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Our Journey along the Pacific Crest Trail

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So…it’s been almost two week since we’ve been on the trail 8th October 2019
Things we do while thru-hiking that are not socially acceptable in real life 11th August 2019
Trail magic 26th July 2019

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Pacific Crest Trail. ~UP AND OVER~ I'll never forget that feeling. The adrenaline, the excitement and awe. We had just climbed Forester Pass and were looking into the valley below us, blanketed in snow for as far as you could see. The morning was cold, our alarms went off at 2am and by 3am we were on our way. The next 2 miles were surreal. Above us was a blanket of a billion stars divided by a streaking milky way. I don't think I had ever seen this many stars before. In the far distance we could see a few headlights slowly making their way up the mountain pass, knowing soon it would be our turn to do the same. By the time we reached the ascent, we met a few more hikers camped near the base. We prepared our ice axes and got ready for the climb up. The steps were well kicked in for us and that helped us up the steep climb. We carefully navigated a tricky transition from snow to rock and made our way to the famous ice chute via steep switchbacks. Stepping onto the chute itself was tricky, I had to crawl under a rocky overhang and step into foot holds making sure not to get my pack caught on the rocks above. Carefully, step by step we traversed the ice chute, ice axe plunging into the snow with each movement and precise breathing keeping us focused. The final steps up to the pass were steep but met with cheers and smiles from other hikers, "we made it!" I exclaimed. The shaky feeling of our adrenaline wearing off.. Now realizing the true challenge of the Sierra was still ahead of us.

Pacific Crest Trail. ~MIND BLOWN~ One of my favourite parts of the desert were the wind farms. Holy moly it was fun walking among those giants! The sounds they made *woosh woosh woosh* in the distance. During the aquaduct, we could see them miles away and I wondered how close we'd actually get. Lucky for me, the trail led straight up to the fence with a sign "NO TRESPASSING, EXCEPT FOR PCT HIKERS." It made me feel like a celebrity sort of. What I didn't know at the time was, it is the largest wind farm in California and one of the largest in the world. Cool right? Thought so.

Pacific Crest Trail. . . ~THE SIERRA NEVADA~ We didn't get a chance to finish the whole section, skipping ahead at Bishop Pass after about 210km of hiking in heavy snow conditions. Along the way though we met a bunch of crazy folks determined to fight through the snow no matter the cost. I'm fond of times we had to navigate steep slopes or find respite on a small patch of dirt under a tree for camp. The challenge each morning to climb over a mountain pass and see what challenges lay ahead of you. There was the unnerving feeling deep inside you every time you heard rushing water ahead. Would the crossing be easy? Shallow? Or would we have to hike up and down the shore looking for a safer place to cross. After we flipped, we faced the scrutiny from self proclaimed "tru nobos" that would preach and invalidate our hike because we skipped ahead. It was a challenging time for us and that prevented us from enjoying many conversations with groups of hikers. By the time we were a few miles from the northern terminus, none of that mattered anymore. All we remembered were the highlights, the triumphs in the Sierra, all the critters in the desert and the never ending climbs of Washington. Oregon was cool too ;)

West Coast Trail. ~NOT THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL~ So here we were at Owens Point along the West Coast Trail circa 2017. Our first mini thru hike was a success and had @go.wing.it claim she'd never want to do another long distance hike again. Fast forward a year later and we were prepping for the PCT. That year we must of spent about 15 nights camping with several day hikes through the year getting ourselves ready. It was important at the time to be comfortable with our gear, to minimize the learning curve along the way. So now it's October 2019.we're still unemployed and adjusting to life. Going on day hikes and the occasional job interview make up our weeks at the moment. Photos have come a bit slower on Instagram not from us lacking content, but from missing the trail life and not wanting to be reminded of it each day. So in a few weeks we travel to Australia for a couple weeks for wedding related errands and most likely put on our serious job faces when we get back.. 🙄

Not the Pacific Crest Trail. ~WEEKEND WARRIORS~ So our first non pct hike was a lovely hike up to Elfin Lakes shelter for an overnight of fun and adventure. There were warnings of high bear activity in the area and to stay extra vigilant while out walking.. Well, let me tell you something. In the brief time we were up there, Lora and I came across 8 bears that afternoon while our friends stumbled into 12. Can you imagine that! That was more bears in a single day than 5 months hiking through America. The two closest encounters we had was a bear right outside the shelter grazing, another bear was beside the trail eating in the morning that we kinda surprised. This big guy didn't like us at all and turned to confront us. We slowly backed away and took an alternative trail around. The scariest part was how unfazed the bears were to our presence. They didn't care. They just stood there eating and wouldn't move. Usually they run away as fast as possible.. Anyhow, another great lesson on how to stay safe in the outdoors by giving wildlife a respecible distance and observe them from afar.

Pacific Crest Trail ~HITCHING GUIDE TO THE GALAXY~ So along the PCT we had many moments where the only way into or out of town was to hitch. Hitching involved little more than sticking our thumbs out and waiting for a kind stranger to pick us up! For the most part, the rides came quickly and the company was very interesting. We never had a negative experience and enjoyed hearing the stories and meeting the kind folks passing through the countless highways and towns of the USA. Some of the highlights included a spontaneous tour around Lone Pine that highlighted a section of the Alabama Hills where the movie Tremors was filmed. Another was Lora's first time riding in the back of a pick up truck down a highway, she was smiling the entire time! If hitch-hiking has you terrified about planning a future PCT hike, don't worry. Strangers are nice folks and you'll be fine. Always rely on your gut instinct when accepting rides and don't be afraid to say no if you feel unsure. Happy travels!

© Andrew McIvor and Wing Lok Hui are Bigfootlittlefoothike, 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Andrew McIvor and Wing Lok hui Bigfootlittlefoothike with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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