah it all looks the same how did y'all cross over this bad boy right here climb Mountain Whitney at midnight they said it'll be fun they said oh my god she's poor spider look out for the spider he deserves to live after crawling all night right now like two thousand nine hundred I think her cousin I don't know above two thousand and uh it's probably either equal or higher I've ever been so should break thirteen thousand month before long and that will be the highest I've ever been I'm kind of glad I can't see this ahead of me right now because literally goes down the side of the mountain right here she's crazy hell winded I'm getting and to think of people doing Everest this wild like I need an oxygen tank here huh above 13 just sleepwalking or like flailing myself bored anyone walking but every step is I've ever been so that's kind of cool concerts these in color [Music] [Music] [Music] what a heck of a trip like man it's just crazy and it's like a whole new world this morning I mean it's just it's it's like a living postcard it's amazing how windy it is technically not part of the Pacific Crest Trail but the trail run eight miles a side trail up to summit Whitney so you can skip with me but pretty much everybody well I can't lie I'm a little nervous this morning because it seems like looking at all the people who have gone before me that somewhere between Mount Whitney and the Kearsarge pass is when the people decide to flip-flop because conditions get so bad it's like they're all happy to post their summit picture of Whitney and then you know online and then after that you see they get to Bishop and they post a status on social media about deciding that the sierras of she ruff so really not sure what today and tomorrow will entail I've heard that right Creek Wallace Creek hint indle Creek are pretty sketchy and enforcer past so this is the part where I just find out for myself well I can hear Wallace Creek haven't seen it yet this one that supposedly so rough it actually doesn't look bad I'm approaching right Creek and this one sounds what louder but [Music] let's water but it wasn't Sookie now number are you excited I'm really excited oh holy smokes look how pretty [Music] all right we found the spot that like three braids coming together so this is much more viewable [Music] we didn't all three for today are feels so good to let the toes dry out the water just never stops just laying here in my little rock crevice and about 1.7 miles south of Forester pass which I'm really excited to see it's one of the sketchy parts that I guess makes everybody decided to skip ahead and along with the 30 creeks that we pass today but um there's actually weren't that bad you know if you take the time to find a good spot but also I mean conditions change so much out here that a week ago could have been completely different so excited to see for certain actually aiming to go ahead and go into Bishop tomorrow night so although I'm loving the section of trail it will be exciting to get into town and let everybody know that I'm alive because there is no service in this Harris snow pretty much feels like ice that's the goal when you go over pass malece I don't first sketchy snowy areas so much about it even before I started so great to see you and it'll be great to put it in the rearview mirror this is nuts so much fun porch ourselves yeah this is a this is you know all of our friends think this is like a five to six months vacation like oh you're going on a six-month camping trip that's so cute so that little white patch of snow and that rock up there that is where folks are crossing oh I'm not sure the saying don't look down has ever been more true and literally like so that was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life oh okay good view though carrying on how do you feel yeah [Music] [Music] I can say that I am loving it like I have never done something more scary or something that makes me so nervous but so fulfilling at the same time like that was awesome and by no means am I ready to flip so unless something unforeseen happens between here and Bishop today I am ready to continue this year is because I am loving it like oh it's just so rewarding all the views the experience the awesome people that I'm hiking around I don't know knowing that other people believe in you you know and most importantly that you believe in yourself anything that is difficult and that you can accomplish in life you know whether it's climbing mountains or starting a business just makes you a stronger and more confident person so get out there and whoop those challenges [Music] I seriously just caught my first trout and it took me a second to get the hook out of his mouth so I felt bad because I wasn't gonna keep him he was a little so I was just trying to give him a little you know bit of water or like and he got out of my hand so so I'm gonna do one more and see if I can get a picture with one this time yeah blend a little bag up there I can't Calvin we camped about a mile from the topical impasse and that's where I'm heading this one in uh I can't last night with a fella from Australia his name is Martin and still luckily we'll be going over this pass together because passes are pretty sketchy especially since it's a high snow year so it's nice to have you know somebody to to go over with I guess I don't know it's comforting to know that somebody will know you fell if you fell or just to see what they do or to talk about like what the best way to go is you know it's just two minds are better than one there he goes on my own we got over the pass and Martin asked me how I would feel if he turned around and went on back to town and of course you know I'm like dude you don't want to be doing this like you know it's just it's not I think that he's like scared I think it's just not as enjoyable as he would like it to be like so to be gone and be able to go swimmin and stuff but uh he was like will you be okay and I was like absolutely but Wow props to you for you know doing the pass again and I guess he's decided to flip-flop um he was hoping there'd be less snow in the valley I was really hoping so too but I don't know if it's stupidity or pride or just enjoyment of the challenge but I'm gonna keep pressing on hoping that somebody will join me at the bottom of the nest next pass or anyway you're a good kid on my own situations like this make things take longer I've got a walk on the side of this snowy Bank here and around because this goes straight down and you got a rock slide here and you know Mike could squeeze between these two but I don't think that's a good idea Gorillaz the scariest one not needy it's Russia it whoo my legs are shaking I was saying then the water didn't freak me out that bad but starting to a little bit and the past is or the scary part I don't know check out this one too I mean there's just so much water all great well I just got to white pork and I tried to go like halfway across and it was just too rough to turn back but I'm going up streams to try to see if there's you know a better place across I know there's not one down stream if not Alps up the camp on this side for the night and hopefully in the morning you know it'll be down which it probably will but just frustrating well I made a very stupid try to cross that great and I knew it was it's a pretty good wake-up call for me I got halfway across feel my legs kind of start to give the flow is even stronger with a second so I knew if I win so turn around and luckily we're strong enough to hold hold a like so an idiot for couple reasons I should have just looked at it gone you know what they can wait till morning front court which is what I did now my mom that I wouldn't do anything get so sorry mom so I mean if I'm gonna do the Sierras I know that they're risky like I want to go straight through but I've got to do it smart you know it's like I'm in this huge rush so hurry up and get through this ears because I know my third leg because eventually it's gonna snow in Washington too late to go through so if I'm going to do the Sierras and stick to nobody right art Noveau pike then I've got out be smart about it I don't get to go over the next pass get there early effort again [Music] there [Music] [Music] I'm really glad that I ran into these guys so Brewster got his chili because he wakes everybody up in the morning especially one of the other guys butters and every morning he'll just call everyone's name make sure they're up he is very chill and kind of like the glue that holds the group together and then Dan lord have mercy lieutenant dan is just wide open he always walks around blastin his like 80s rock music and it really does fit his personality I mean if anybody's gonna run and jump on the snow and do something crazy it's him and he just bounces back and next in the group is mark so mark is oldest in the group and he is so cool his accent he's from Australia he's definitely the quietest of the group but when he has something to say it's usually pretty on point and last but not least is butters so butters is kind of like the class clown I would say you know he likes to joke around and is constantly making everyone laugh but he's got a good heart they make a great team and kind of practice the lead new man [Music] so my shoes are frozen please sometimes they're really hard put your foot and just started spot to slide down in it and you don't your foot slides and goes down these holes and interest wrinkle and just and this is a constant battle above about 10,000 feet now we're heading up uphill to Mather pass which I've heard is the sketchiest one took over I wish it was a little bit earlier snow starting to get a little slushy but maybe we'll make it up there before it gets too bad holy smokes you're going right in that saddle area so we've been told there is a cornice at the top of the pass which is pretty sketchy gone by now but even though it looks like we should be freezing cold it's burning up holy smokes here we go down this end game from up there where mark is how was it yes yeah I think that's the scariest one of its it is the scariest one I've done yeah they were right I am so glad to have that pass done there was oh there were a couple sketchy parts several really but when the snow path hits rocks it gets bad because you can post hole near the rocks and just going from one surface to the other with spikes on it's kind of sketchy you know it's good in the snow but then when you put your spikes on rock it feels a little more slick so there's one part where I had to cross like a big boulder on like a little bitty crack and it went straight down the mountain you know basically fall to your death spot and luckily butters hung back and ended up i needed how like I was like I'm gonna need you to come a little bit closer and give me your hand and he had to kind of like pull me over the rock you know as I kind of inched my way and pushed off um that was definitely the most sketchy pass I've done so the seer is so far have been amazingly beautiful and I was thinking about it and you know you can almost compare it to like the beauty of like a venomous snake or a poisonous frog and the way that it's so beautiful you know and you want to you want to touch it and hold it and if you don't handle it right it'll get you it's been a tough go out here with like you know the beating Sun even though it's snowy it's not cold during the day when the sun's beating down on you non-stop rivers and streams feet are always wet the down trees from where avalanches have come through and then just all sorts of other obstacles and post Hollen and son Cubs just everything but so far it's all been worth it [Music] a bad day on trail is still better than a good day at work and I had a section hiker telling me that that most people don't do great things because most great things don't feel great while you're doing that I said I guess that's true in a lot of ways we are almost to the road finishing off the Sierras with a twenty six point two zero my old day part of the challenge something that I look back on and be proud of you know that this year really excited sometimes it's hard to get out of this early but once you start walking the warnings are so just still that was definitely a mosquito that's disgusting cuz already dirty fighting this morning but anyway what I was saying is the mornings are usually really still I think this is the prettiest leak I have ever witnessed in my ass Aloha I'm gonna try to start doing some thirties coming up just to you know catch up on mileage and with the sierra nevada being such a challenge this year we knew that it would slow us down and you don't want it to run into winter up in Washington when that snow is gonna come nobody really knows I think most of us this year have set a targeted point of October 1st we all keep kind of calculating and averaging out you know how many miles per day we have to do I've figured out that it's close to 23 miles per day but I'm determined to get to Canada before the snow does there have been so many likes today and they're just all so pretty it's like I don't know lake day there's chill here and drill there and looks like what's supposed to be a footbridge that's there so this area has seen some snow melt this year it's 6:30 in the morning and I'm hiking just I'm bad but honestly I'd really hope to get up at like or something like that because oh it's hoping potentially pool 34.8 final day today yes it's gonna happen now but when I woke up like 3:30 it was lightly sprinkling and I knew if it was gonna start raining I did not want to be you know in the dark starting off my morning hiking in the rain so I reckon I'm just a big baby but uh anyway packed up all my stuff only don't put my tent on top of everything in my pack but this morning because of the mosquitoes last night I figured they were probably still you know pretty heavy this morning in that area with the lake being you know let's don't water No so sure enough I was right they started checking me as soon as I got out so I was happy that I had packed everything up inside of my tent you know put everything in my pack in my tent and then I just put the tent on top and I can swap everything around later on in the day when I got to get something out but mosquitoes are already out well I hope you are proud because I'm running from them they're like million around me right now uh they've managed to make me run into a tree so there's fresh wood but they're not to that no you want to poke me some more get it out there way I can't even be appreciative of the buffet cut on my leg seriously I'm running just as fast as I can trying to get out of mosquito land trying to get away into the night and then they stab me with their pokers and they take another bite and then they say is she anemic yet because there's an ant biting his leg poop bite me look at that joker vicious little thing I don't like killing things but you know having to mesh never having to match the dad busted ant its head off you still didn't turn loose things this morning would start off with a brutal murder like in that instance do you choose the frog or the cantor to not interfere but I mean I was already involved so I didn't have to kill the one on his front foot he turned loose they gave the one on the back foot a chance yeah yeah he's just determined even in death to eat that dirt frog but I'm gonna try to totally redeem myself mission accomplished I mean I don't mind murdering mosquitoes because you know I'm trying to suck up my blood and they don't care if I lose my sceetos it's the spider you need to get some skaters yes yes I don't go on rants often cuz you know it's sometimes not worth getting angry or upset over things that's you know doesn't really matter but I ran into man yesterday and I've been stewing on this for about 18 hours or so anyway I ran into him in yesterday heading southbound to get a section hike and he asked me you know where are you heading on this hike and I said well my long-term goal is Canada and he was like Canada huh oh well I reckon you're gonna have to skip ahead to get done in time weren't you and I was like well no I think I just need to hike more miles and maybe a little faster you know each day and he's like listen now I'm telling you go halfway up Oregon somewhere you know and go north and you can knock this out afterwards and I said I don't think so and he said oh no you're never gonna make it if I listen to people my whole life I would be out here I wouldn't have hiked the Appalachian Trail okay I probably wouldn't leave my house because I'd be so scared of everything so I guess my point is take what people say with a grain of salt and you know what you're laughs I will say though that I'm thankful for people like that because honestly it makes me you just want to work a lot harder wrong [Music] doing something a little crazy today I know that we're gonna really have to start up in the mileage and getting our bodies you know acclimated to that we're doing a 24 hour challenge starting this morning from whatever time we take our first step onto the trail we have 24 hours from that moment to do as many miles as we can basically so my record on the Appalachian Trail is 33 miles let's go see so flirty just already starting out with destructions this morning she's trying to sabotage us this reminds me of NASCAR cuz we have many many laps to go but Paige laughs we still have to make and you kind of want to get a super ball it's going on one hour in still feel good so open this up he'll miss we have past the two-hour mark and still feeling good I think most of the a pill for the day is behind this most significant a couple anyway apparently there might be a longer water carry in the stretch things interesting and I just left my trekking poles behind me it's probably like point whine but that's a quarter of a mile at it on for no reason other than carelessness is ibuprofen a performance-enhancing drug no okay I'm beginning our before then I have done eight miles on the dot with all the peaks and something for water and etc leaving my trekking poles alright I've got ten miles logged and it is 10:30 I believe so less than four hours so it is 1052 scared me um oh I think it's a mom and two phones kind of in the lead now not that it's really a race just race with yourself hardly a complaint is the lack of water and of course the exposed terrain huh you know heat a lot of heat low amount of water yeah doesn't make for it's been five hours and I'm at uh [Music] 13.3 which is not wonderful thundering don't rain on me I still hadn't seen anybody so they're all still behind me somewhere I hope somebody catches up sitting just you know because misery loves company I have to say this is only the second time on trail that I've had to put on well on Pacific Crest Trail then I've had to put on a raincoat because of the rain a little hill right now but there aren't many of these that's good these nice folks right here so sweet they in this dry stretch of water they had some Exeter in their vehicle just extra and some snacks and stuff but they're leaving out for everyone else coming along and just like that I have done 30 miles officially on the Pacific Crest Trail this is my first 30 Malheur day and I'm really excited if I keep up this pace which I mean let's be real I don't think I can but that would be a 60 mile day I'm gonna be crazy I mean I'll be happy to get 50 I'll be happy to get 40 I'm happy about 30 I think the squirrels are trying to torture me because this looks like a little mini piece of fried chicken to me or maybe like fried chicken with a sharp tail or something I don't know I don't know if I'm getting delirious or got a second wind I think it's too early for delirium so I'm gonna go with second one oh you have a pretty view here on this mountain you live on beautiful I have officially height 34 miles today which means I have beaten my personal record of 33 that I reached on Appalachian Trail so even if it didn't hack another mile tonight I'd be proud but I'm gonna keep hacking all these guys like to scare the crap out of me we're cows and I thought a bear was there but it's just girls that's good I just want to say that you're looking at the newest member of the 40-mile or club I just looked 40 miles by 10:30 p.m. I'm pretty excited and to celebrate I think I'm gonna um change the batteries in my headlamp even though the moon is out now and I might not need it that much and change my socks you know to celebrate 40 miles I can feel myself kind of starting to slow down especially after that last break my feet were hurting pretty good I'm still going I'm getting creative II sleepy the cow pond absolutely disgusting of course it's a cow pond we'll get some of this for emergencies only I've been wondering about the guys and where they are and everything and I hadn't heard from anybody but perk just texted me and he is like 6.3 miles behind me so man I'm glad that somebody's still trucking I don't know it just makes me feel good like know if I fall out somebody will come behind me y'all it is 250 in the morning and I have officially hit 15 miles oh my goodness it feels so good not sure that I can pull 60 but I'm gonna get as close as I can this is my feet walking mile 1,400 because I can't find the mile marker Oh hundred I guess the 24-hour challenge is a good reason 54 miles in and I am literally running right now well who's best I can not falling on my face aren't rock oh I want 60 so so bad alright it's getting down to the to the grind here I've been 56 and a half I have two hours left oh I want to try to go ahead and just make it all the way to the road to Burnie which I think will be a little over 61 but let's not be greedy let's get to 60 verse I'm a 60 mile er oh my gosh okay but I gotta keep going to see oh how much I can get before times up I've got like 40-something minutes left Wow I look like such a dork but it doesn't matter I'm a dorky 60 mile er and I'm proud of it holy crap a moly Oh whoop well weren't have mercy my feet finally really hurt a lot like my left foot I'm pretty sure the skin is ripped off of my big toe I think so okay I'm shuffling now doing the hiker shuffle so this is the road to Bernie which means I've been 61 point one miles problem is there's still time left in the challenge so I've had to cross the road like an idiot and keep walking down the trail it's not a 24-hour challenges if I don't hike all 24 hours right uh I can't believe I'm doing this extra piece I just don't look like I didn't complete it it's a little over at the top but you got to I have never been so happy to hear my alarm go off it just went off and I am at 62 miles flat for this 24-hour 24 hour challenge challenge complete well this is the second day after completing the 24 hour challenge and my back feels a lot better I'm not a sore in those muscles um feet aren't quiet as sore oh the blisters are real though huh last night when I pulled off that leuco tape to kind of rinse everything off the blue sir my big toe I saw how big it really was by the flap of skin that was hanging there so doctored it up put more LIGO tape on today and I think everything's gonna be fine so no no serious damage so I'm just walking along here you know admiring this openness and I see Park here and he's like Dixie look and I'm like yeah openness and I'm like kind of like you know whatever and then I'm like oh oh my there's Mount Shasta looking all majestic and you almost can't see her because she just splendor it--in with the clouds and perks like yeah that's what I was talking about Oh check it out so pretty butters look at the clouds are you cussing me out Oh what did you say to me do y'all see her up there looking at me what you doing hmm you following me she really is look I have made a friend she is running down the hill after we well hit it no work never had this happen before look out for creepers on the trail today come on let's go to Canada eight tenths of a mile from the Oregon border or again the sunny side of all this smoke you know even though I can't see the views uh is I haven't really been bit by any mosquitos today so that's good research and all these fires up ahead and it's just logistically kind of a nightmare in itself this is where we're getting back on the trail here we're gonna have to double back back to this spot and actually pass it tomorrow head north this little section was kind of a rush and those firefighters were certainly surprised seems he was like well this areas should be closed we were like well if it was we wouldn't have come through you know anyway it's gonna in total be like a 26 to 27 mile day for really just like 13 and a half or so Trump we are hiking north now towards another fire closure of course and but we're about to pass - exhales so that's pretty exciting well I've officially completed another small section that's open between chief fire closures and I've got some text messages telling me about teen fire closures ahead and you know I was just like just get out of Oregon maybe Washington I can actually you know hike miles you know I knew that they had evacuated Cascade Locks which is right on the or against I'd have the Columbia River but right you know on the state line the fire has apparently jumped the gorge and there's now open Washington side so stupid but like no if I don't get to walk across the bridge of the got that's gonna be awful I'm being such a baby but in here I am being all selfish and you know upset about missing you know a big part of the trail that was looking forward to you but you know I just think about all the people who who live in these areas and their homes and their businesses are at risk and like just imagine what all of them must be going through as part of the country's on fire this is in the year of darkness no matter what happens here moving forward I just need to enjoy everything around me every day and all the beauty that I'm emerged in and just be proud that I have this opportunity for all the amazing things I've already seen and you know what's left to come before I get to Canada even if I'm flying in a firefighting helicopter [Music] when I stand at that Monument you had been barred now by the time I get there it's really it's really gonna be something special [Music] all the smoke and everything there still has been a beauty to work in and you know it's been a state that I never got to really explore before so even though I didn't see it in its most pristine condition I can always come back you know I came out here to hike the Pacific Crest Trail not to see crater lake and not to see sisters and not to see you know all this of course that's all part of it he really has showed me several things and and allowed me to meet some awesome people met some awesome you know trail angels that have really really helped us a lot and getting around you know all of these closures and he's just dealing with the logistics and it really would have been very difficult to do without them and their kindness and most importantly it's helped me prove to myself that you know no matter what it's thrown my way I am extremely committed to finishing this because I came to here hiking the PCT that's exactly so we can't go cross bridge of the gods as far as I know but we're still gonna walk into Washington and we're just doing it over a bridge well I certainly expected it it's getting cold the weather is coming cold weather and snow eventually but hopefully I'm sitting in the town in Canada watching the first snowfall instead of at the monument snowshoeing through it [Music] I think we're gonna probably run into some snow East lady stuff and this next few days stretch but before we know it we'll be at Leavenworth warm again and after that we only have sticky kin and then Canada so see in the end in sight but it's just the next few days are gonna they're gonna be pretty rough we decided to hang out a little bit longer and see if it'll clear up at all and it did not it's gonna be like lower 20s tonight so yeah gonna hold up one more day I guess I'm a baby apparently the weather is supposed to lighten up a little bit tomorrow whale reached snow line just get into it now just turn from rain to Swedish stuff to snow can't see anything but still so pretty trails still pretty especially the snow on it christmas came early [Music] uncle Lyle it's a free cold out here [Music] this is absolutely amazing a little miserable but oh my god it's so beautiful [Music] I'm wondering if this is not as a catwalk part that I heard it or one talking around apparently it is there's a beautiful view behind all of this cloud cover here but yeah I passed a couple today who are hon self I thought they looked familiar but apparently they've left from Snoqualmie Pass headed north less than 10 miles or so Hampton had whether it was really bad turn around came back came back up here again I guess yesterday and then last night they were just miserable and cold they turned around and went back to town today so when I pass them those our second time coming back down from up here 420 in at this point I'll probably be happy it's ten it's gonna have to get significantly worse for me to turn around and go back down hill that hill I just caught good hopefully that won't happen I'm gonna enjoy this for what it is kind of reminds me of when I was finishing the 18 the main and how other was there so seems fitting looks like for you just look up and see the bag his way see the list coming in right there so I'm just gonna go back to city on boats it's no good my sleeping bag is not quite so it's just damp pretty much everything else I have it sent including um Pachter contractor bag that I keep my sleeping bag in here so I just don't really trust that I know it's gonna continue this all-day training so I don't really trust that it'll be dry enough to stay warm enough tonight [Applause] plus I don't really and I can I mean I'm sure if I Kevin you're gonna be fine but then climb into the sleeping bag but it's gonna suck mercy hypothermia and die as far as I knew from the forecast I do have to get to Canada so take in all these years not eating and finishing so not thrilled about this I'm sitting here like second-guessing myself like sure if you turn around going to town but I know that should cuz anybody got no business being out and 20 to 30 degree weather no Wesley so if today was a day that was gonna be sunny I would just hike until that point and then pay my stuff out to dry for lunch or something but I don't think the sun's gonna show its face today so I reckon I'm doing the right thing feels like an earning we get to Canada and I am somehow come hell or high water rain and snow gonna make it so after I got to the room and I pulled out my sleeping bag I realized it was it was pretty pretty sopping wet but I put it in the dryer fluffed it up and now it's got more loft than its had in a while so it was really a good call on my part to pull the plug and come back and you know even though I've lost a couple days now I could have potentially lost my life right so it's totally worth four extra days much [Music] the other day you can hardly see anything and now pretty pretty [Music] so this here is the kind of Kindle that one and yeah you could not see any Wow [Music] it's gracious that's where it was home sweet home I just passed this lady go on southbound and her name is Brazil nut and she is on the flash trail of this PCT going southbound working on her double-double Triple Crown that is insane so she'll be I think the second woman to double triple crown which is just amazing talking to her and asking her you know we've done all three trails and I'm us all of them twice now so which is your favorite and she made a really good point she said what do you like more the oceans are the mountains why can't you just enjoy them both I was like I know like all the trails it's like comparing apples to oranges and she said you know you hold on to your first experience which for me and for her was an Appalachian Trail but she said you know even though you remember that experience even if you go back and do that same trail it's never gonna be the same right because it's different and she said it's all about enjoying the beauty of every day and just being in the moment for whatever it is and well she's right um you know I've been one on the hard days out here to dwell on you know camaraderie of 80 Aramis you know this part of even this trail or or whatever but the point is you know can't dwell in the past because you're never gonna have it back things are never gonna be exactly as they were yesterday because it's a different day that's a new moment and a new experience and you just have to be willing to accept that and to be excited about the present and what the future holds so gosh I just love running people like that back in the clouds again I'll take it I'll take the clouds as long as Mother Nature doesn't decide to pee on me I remember being a little girl and folks always saying you know don't leave your head in the clouds and you know what y'all I promise the cold and guts my mind it made me a crazy person not yet I thought maybe if I sang to the Sun she'd come back out but no lookit you are my sunshine my only son you make me happy when skies are gray doo-doo-doo it comes the Sun and I said it's alright [Music] means my someone crazy so the my stood there a tent stole some of these shoelaces none of my things were damaged you said you could hear him running over the top of y'alls yeah they were climbing up the mesh of mine too like looking in I flicked one off at one boy I can't twist and most people that I've camped boys than like forever last night there were four other people and in talking to them this morning there was a couple there and they are the ones that had to turn back twice to go back to Snoqualmie Pass and so talk to them about that and and apparently they knew several other people who had to do the same thing and some had to get up and go in the middle of the night because they got soaked that quickly so and then I passed ended up passing a fella that I know from the 80 from 2015 and he was heading south yesterday he did like a flip-flop and he said that from Stevens past which is where I'm heading right now huh the people did the same thing including him so it was crazy how many people had to end up turning around and heading back because of that storm and I'm just really thankful that I wasn't in the middle of the stretch and then I was close enough to town although I don't love the snow it is useful for leaving hiker Tex I have a new hiking buddy today I finally got serviced last night where I was camped and park was aiming to make it to town yesterday afternoon a tea um so this last section was slow going for him also he also said that before he got word first from some people that I camped near it I guess you know passed by him that morning that uh he was psychologically prepared to come back and find my body so that's that's it's pretty crazy honestly I was pretty worried about him also you know it was like well if he didn't come back to town when I did then obviously he didn't get wet and he's fine or he's dead right so um I know that sounds absolutely horrible but I mean the snow and the rain and the cold and the wet and freezing temperatures and hypothermia it's really nothing to play around with so um and I'm telling y'all this Washington rain and cold it's way different than like Smokey Mountain cold or else I've just gotten soft I don't know anyway luckily uh neither Airport perk nor I have two more on each other hey this place out I found a perk Washington in Leavenworth and here's like you know we're all like oh wow this looks like miniature golf but legit and then there's a goat in the middle of town I guess this is how they cut their grass bless you [Music] just got done with my second to last week I knew that blueberries could be so photogenic so there's something that I don't really mentioned yet but I'm pretty excited about and that is I have a bracelet that I wear on this wrist you can't even see it anymore but it's got the coordinates of Katahdin Mount Katahdin in there which is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and so I have one just like it except it has different numbers and that is the coordinates for the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail so I've carried it with me all this way and I figure when I get to the monument I've earned it and I'll get to put it on so pretty pretty thrilled about that it's been a long hard year and for six months whatever and I'll be really excited and feel really good when I have accomplished two-thirds of the Triple Crown and I get to put that bracelet on [Music] or it's supposed to get Radia gross Michels worse know yesterday was nice today is beautiful [Music] it's crazy to see what a beautiful day it is today and to know that it's gonna be just awful tomorrow the weather it does look daunting but right now we're just gonna focus on the task at hand which is make it to so he can between this section and Stehekin there really is no place to bail out so if you get stuck between two higher peaks because you've already come over some and then you know it snows just dumps a bunch and you can't get over the next one so there so now a little bit about that but perk and I are sticking together through the stretch so that's nice there's actually a couple the ones who had to go back twice into snow called me because of the bad weather actually quit they just decided that they were done with the weather and uh I don't know when you see somebody quit this late in the game you know it's just like it messes with your mind a little bit but uh Burke and I are feeling strong and we're just ready for Canada the other morning I was looking up out of my tent and I noticed that I had several little bitty holes in the wall of it and I was gonna just patch them but there was a section hiker who's done like a thousand miles on the trail this year asked me if I wanted to borrow his tent until the end instead of worrying that patching it wouldn't work or you know all of that because they're supposed to be bad in the stretch so that's what it did soft him tints it's kind of scary too to swap somebody attend this late in the game but I didn't have a chance to contact Z packs you know being out here and I won't really have time for them to send me some repair tape and to deal with all this logistics so I had to make a decision on the fly so right now I'm borrowing a Nemo tent which I've never used one of those before but it's very similar to my Big Agnes Fly Creek you well - so hopefully that was a good decision and we'll see if it gets me through to the end [Music] [Music] every day me and perfect you wanna go penis day so bringing it's cold it's wet it's miserable and it's raining it was snowing earlier but trying to stay in good ish spirits the rain has chilled out that's still kind of currently raining but we're up under these trees so don't try to cook some lunch while there's like a slight window of opportunity even though I'm not necessarily starving right now but days like this year you eat when you can in the snack Bank is running a little low knowing that there was bad why they're coming I really should have planned for lunches that I didn't have to cook but hindsight's 2020 and there's what it is yesterday just before stopping for camp uh had a no five mile hill or so and on that hill oh I was getting warm not sweatin you know but warm and so I kept taking my hood from my raincoat and flipping it back and I decided that was a good idea it's cool myself off today was raining on me and everything wet my hair but in the moment it felt kind of good well I like to never got warm last night when I finally got to camp I mean I was freezing well that two-mile ridge walk and then yeah trying to dry my hair out warm up was just nearly impossible there's still kind of damp this morning so not making that mistake today I've got like seven more miles of uphill left and then I think like half a mile down hill or something to where I'm gonna camp and uh I will not be taking this off it might be a little damp with sweat but it will not be soaked with cold rain so just a little something to keep in mind if you're hiking in really cold weather and it's raining oh this is my favorite part of the day getting in my tent and eating dinner and going to sleep I'm ready to be done hopefully you're gonna make it just he can tomorrow - there's a bus that picks up at the ranger station and that means I have to do 20.9 miles by 5:30 which lately has not been happening but most of tomorrow is downhill so if I can make myself get out of this town at a decent time in the morning maybe I'll be alright but hopefully get over this last little bit in the morning before it gets too crazy but and then I'll have to check the weather once I get to sneak in and get some service or Wi-Fi or something but anyway I'm gonna go wash dishes and brush my teeth and go back [Music] [Music] [Music] seeing all the little tracks and trying to you know guess what they are that might be like a chipmunk or squirrel and that's probably a parka later if this thing says cloudy pass then we're exactly 100 miles from Canada perk would you see what it says do us the honors Hey exactly 100 miles from here to [Music] she ran into a southbounder who while in his seat and said he heard word that today was supposed to be snowy and rainy but the rest of the week should be nice an ounce son who's trying to chat again I think we're gonna make it man oh here we go [Music] not sad the point the finish line is happening regardless because even if I were to fall down and break my leg at this point I'll just drag myself there so it's gonna happen and that's the most relieving and wonderful and exciting I can easily say without a doubt of it the PCT is the hardest thing that I have ever accomplished in my life eleven point nine miles to candidate but I think through it you know I learned for perseverance listen for miles and I learned to try to find the sunny side of you know any little thing that I could even on the horrible days you know I made sure to actually enjoy the good moments it's actually I'm gonna happen pretty excited even though I didn't beat the snow and I didn't beat the weather to Canada so this has been an amazing experience and very challenging one but I did it this is less graceful than you imagine at some point you don't care you're just happy to be done it's finished is better than how you imagined it Canada yes I guess we use your phones no no it does twist it does race yeah [Laughter]

Channel: Homemade Wanderlust

Views: 889,521

Rating: 4.924861 out of 5

Keywords: travel, hiking, backpacking, hike, gear, adventure, fun, story, PCT, thru-hike, Auburn, Alabama, epic, Appalachian, Trail, climbing, canyon, national, nature, mountains, update, park, lake, trail, tents, camping, summer, University, Aubie, River, stream, Mountains, National, Scenic

Id: V4D4TcgppD8

Length: 114min 17sec (6857 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 04 2018