Day 149 – Mile 1269.0 – 1293.8
Posted in : PCT blog on by : Nick
Quincy to Williams Cabin Site (5)
Miles to go: 298.0
Miles hiked: 1293.8 + 1063.4 = 2357.2
Canada: 2655.2
I felt a little rough this morning, maybe 6 pints in town is 1 too many? Just 3 days left of ‘Northern California’, but there are no easy days on the PCT. More dramatic rises & falls in elevation to get to towns I don’t need.
I’d managed to arrange a 6am ride back to trail from Denise, a Facebook trail angel who lives in Quincy. 2 other guys staying at Pounder’s last night also fancied an early start so came along too (Jack & Ben).
We reached the trailhead at about 6:30 and as I hadn’t eaten anything I had my breakfast (frosted Pop-tarts) in the parking lot before I set off hiking. When I started up the trail I’m pretty sure there was a mountain lion walking up the trail in front of me. When he sensed me behind he started running up the trail and I didn’t see him again after that.
After about 4miles I reached the top of the hill and the junction for ‘Spanish Peak’ I carried on now slightly downhill as the PCT doesn’t go to Spanish Peak. For the next 9miles the trail bounces along the top through some burn area until it drop’s dramatically towards Belden. For about 6miles the trail descend steeply into the valley losing 4,000ft of elevation. (I was glad when that was over)
The next 14miles of trail climbs not so steeply out of the valley gaining 4,600ft in elevation. I had lunch and planned how much of that I could hike in the afternoon, leaving the rest until the morning when it’ll be significantly cooler.
I decided a tentsite about 6miles up would be ideal, leaving 8miles left to climb in the morning. Just before camp I found a lovely waterfall creek to fill up my water then at the camp spot ate my dinner in the sun before pitching my tent on the slopeiest spot I’ve had on the whole trail.
Water filtered: 480.0 litres
PCT Miles hiked today: 24.8
Nights under canvas current streak: 1
Max streak: 18
Total nights under canvas: 112
Total nights in a building: 37
Lake swims: 1
Showers: 34
Trail Magic: 19
Thought for the day: I bought far too much food for a 3 day resupply in Quincy. What was I thinking? You’d think I’d know what I was doing by now!