Just lookin’ for an excuse…
The stay at the Lion’s Den went well and I got little sleep. I’m on the list to go to Harts Pass to start. This is the Washington first day of hiking the PCT
Night Before PCT Start: I catch my bus, and it immediately hits gridlock. The interstate is closed. I may miss my four hour ride to the Lion’s Den.
Here we go with another day hiking the steep steps of the Blue Trail through the five villages of Cinque Terre. Today, I’ll be finishing the trail.
I’m visiting the five villages of Cinque Terre – the hard way. The first time I was here was 2016. I remember the trail being steep with a lot of steps.
Today, I head for the town of Lone Pine. The plan is to hike nearly 9 miles to a side trail called Trail Pass and then down to Cottonwood trailhead.
The Sierra Nevada Mountains: This morning, the trail goes up 1,300 feet to 10,500 feet. I haven’t been this high in elevation since I hiked the Colorado Trail.
Hiking the high Sierra: The day started at an elevation of just over 6,100 feet. Essentially, the trail went up all day.
Kennedy Meadows: I setup camp on the store grounds. My bad. A guard dog started barking at sunset and never stopped for a second until daylight.
Today, I reach the symbolic end of the desert at Kennedy Meadows. That’s got to be a joke. I saw cactus on the side of the trail as I was hiking this morning.
Manter Creek: The day started out with a big climb. I don’t even check anymore for the day’s elevation gain before hiking. I know I’m going up.
