PCT Map Miles 91.2
Miles Hiked 38.5
Elevation 3,350 feet
Miles Hiked Today 13.8
I’m leaving the tiny house where I slept for the last two nights. Before I go, my sleeping pad is going to get the once over in an attempt to find a leak. I used a sponge with soap on it and wiped down the pad, and I found the leak! The patches the manufacturer included were worthless. Fortunately, I had some patches. I’ll find out tonight if it worked.
Getting a ride to the trail concerned me. Banner Ranch is on the way to Scissor Crossing, so the plan was to try to catch a trail angel heading there. It worked. The Professor who had given me a couple of rides over the last couple of days stopped and picked me up. I was on the trail by 9 AM.
The trail gained about 1,500 feet of elevation and then did a bunch of short ups and downs. This was going to be fun with a full resupply and 3 liters of water. My backpack was heavy.
On the first part of the climb, I came upon two young women. One, an English woman, was having her hiking partner carefully pull cactus needles from her shorts. Ouch! I’m sure that hurt.
The rest of the day was uneventful except for another rattlesnake blocking the trail. This time I waited it out, and it finally moved, so I didn’t have to bushwhack around it.
I reached my intended campsite for the night a little before 5 PM and setup my tent. And… My sleeping pad inflated and held air! I’m so happy about that – until the next hole gets punched in it.
