DAY 88: MILE 1122 TO 1141

Undercover trying to get service to report the fire.

Today ended up being a shorter day than anticipated. This morning was a nice gradual climb at a great temp. We crossed a trailhead parking lot and I used the pit toilet. It wasn't too smelly at all and I took some tp. Finished the climb up to the top and I saw smoke coming from what looked liked a fire pit. A game and undercover were there already trying to call the forest service bc it was actually a forest fire when I got closer. It was smoldering and it was super hot if I got close. The area looked sketch though. It looked as if someone was digging a hole for a corpse and trying to burn the bodies. After several tries, undercover finally gets a hold of them and said it was already reported.

We finally leave assuming it's in good hands and hiked on. My lips still burn when I use chap so I'm doing a new method of using only unscented lotion and covering my mouth with a bandana in the sun. I'm starting to think it's eczema bc I have a few patches on my cheeks too. Ugh. It's like growing out into my mouth too. I think all the stuff I've been eating is probably finally taking its toll on my skin. I don't know what to put on it bc at home, I just avoid all gluten/dairy/sugar and my skin clears up. But I haven't had it on my mouth since I was a kid. :( it hurts to eat and stuff.

The rest of the afternoon was a steep climb up to the ski area in the hot dry heat. It was pretty bad. I fill up some water and climb up a bit. To my surprise, I see the married folk setting up camp already. They decided to call it early today since they can't get their pkg in Sierra city till Sunday. I wanted to go a few more miles but they convinced me to stay. It was nice to be early though. I'm not in any rush to Sierra besides getting to wa in time but I'm just worried about my eczema right now. It's hard to eat.

DAY 87: MILE 1099 TO 1122

I think today has actually been my biggest mileage at 23. Last night was surprisingly warm, i had to unzip my sleeping bag. I woke to my sleeping bag damp but everything else dry. The hike out this morning crossed through so many pretty lakes but the mosquitos were bad. We climbed dicks pass at a gradual incline but it was hot. I didn't even wear a jacket out in the morning. I always really look forward to lunch these days but it always goes by so fast. The afternoon went by pretty quick too. I was deep into all my podcasts.

Most of the day was passing by many lakes and other hikers which is weird bc it's a weekday. A couple of thru hikers passed but not many. It was super buggy at many places though. Finally arrived at camp w the married folk, Lavern and ranger. I would like to start getting to camp earlier so that I can wake up earlier but it's become a cycle now and can't wake up super early anymore.

DAY 86: ECHO LAKE TO MILE 1099

I woke up this morning knowing it's my last at the apex. My stay has been so amazing and I loved having a place to myself. I was on the phone w usps trying to figure out where my pkg was that Ellie sent me. Undercover texted me they were doing breakfast at eight so I met them over there. I ordered an eggs Benny and hot chocolate! They gave it to me in this huge mug w a ton of whipped cream. I finally talked to the usps people and they were basically no help and said the tracking will update when scanned. Well duh. I just wanted to know if it even left Seattle yet.

After breakfast, we went back to the hotel to pack up for check out. I took my time and it was relaxing. My pack didn't feel TOO heavy. My food bag is just really tall. We went to ernies coffee shop to loiter and use their wifi for a bit. Me and undercover ordered a milkshake. It was really good but probably not a good idea to eat before lunch. We downloaded some more podcasts and then walked to the lake of the sky outfitter to let them know about my package status. I ended up just giving them my Belden address to forward to. I hope it arrives soon. They had this nice little hiker lounge w a couch so it was nice to sit a little.

Then we plus Lavern and ranger joined us for Thai food. This place was awesome. Best Asian food so far. I ordered a Thai iced tea with bubbles and two dishes so that I could pack one out. But I wasn't super hungry so I could only eat half of one. I put the rest into my container and the other into a ziploc. Packing out leftovers is the best. We then all took an uber XL to the trailhead and was off again! It's always weird getting back on. Echo lake was really pretty and the trail wound around the edge. Passed a bunch of hikers heading back. It was pretty hot and buggy. I was moving slow since I was really full.

I finally reached lake aloha and it was so beautiful! It looked like we were back in the high sierras again. It was nearing six and I was debating on finding camp or keep walking to find the married folk. I kept walking and finally found them setting up. It was a beautiful spot. I ate my pad see ew for dinner and it was bomb. I'm happy to be back in my tent but also miss apex. I am feeling a bit refreshed for this next section and excited about all the new audio I downloaded.

DAY 85: ZERO IN SLT

The pkgs I have been waiting so long for!!

I headed out to catch my bus around 8 but turned out I had just missed it by three minutes so I waited around 40 min for the next one. The bus driver came and he was pretty rude. He got mad at me for entering the bus in the back. He thought I was a terrorist. When we got closer to the post office, I asked him if this was the stop and all he did was point. So rude. I got off and walked across the parking lot to it. The place was really busy, I've heard so many things about the PO here being super rude too. The man who helped me was frazzled and overwhelmed on how busy it was. He couldn't find my packages and was annoyed. Every time I tried telling him something, he would disappear into he back before I could finish. As I was writing down the tracking that I had for only two of them, he walks out with three of my pkgs stacked high. He said it was filed under the H instead of W. Have no clue why bc there is no h in my name. But I was relieved. I finally got my new shoes, hat and box from the muscos!

I then waited another 30-40 min for the next bus to take me to the sports store to find a new olive oil container. Found one and headed to raleys next door to use their potty. Ended up finding some bulk cashews and got some juice. I was starting to get hungry! I saw digger and frost and caught up with me. He said the Chinese buffet was terrible but I still convinced to try it. Waited another 40 min for the bus to take me back to our side of town. I got off and went to the other PO to mail some things forward to Sierra city. I was super close to the Chinese buffet so I walked over and decided to try some things to go. Digger was right, it sucked. Some of the things were ok but most were not. Oh well. You live and learn.

After four hours of running around town, waiting for buses and walking around with a huge trash bag over my shoulder full of stuff, I finally made it back to my room. This has not been a rest day. I don't like big towns bc it takes forever to do things. We don't have cars and it's really hard to get around. I facetimed nancy a bit to arrange some gear and she showed me their new place! So cute. I ended up passing out for a bit so that felt good. It was getting close to evening and I just wanted to stay in bed all day. I had a FT date w my nanny kids and got to see them finally!! It was so fun to catch up since it's been a really long time. They are such cute kids, they had a list of really good questions they asked about my trip!

A game and undercover went to Thai for dinner and was FINALLY happy they found a good Thai place!! So happy. I decided to just wait till tomorrow and had some leftovers here in my room. I just chilled with the tv on for the rest of the night and caught up on blogs. I went to go visit them for a bit when they got back too since we hadn't seen each other all day. Tomorrow is back on trail. I'm worried about Ellie's pkg bc there's been no update on the tracking. I feel so bad bc she rushed to get it out to me but now I have no idea where it is! Argh. USPS. I also asked mike Linquist to ask their friend Adam to see if he had a sports therapist he recommends but I just don't know if I have enough time, energy and effort to go to one before we head out. There's always so much to do and not enough time.

DAY 84: MILE 1087 TO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

This morning, I had NO problem waking up. It was town day! Woke a little earlier than normal and headed off. Weird how five miles can feel like forever though. Most of the hike out, my sciatica has been really bad. I'm thinking of going to a sports therapist to see if they can dig out the muscle on my right butt that's knotted. It's just really painful to do flats when I need to be flying through them.

We crossed a busy highway for awhile and it was so loud. We had this hill to climb right before getting to echo lake. Finally arrived and thought this day would never come! Since it was still early, the married folk and I just called an uber which worked out great. Our driver was cool to chat with and he ended up telling is he grew weed at his house for a living haha. He dropped us off for breakfast at berts cafe and heard it was the goods. Since it was a Sunday morning, it was packed. That's a good sign. While we waited to be seated, we talked to a few super friendly locals. When we walked inside, everyone just stares. I mean, do we really stick out? I seriously don't think I look that dirty. I ordered eggs, corned beef hash, hash browns and a side of avocado and French toast. That seems to be my staple these days. It's delicious! Very homemade tasting. We were happy.

After we ate, we walked across the street to apex inn, the motel we're staying at. We checked in but hung out for an hour or so until they were ready. Early check in is great! I got into my room and it was awesome. Very decent and clean for being in a resort town. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to also have my own room this time around. This hasn't happened yet and it was the perfect timing after this 12 day stretch. I took a shower but the hotel soap/shampoos are always bad so I didn't feel 100% cleaned off yet. Planning on multiple showers before I leave so it's all good. I then gathered my dirty laundry into my trash bag and walked over to this huge RV campground to find the laundromat. Did some laundry and FaceTimed nancy and the shafers. I got to see fancy and her brand new hair!! I loved it. I barely recognized her in the back seat. I miss those ladies. And then I finallllly got to see Cora and Lucy. It was her 7th bday and that was great to wish her a happy bday. Lucy was hiding but finally showed her face. Ian got a job in Zurich so they are all moving by the end of this month. SOO crazy! I'm so sad I won't be able to see them when I get back but I'm so excited for this new exciting journey for their family! I think the girls are gonna love it. But also another reason to go finally to another country and...SWISS ALPS! They've already lured me w the mountains.

Walked back to my room, dropped off my clean laundry and walked over to raleys for resupply. Holy moly, I forget what it's like to do grocery shopping on a Sunday evening. I was getting flashbacks on how chaotic trader joes is always like on Sunday nights whenever I needed groceries. It was insane. But they had a pretty awesome selection of everything w good prices. Only thing was that their summer sausage selection was bad. They only had a tiny one so I just bought two. I need anything I can get these days regarding food I like to get me through these sections! I also got a couple things to keep in the fridge for those times you get insanely starving when you're not hiking and can't eat your trail food. I got a roast chicken, apples, blueberries and salt and vinegar chips. My sciatica always hurts terribly while getting groceries but finally got done and walked back. I got to skype my sis, Caitlyn and Anton! She just had her 3rd bday a few days ago so it was good to see her. Big girl! I got to talk to them while I packed my food. I also destroyed some of the chicken bc I was starving when I had gotten back.

I got some things done and waited for the married folks to get back from their errands and we all took an uber to the state line for buffet at the Casino, harrahs, for dinner. This part of town was SO boujie!! Tons of tourists everywhere and there was actually some traffic. I'm pretty glad to not be staying in this part of town. Our side is waaaay more chill. It felt so weird to be on trail one moment and then the next, you're walking through a casino to go up 15 stories to eat buffet. There were a ton of people there in line but we finally got seated. We were a little disappointed w the mediocre food but I thought the best things were the most basic: mashed potatoes w gravy and spaghetti. It was pretty awesome. I only had two plates but was SO full. Probably bc I ate a bunch of chicken not long ago. I haven't overstuffed myself on towns yet bc it's not fun but for some reason, I was feeling the pains tonight. It's def bc my stomach has shrunk but I couldn't even eat dessert. I walked over to the hostel to visit mike and Jackie bc I hadn't seen them for awhile and they were heading out tomorrow. It was so awesome to catch up w them and talk about our struggles. They have to get off again for another wedding so they are hustling AGAIN! I seriously wouldn't be able to live with all the pressure on meeting people on a deadline.

It was dark by now and I waited in the cold for the bus. It was great bc it was ride free month. Yay. It dropped me off at the busy intersection and I had to walk back in the dark. I was a little spooked that someone was following me. Walking in the dark by yourself in a busy town is much more dangerous than walking in the dark in the woods. Except I got back and was reading this story how this guy got stalked by a mountain lion at his tentsite. Eff.

I forgot to mention that earlier to today I got a disturbing, well, alarming text from meg saying a lot has happened and they may be getting off trail once they get to Tahoe. I got so worried and she ended up calling me from the top of Sonora pass to give me a lowdown. Her ankle has been hurting still and she doesn't know how much longer to push it before it just gets worse. And they don't know if the trail is right for them in this season of life. As much as it breaks my heart to see friends have to get off, I don't think anyone should be forcing themselves to do this if they're not enjoying it anymore or are walking themselves into injury. Thru hiking is not for everyone. Most people start with this romantic idea of what thru hiking is but it all becomes a mental game after this. This time is also where a lot of people drop off. I must admit, it's certainly getting harder now and the novelty is wearing off but I have no desire to quit, even if I have to finish this thing solo with no friends standing. Yes I'm getting more tired and annoyed of things and yes I know it will now just become monotonous from here on out but I am determined to make it to Canada before the end of September. Even if I physically cannot walk 25+ miles a day right now and my sciatica kills me on the flats/downhills. Or even if I have to finish the trail with snowshoes. Maybe. I'll decide later if that happens. But I'm so proud of the Texans for doing what they have in these last 2.5 months. They've done SO many brave things and I know exactly where they're coming from. Plus I got to meet some amazing new friends that I know I'll be friends with for a lifetime. We got to experience something so many of my friends at home will never be able to understand.

I've also been brainstorming of things I want to write about after the trail. Like myths and misconceptions about the pct and things I was not expecting on trail. A lot of stuff needs to be brought into the light and I want to share it with people even though the truth is not pretty to hear or I will probably be getting hate mail after it. But I want to address it. Happy to be in bed tonight.

DAY 83: MILE 1066.7 TO 1087

Today was awesome, in so many ways. As you can probably tell, this has probably been the worst section so far. And today is the last day before we get into Tahoe for some civilization. I've been waiting for this day for SO long. 12 days out here with no rest, shower, laundry, real food is rough. I think my body just feels dead. I really need a rest day to recover. Been going at it since like mile 900!

The morning in the open area before hitting the ridge. It was windy here too.

We woke a bit earlier today. I've noticed it's hard/feels strange to pack up in the dark but it's the only way to get up and be ready by the first light. I started off the morning with a climb on exposed ridges. It was pretty windy but it got more intense as I reached the top. I couldn't breathe bc the wind was blowing so hard into my face and it almost blew me off the ridge. It was some of the strongest winds I've ever walked in. Most of the day was very windy. But it's also a good thing bc the bugs are less present. Yay!

I've been really hungry since my dinners have been bad and I haven't been eating very much for meals. Just snacking a lot. As I was heading up Carson pass, I started to see more and more day hikers. I passed this one older couple from Germany who gave me a banana, bar and muffin! Oh man I was so happy. This has been my very first trail magic! They said they've been happy just giving food away to thru hikers. They are so sweet. I thought I would save it for lunch but ended up wolfing it down on the ridge. It tasted SO good. As I was coming down, I pass a ton more day hikers and then remembered it was Saturday. A lot of them look at you funny. I really wonder what they are all thinking.

Always happy seeing notes left from friends you haven't seen for weeks!

I finally reached the little Carson pass visitor center. I had no clue it was there! They had a cute shop and everything. I walked up hoping to find a trash can so I can throw away that dinner I made several nights ago but turns out they were also offering us food! A bunch of forest service volunteers come out there and some will bring/make food for pct hikers! More trail magic. It's crazy how that happens when you're just so tired, hungry and feeling unmotivated in the longest stretch, something like this happens. It's funny how people call it trail magic out here but it's pretty much just God's provision for us when we need it the most and least expect it. A game and undercover showed up shortly and we just all hung out and ate for awhile. They gave us turkey and egg salad sandwiches, pineapple upside down cake, organic baby carrots, grapes, watermelon, fruit, chips, cookies and so much more. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. It made me so happy and lifted my spirits so much. They also had scales so we all weighed ourselves. All the guys are losing too much. I weighed in at 145 which is my normal weight. I had started the trail like 10 lbs heavier bc I was eating whatever since I knew was gonna be hiking. But I think I'm totally fine where I'm at and have been eating enough.

We signed their trail register (first one in soooo long) and got to see some of our friends who passed by. It was finally time to leave. It's interesting how no one knows about the Carson pass trail magic but I think it's meant to be a surprise and it's the best surprise you can get during this stretch. It was so perfect. We walked across the highway to get back on the trail but there was another event going on across the street. It was a bicycle race called the death ride climbing through five passes that we just walked. So insane. I remember Adam who gave us a ride to lake Isabella was training for this race! Some of the volunteers gave us oranges as we walked through.

The trail then headed into the Tahoe rim trail and it was soooo pretty. Huge open meadows with tons of wildflowers with south Lake Tahoe just across from us. This section has been the prettiest since we left I feel. Super windy still but no bugs. Since this part was flat, my sciatica was KILLING me. I had to stop and stretch again. It sucks. I want to be fast on the flat sections but it hurts really bad. We finally made it five miles before our hitch into Tahoe. My lips are still bubbly and burning feeling. Not sure what the deal is. Hopefully it'll heal in town. I ended up booking another night so I can actually zero. I think I'm gonna need it and I want to take advantage of one of our last California trail towns and access to good food. I literally can't stop thinking about Chinese buffet. I even looked up the hours so I can go right when it opens tomorrow. I'm so hungry right now but so happy food will be so soon.

DAY 82: MILE 1048.3 TO 1066.7

Today I only went 18 miles. Lots of distractions were going on. It was kind of overcast this morning so it was chillier than normal. It was windy and cold on the ridges. I reached my first peak and was able to get service. I made a reservation for a room for Sunday night. I decided to just get it for myself. I think I finally need my own space this time. It'll be 12 days since my last shower, laundry and real food. I am looking forward to it so much. This stretch has been really long and have had no rest. My legs are all itchy, black with dirt and bites/scratches/scabs all over. They are so beat up. These scars will take a long time to heal. I also texted undercover my location as well, hoping we'll catch each other again. He texted back and were only two hours behind.

Most of the day was just slow. I had to take many breaks bc my sciatica was killing me. I was also still arranging w people packages for Tahoe. I really really hope they have my things. I also caught up on some texts and lots of folks just got into Tahoe today. I can't wait for Chinese buffet. I also want American buffet. Food is definitely on my mind right now and it's what's gonna get me through this section. Nick said their motel was like 20 feet from the Chinese buffet and told me to come stay w them tonight but I was still 30 miles out. I only wish. :( but everything will be worth it SO much more when I finally get there on Sunday. I've never looked so forward to civilization before. It seems like heaven right now.

I managed to get halfway up this long climb, trying to fight the mosquitos. I didn't take a good lunch either bc it was so buggy everywhere. Then I decided to call it a day when it was almost six. I was so tired. After I set up and was in my tent, a game and undercover show up!! So happy to see them. They said they had such a rough day and night last night. They were soooo pooped and their water filter broke. We caught up a little before bedtime. A game thinks my sunburned lips looks like an allergic reaction. It doesn't look like a normal burn. It's all bubbly and stuff and doesn't seem to be getting better. I hope it's nothing serious and will just heal with lesser sun exposure. Trying to start packing tomorrow in the dark so I can hike by dawn. I say this every time but hope I can actually do it this time. Tahoe is only a day and a morning away!

DAY 81: MILE 1027.7 TO 1048.3

I keep wanting to start packing up in the dark so that when I'm ready to hike, it's just getting bright out. I want to take advantage of hiking in the cold as much as possible. Today was a mildy chill day. Climbed some ups and downs but they're all less than two miles. Some are steep but it's nice doing shorter climbs instead of ten mile ones. Passed a bunch of unknown hikers. I'm def in a whole new wave. I really wonder where mike and Jackie are. I miss them. They must be ahead or behind me by just a few days. I took my lunch at around mile 12. Not bad. I didn't do ten by ten but that's ok. I really hope to run into a game and undercover soon so I can talk about Tahoe plans with them.

The saddle where you finally got service and was texting everyone from.

I reached the top of the saddle and got some service to confirm my pkgs. Sometimes it sucks not having service when you really need to coordinate boxes with people. I was freaking out a little bit bc Tahoe is so big and I have four pkgs coming in to all different places. I was given the wrong PO address so I'm hoping they won't get sent back or anything. It's all stuff I really need. I slipped on scree several times today. I sometimes think it's easier to fall on that than slush snow, and it's more painful. My lips were burning pretty bad today, they're definitely sunburned. I hope it'll heal soon.

I've also come to the conclusion that I hate all the dinners I had sent myself. Some of them are basically inedible and some I just force myself to eat and it's not too bad. Today's dinner was so bad that I am just going to pack it out even though it's already rehydrated and heavy. I think I will mail myself extra dinners to my Oregon and WA boxes that don't have good stores. So far, I've been able to supplement them in all the towns. I might have nancy get me a few things to the snoqualmie and Stevens box since those aren't getting mailed.

I was tired after the saddle and slugged it all the way to camp. I wanted make it at least over 20 so that's a success. I'm in no rush since I don't wanna get to Tahoe sat night but I could if I wanted to. I'm trying to get better at doing 20+'s so this is good practice.

DAY 80: MILE 1016.4 TO 1027.7

Today was the first morning to wake up to sun shining through the walls of my tent. It was nice to not have to wake up early. I stayed in my tent till it was too hot to be in there. Last night was super windy though, haven't had the walls of my tent flap around like that in a long time. The walk down to the road took maybe less than 30 min. I followed the trail to mile 1017 and found the Sonora pass trailhead. I saw the truck there and figured it must be the guy with Sonora pass resupply. Lil was there and told me he was super nice and wished she would've known about their service. Casey runs the little business with his wife and 5 other family members. He was there with his dog, Happy. I got my box right away and started charging my technology things. I organized my resupply on the picnic table and talked with Casey for a bit. I was pretty impressed on how smooth the whole resupply went. Definitely will be recommending to others. The table was in the shade the whole time so I was freezing bc it's so windy there. I only needed to pack four days of food. I ended up putting a good amount of snacks into the hiker box since I still had food leftover from the last stretch. I also gave my spikes and bear can to Casey to mail back. I put on my pack and it felt so much lighter! I guess the bear can does make a big difference and my pack finally closes again.

After I thought I had enough juice for my charger, I headed on out. The climb up was nice. Some steep spots but breezy. I passed by a man who was taking his five llamas out on a conditioning hike. He ended up having to turn around bc we reached this steep snow crossing and the llamas probably wouldn't have been able to make it. They did so good though! They are really cute animals. Instead of going across the steep snow, I decided to climb down and around it. But it was really steep scree and since I have no tread left, I ended up falling three feet down the cliff. It was quite terrifying. I got some painful scratches on my knee and butt. I'm really regretting not getting new shoes sooner. I passed a couple more semi scary snow crossings but I just couldn't wait to be done!! Especially bc I don't have my spikes anymore, I didn't want to do anything sketchy. After I got over the pass and started descending, there was just a lot of snow melt with mud and rushing water everywhere. I spent most of the time trail finding and had to glissade a few times. More butt scratches.

Finally the snow stopped and it was normal trail again. So happy. There was this super steep section going up afterwards that wasn't too bad but I was thinking about how much I would slip going down it. I wanted to go further than ten but I also didn't want to get to Tahoe on sat so I decided to call it a day. I might be doing this section solo since I don't know when a game and undercover left Sonora. They had to hitch into km north to resupply. I do wanna try for 20-25s this section though. I've been thinking about how much I want Asian food in Tahoe. That'll help me to be motivated this section. I also think my lips are sunburned. No fun. I need spf chap. I have this huge campsite all to myself tonight. It's been awhile since I've camped alone.

Maybe this was this day? Not sure anymore.

DAY 79: MILE 996.4 TO 1016.4

My new ranger shirt is pretty awesome. The mosquitos can't bite through it but it also reeks terribly. Something about this fabric makes the bo become trapped even worse than my old shirt. Oh well, the things you have to sacrifice. You can't have it all. Today was great. But each day, it's been ending pretty intense. We started off super chill going up Dorothy pass. There were a ton of mosquitoes on top though. After the pass, we officially exited Yosemite. Hallelujah! No more muddy buggy valleys. There was a very gradual climb up to Sonora pass. I loved this climb. We ridge walked the whole way and had a wonderful breeze the entire time. When you get to the "top," you actually have to ridge walk around a bunch of mountains to exit through the other side. At the top, we said our official goodbye to the sierras. They will be missed. Got some cell reception on top and caught up on some things. I feel like there is no service in the sierras except on ridges.

Scooping snow w my trowel to melt. Does not work without warm water. Don't try this.

I didn't carry enough water up the pass. I guess bc the last few weeks, I automatically just carry 1L all the time, I didn't think to carry more up this pass. Apparently, it was a ten mile dry stretch. Oops. So I was dying of thirst on top so I tried melting some snow in water but it didn't work. The water was too cold so it was just slush. I then carried on with no more water than I had already, feeling sluggish and a little dehydrated. The whole time I was fearing that once we started descending Sonora pass, there would be snow. All the ridges have very steep drop offs. It wasn't too bad on top. I had to glissade down one part though. I kinda hate glissading bc I'm always in shorts and the snow scratches my butt and it's really painful. I lost my trekking pole halfway and thankfully, this guy behind me was able to grab it after doing a little somersault down the chute. I was so thankful for his skills. He went down so fast, I was almost sure he would miss my pole.

Went down this glissade. It was a little steep!

As I was coming down, a nice young lad named Alex passed me and offered me some of his water. I was dying of thirst by now. Once again, so grateful for these two hikers! I would've died on Sonora pass from thirst. I passed a game and undercover while they were getting some service. I finally reached the end of the pass and started heading down on my own. At first, it looked like all the snow has melted. I was SO relieved. I've heard so much about this pass being so snowy. Then I got to this super steep section and had to slide down some scree. I have officially no tread on my shoes now btw. But then there was this other SKETCHY AS FUCK downhill snow path down a ridge. Excuse my French, but there's no other way to describe how sketchy this part was. I was so scared but the married folk finally caught up. We put on our spikes and watched undercover go first. I think these spikes literally saved my life. I'm so glad I hadn't sent them home yet. The path on the ridge was super narrow and it was a straight drop off down the edge. This was the first time so far where I was terrified that if I slipped, I would fall 1k ft and be dead. We all got across safely. I'm SO over snow now. I never want to do this section ever again. It's been officially the worst stretch so far. We heard our new friend, first, had fallen and lost his ice axe and pole. How scary. I hope he didn't slide all the way down the ridge.

I was so hungry and just wanted to camp. We finally found some flat spots .8 miles from the Sonora pass hwy. I'm really hoping the bugs calm down after this so my bites and scabs can heal. My legs look so intense right now. We are sleeping in tomorrow since I can't grab my package until 10am tomorrow. I am using Sonora pass resupply. They are this local company who will drive up to the pass to bring you boxes and stuff, but with a pretty high price tag. I think I would've just shipped to Kennedy meadows north if I knew about it. We'll see how this service works tomorrow and if it actually got arranged correctly. I have almost no juice to charge. My phone will prob die before Tahoe. I'm gonna try to make more miles after this since we are sending back our bear cans. I'm hoping to make it to Tahoe by Sunday. No rest, shower or laundry for 12 days. Yikes.

DAY 78: MILE 975.7 TO 996.4

Not sure why, but the sound of chatter just drives me insane when I'm really tired and want quiet time. My pillow kept deflating over night. Today was a good day and it ended with a long, tiring day. We did 21 miles but did two steep climbs before lunch. We crossed our two major fords and they weren't too bad. Only one of them went up to my butt. I think we started the sierras in the perfect time bc if we were here two weeks ago, the fords would've been even worse. By now, it seems like most of the snow has melted from the mountain tops. We also went through a long stretch of a mosquito swarm. They were all covering my head net and when I looked up at the sky, there were tons of them flying above. They are mainly bad in the meadows bc of all the mud. I hate mud. I seem to always make it across a steam dry and then accidentally step in deep mud, thus soaking my shoes.

I've been doing some thinking while I hike about what I want to do for my 30th bday. I usually just have a party somewhere and invite everyone I love since it's too hard for me to narrow it down. It's super easy and I don't have to coordinate much--just have everyone meet at a place. This year, since it's the big 3-0, I really would like to do like a cabin thing but it'll be too hard for me to only invite a few people and seems a little complicated with renting a place and having to pay for it. I also wanted to rent out a venue and do catering but I don't have money anymore. Last year, a couple of us hiked up to a snowshoe hut and spent the night. It was super fun. Now I'm thinking maybe I should just keep it small and do a little potluck dinner thing. So far, I've kept the guest list under 20 people, so that's not too bad. I just don't want people to have to pay for anything.

We hiked all the way to Dorothy lake to camp. On the way, I was totally running out of water but didn't want to get any bc if I stopped by a water source, I'd get swarmed. But finally succumbed to the last creek before the lake. I was starving and so thirsty. I was so glad to see a game and undercover set up. I had thought they might've went up to the pass which would be fine but my feet were hurting since I didn't break much today. This guy named first joined our campsite. He had just started his thru hike at t meadows. He told us that he is running out of food so we gave him some snacks since both of us usually carry more than we eat. It seems like it's going to be a cold night with lots of condensation.

Not sure what time I'll wake tomorrow since today was a long day but also not sure if we'll be doing Sonora pass. I can't get there till wed for my package so I'll have to play it by ear. Once we hit Dorothy lake pass, well be out of Yosemite. Yay! We were also talking about stocking up on audio for northern ca. We all know it's going to be the most mentally challenging section. I want to stock up on podcasts, sermons and even get an audible account I think.

DAY 77: MILE 959.5 TO 975.7

After 77 days, I had my very first official grumpy moment today. It was at the end of the day so I'll just start off with the morning. I woke again at midnight when the mosquito venom made me itch like crazy. I have a feeling this is going to happen every night. It was a productive morning and we climbed benson pass. It wasn't bad at all and no snow. Coming down though, was SUPER steep so it was killing our knees. We dropped close to 2k ft and then had to make the afternoon climb to the second pass. I think this section is especially hard bc of the steep ups and downs and having to finish our day off with a huge climb. We had a couple crossings but nothing huge. Times like these when we have to balance on logs and rocks, makes me wish I had tread on my shoes. :( Just 115 more miles till I can get my new shoes...

I was especially dying bc of the heat. The climb was mostly exposed and it felt like the desert, but steeper. The climb itself is fine, it's just doing it in 80+ deg weather that sucks. We started dipping our shirts into creek and walk with it dripping to cool us off. It really helps I think. I also have to put my hair in a bun so the hair doesn't hang on my neck. I usually do this in the afternoon though since the sun dies down a bit. We finally got to the top of the pass and there were hidden lakes everywhere which also means super buggy. We arrived at an area that wasn't dripping with water and there were a bunch of others already set up there. I was so tired, hungry and annoyed. I hate getting to a site to a bunch of people socializing and talking really loud. It's one of my biggest pet peeves, especially if I'm exhausted.

There's always a hidden alpiune lake after some climb.

I went to go set up my tent and tried finding an area that wasn't as rocky. Basically the entire place had rock an inch beneath the gravel so you can't stick stakes in. I was on my last guyline pitch to find out the entire area was rock. I couldn't get my stake in. I tried several different angles and then mosquitos were all biting my face and I was so pissed. I was in such a bad mood, starving, tired and just annoyed at my tent and the ground. Sometimes I really wished I had a freestanding tent. I finally just tied it to a huge rock and now I can't close my doors. I ate my dinner and didn't talk to anyone.

Two guys rolled in later and started talking really loud. Then they were arguing on how they kept losing each other. Just dont hike together y'all. I don't know. I'm just grumpy. Or was. I am better now after eating and getting things set up but I am pretty over this section already. I have a feeling from here on out, it's going to get harder to keep motivated. I want to be in Tahoe already. Tomorrow is two steep climbs and then gradual uphill all the way to the end of Yosemite. I don't know why everyone is obsessed about Yosemite. Rocks are cool and stuff but I much prefer snowy and alpine things. My feet are also killing from stone stepping on steep climbs/drops for so many hours.

DAY 76: T MEADOWS TO 959.5

Last night, I slept ok. There were a bunch of people up late and lots of people were walking by so I was distracted. I also woke up in the middle of the night scratching my mosquitos bites like crazy. The venom from them finally kicked in and it was terrible. In the morning, I had to walk all the way down to the bathroom to use it but it's nice being able to flush. As I was walking out and ready to go, I tripped on a rock going downhill and flew four feet into the dirt gravel, face first. The gravity of my full 5 day resupply pack pushed me down and I wasn't able to catch myself. Since my skin has now become leather due to the sun exposure, only my knees got a little scuffed and my face/teeth were covered in dirt. I sat there on the ground helpless as my knees started bleeding. I guess I can finally say I've officially bit the dust. A game and undercover saw me on the ground and they came to help me up. They didn't actually see me fall but she said she saw a poof of dust and then me on the ground. We walked over to the bathroom to rinse off.

Horsies! Their fresh poop is smelly on trail!

On my way out of the campground, I noticed I was going the wrong way so once again, I had to back track. That happens way too often. The morning was nice, I didn't see any hikers till later. I saw a couple deer and a bunch of pack horses go by. Late morning brought out a ton of weekend backpackers and day hikers. This last section I've been kinda teaming up with a game and undercover. Yes, another married couple. A game aka Alissa is from Canada and undercover aka Chris is from the states. They have similar mileage days as me so we had leap frogged a ton after independence in the Sierra. But now it's just me and them. This section seems so dead, we barely saw any pct hikers today.

It's funny, I see all these married people fight and bicker on trail. They say they can't imagine doing the trail solo but I can't imagine doing it with another person. I mean, there's definitely pros and cons of each but I don't think I would thru hike solo again. If I ever did this again, I would want to do it with my future husband or something. I'm super glad I did it solo my first time though but it'd just be really interesting to do this with another person. It's nice being the one making all the decisions but you don't have anyone there when you have a hard day or there to motivate you.

I was walking through the valley by myself when I started hearing thunder from afar. I could see storm clouds up ahead. I started to panic thinking I was going to get caught in a storm by myself in bear country. So I start booking it and finally ran into the married folk at lunch. I was starving. Luckily, we didn't get stormed on. We did a couple of fords today, nothing super intense. But it's been awhile since our last ford so it was a like new again bc I forgot what it was like. We did two steep climbs before camp. The mosquitoes are getting worse each day. I think there will be just a black cloud of them some time tomorrow. Our campsite is a bit swarmed as well. It's hard to go outside to do anything. There are about six mosquitos I've killed inside my tent right now. Today was a surprisingly productive day at 17 miles, even for leaving so late.

DAY 75: MILE 926 TO T MEADOWS

I laid wide awake for two hours last night from 12-2am. Then I finally was able to go back to bed but it made me wake up later than I wanted. Today we climbed Donahue pass, it was chill. Just a couple of snow crossings but not bad. I went the wrong way coming down so that's always annoying. I finally descended into Yosemite valley. The water that ran along the trail was really pretty and clear. I also feel like each day, my mosquito bites double.

Approaching t meadows. A bunch of tourists.

The rest of the way to t meadows was flat but I was so sluggish. It was really hot and my feet were hurting. I might be finally feeling the effects of my shoes being too worn in...the tread is also starting to wear away. Oops. I should've gotten new shoes earlier. Lesson learned. I passed a ton of day hikers, weekenders and JMTers. I think JMT people start from t meadows so they looked all fresh and happy and I'm just like "hey." There were tons of tiny bright blue dragonflies. I exited into the parking lot and a road walk to the store/PO. I was walking out w a day hiker named grace and she gave me a ride to the store down the highway. I felt lazy but my feet were hurting.

There were sooooo many tourists and hikers at the store. It was pretty insane. It's also Fourth of July weekend. I went inside to get my box. They had all of the boxes relabeled with clear bold letters of everyone's names. He found mine pretty quickly but said they were almost going to send mine back bc it was sitting there for so long. That wouldve sucked. I went over to the picnic table to organize and saw Sita. It was pretty easy to fill everything into my can this time around. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. I got a couple of extra things from the store like real cheese, an apple, ice cream and a pita wrap.

I had to make a call to Sonora pass resupply to confirm my arrival date for pick up. The pay phone was clogged with coins so I couldn't use it but I finally got cell service and called them. It sucks not having service at our stops bc I really need to arrange boxes. Then we walked over to the t meadows campground to look for backpacker camping. It was a long walk to the back of the whole campground. I passed sooo many huge tents, rvs with their generators, hammocks, lawn chairs, carpet, tables, etc. I was like in car camping heaven. So weird to see all of this. And we had a bathroom with flush toilets! I was pretty stoked to camp somewhere with facilities. I walked up the giant hill to where we were staying and it was already so crowded. So many of these people brought their hammocks and chairs. And sooo many campfires. I felt like I was in another world.

We found some last spots to pitch and settled there. This place is PACKED. It's also funny bc car camping spots just look like any other forest. You can't even tell we're in Yosemite. It's pretty loud right now. I can hear people from afar. But I'm glad we had bear boxes to use. I'm not really looking forward to this next section. I kinda just wanna get it over with and get to Tahoe already. Also, my new hiking shirt retains odor much more now but the mosquitoes don't really bite through so that's good. I'm glad I'll be on trail during the holiday.

DAY 74: MILE 911.6 TO 926

As usual, the first day back is always hard. Your body is tense and your joints hurt. I slept really well last night, didn't wake up super early but headed out before everyone else. The elevation today was just right, not too much and not too little. I barely saw any pct hikers but lots of JMTers. We got a little taste of the mosquito swarm. Every time you stop, they will swarm your body so fast. I texted nancy to send me my Patagonia hat to Tahoe bc I think I need to retire my sun hat. The brim is too flimsy and doesn't hold my heat net well. Thru hiking problems. I passed by a campground parking lot and threw my block of cheese away so I wouldn't have to carry it. I would've forced myself to eat it but it would've been really sick.

I also entered into the ansel Adams wilderness which was cool. I walked till mile 11-12 for lunch but there was no shade and bugs were everywhere. I got a huge bite on my forehead and cheek. :( I had my headnet on for most of the day today and put on deet twice. Not looking forward to the actual swarms. A game, undercover and all smiles reached the junction and we continued on to the bottom of Donahue pass. We were all tired today. My feet ached a bit. My body needs to get back into this. It was nice to get to camp early. Excited to go to bed early too. I think I want to wake up a little early tomorrow to do the climb and then it's downhill and flat all the way to t meadows. We need to get there before the PO closes.

Pretty lake after reaching the pct/jmt junction.

DAY 73: REDS MEADOW TO MILE 911.6

I woke up early this morning to take a shower before the others got up. Thought it'd be nice to get in one last shower before I leave town. Then we all got up at seven to get free breakfast at the hotel. It was basic but good bc it was free. I had an apple, banana, bagel and yogurt. After breakfast, I went back to the room to get the things I was sending back home and had to walk all the way to the post office bc the trolley wasn't running yet.

I saw Whitney Shoeston at the PO sending his ice box home. I met him last night with nick and co. He had put together two priority boxes to get the ice axe to fit. So I copied him and also shoved in all the extra clothes I had been carrying around all this time. I also finally picked up the box marinka had sent me! She's from the Netherlands and runs a paleo blog and wanted to send me paleo snacks. Everything looked so healthy and delicious! Can't wait to try them on trail.

After PO duties, I walked all the way to the village bc I was having buyers remorse about my sunglasses. And then I got there and the store wasn't even opened. So I walked back to our room to organize the rest of my food and pack. We finally checked out and took trolley down to vons. I went back to the outfitter to get a bandana and met the others at the shipping store. Then we got lunch at the Mexican market. I got a California burrito and it was so good. The rest of the afternoon, we loitered back at black velvet coffee.

A game, undercover, all smiles and I all headed back to red meadows via the three buses around four. We accidentally took the Devils postpile route but got back on the pct and camped about four miles in. There are def bugs around again. It was so good to get back in my tent again, as always. Tomorrow I think we are just setting up for the pass. My legs still need time to adjust again. Undercover was worried that I needed new shoes since I haven't had new ones since big bear so that means it's going well over 700 miles. Eep. I don't know why I didn't order them sooner. My feet have been feeling fine and they look like they're in great shape. And for some reason I bought 2% Colby jack and it was so sick and rubbery. They didn't have the full fat and I really wanted Colby. Never buy reduced fat again.

DAY 72: ZERO BACK TO MAMMOTH

I slept so well on the blow up bed last night. That thing is amazing. Immediately, I wake up starving. No surprise. I head downstairs and Meg's family is up and rose was making pancakes. We sat around and chatted before breakfast. We had these amazing gluten free pancakes, bacon, eggs, potatoes and smoothies. I was so happy/full! Then we needed to head out pretty soon to Reno so we could go to Rei and catch my bus.

My new hiking shirt that's too big and makes me look like a ranger.

Mary Beth (Meg's mom), Nathan (Meg's bro), meg, Nate and I all crammed into their little rental and drove to Reno. Reno is an interesting city. And it's also so hot and dry. Our first stop was Rei but their clothing selection was quite terrible. I didn't really like anything there. I only got new opsacks and socks. But I did end up getting a new hiking shirt bc I really liked the color. It's a men's and didn't have an xs so it's pretty big but I like it! I look like a ranger/Boy Scout. Oh well.

It was getting close to lunch and Meg has been craving stuffed crust pizza so we got some pizzas at Pizza Hut haha. It was surprisingly good. Then they took me to the greyhound where the eastern Sierra transit bus would pick me up. It was a little sketch and I was worried it wouldn't come by but the Texans waited with me and it came!! Sad to say bye to them and then I was off to mammoth again and they were heading back to Tahoe for a week of rest w the fam.

The bus ride was cool. I didn't get sick so that was good. I was texting back with nick aka click, another photographer on trail and he just got into mammoth and said there was a mini storm so he was staying the night. We had dark clouds on the ride over. It looked really cool. We were planning on meeting up for dinner when I got in. Sean Osterberg, my friend Kristin's brother, sent me an email asking some questions since thru hiking is something he's always wanted to do. So I wrote him back during my long bus ride on the things I've been dealing with on trail. (Hi Jon, Kristin and Sean!) I also got to talk to my sis for a small bit, they just got accepted for a new house in snoqualmie!

The bus dropped me off at the mammoth McDonald's. And I took the trolley to the outfitter to find some things. I really hate shopping and everywhere has little options. I finally found a town shirt I liked and then walked to vons for a little resupply. Then it was back on the trolley to the village. I ended up staying w a game and undercover at the holiday haus and we all split the room. It was nice already having a place to stay when I got into town. I dropped my stuff off and went to the village to find some other things on my list before they closed. Afterwards, I finally met up w nick and did dinner with him and a bunch of his hiking brobros. I ate a huge kale/brussel salad. I headed back to the hotel before it was too late and organized some stuff.

Bed is good but I think I'm ready to head back to trail.

DAY 71: ZERO IN TAHOE

I slept with a crick in my neck for some reason. Maybe I'm not used to all these pillows. We didn't do much today. I had sporadic hunger though. I woke up starving and then a few hours I'd get hungry again. The Texans and I basically sat around the house all day while the fam went in and out and also lounged for a bit. I organized my things in the morn and looked up bus times back into mammoth. I should be able to get a bus out from Reno to mammoth and should take a few hours.

Around the eve, Meg's mom and brother came and got to meet them! We all hung out and I helped rose, nates sis, with dinner. I talked to nates parents for awhile and shared some stories. We ate quesadillas, nachos, salad and ice cream. We finally left the house after and walked across the street to the beach. It was such a nice night! We came back to the house and stretched/massaged each other. My muscles are soooo tight and everything hurts when I stretch. Then we had a little photo slideshow of the Texans' trip so far.

We walked to the water and skipped rocks after dinner.

It got pretty late but I am sharing the room with rose upstairs on this super comfy blow up bed. I haven't heard back from the bus reservation but hopefully it will be confirmed that I can get a ride out!!

DAY 70: MILE 903.1 TO MAMMOTH LAKES

Last night was surprisingly chilly. I think bc we were near the water. I couldn't sleep, I was up until 11-12a. I think bc I was anxious to get into town. I also woke around three wishing it'd get light outside so I could start heading out. I saw heartbreaker packing out early so I followed. I hiked three miles out to red meadow and arrived at 7a. I saw a deer on the way. The deer out here are not like the ones I've seen in WA or tx. They are more Bambi like.

I arrived at reds to a cute little resort with little a frame cabins all around. It's like a little campsite with amenities. They also have a small cafe and general store. I went around to the back to charge since I was on like 6%. All that service last night drained my battery. There were a few hikers waiting by the picnic benches for the bus to mammoth. We were told it would be there to pick us up a little after seven but it didn't come till after eight. A bunch of got on the bus. It was only $7 round trip to town. They take you to the adventure center in mammoth which is just the ski area where people were mountain biking or snow boarding. It reminded me of a tiny whistler.

From there, we took another bike shuttle that takes you to the town village where you connect onto the trolley that makes town stops. A lot of bus changes! Mammoth is a ski town with a lot of things. It's pretty spread out. The ride took awhile but we finally made it to the good life cafe for breakfast. I went with a game and undercover and this other couple from Germany. I was soooo hungry. I ordered a omelette, hash browns and French toast. So good and full. Our waitress was so nice to us. I felt like people were maybe staring at us who don't know about the PCT. Mammoth seems like a town that is touristy so some are like wtf are these stumbling dirty people doing here.

After breakfast, I went to the motel 6 to pick up a package. I was a little worried at first bc they didn't have my name on the list but he finally found it. It was a new cord where I can transfer photos to my iPhone from camera. Then I walked across the street and met a game and undercover at black velvet coffee shop, this super hipster coffee place that made me feel like I was in Seattle. I loitered there and did Internet things and waited for the Texans. I got to FaceTime Ellie, Quang and the cats!! So happy and fun. Ellie is gonna send me a pair of girlfriend leggings on trail! Can't wait to wear them in the mts.

Then the Texans popped in!! I hadn't seen them all week and they were so tan and tired looking. They made a huge push to reds this morning and hiked 30 in 24 hrs!! They are crazy. They went to get food next door and I met with them to catch up. Then nates parents and little sister came and picked us up! So fun to meet them. We piled into their rental minivan and drove to Tahoe. I am so grateful for the Texans and their family. They are letting me join their family vacation in Tahoe. I am just gonna stay a few days and they'll be there for the week. The drive was pretty long at three hours. I took a tiny nap since I didn't sleep much the night before.

We stopped by a Costco in Nevada to get food before heading to the house. So weird to be in a Costco these days! They rented this cute little house on the north side of the lake. We finally took a shower and I shaved. So amazing. We all hung out and ate a burger and baked potatoes for a late dinner. So good. I was so stuffed. I was able to sleep in a bed before Meg's mom and bro comes so that was nice!

DAY 69: MILE 888.5 TO 903.1

Last night I wasn't sleepy so I was trying to delete photos from my phone to create space and was already suffering from post trail depression. Well more like post desert depression. I was looking back on all the pics from day one forward and how much I missed those days. We had so much fun with so many people back then. PTD is real y'all and it's gonna even worse when this is all over. I'm a little nervous.

It's nice knowing that you will get to have a chill day. I felt great hiking out this morning. My pack felt light and the temp was cool. I kicked ass for the first time on the steep switchbacks. Then the sun came out and I felt sluggish. It's been surprisingly hot here in the sierras. Like 85s with hot sun. I leap frogged Heartbreaker and Banjo a bunch today. All of our crossings today had a bridge built for us. I think it's bc we're closer to the beginning of the JMT and it helps the day hikers something.

I took my lunch with Banjo and got to hear his story a bit. He's pretty cool for a 20 year old. I took a ton of breaks. It was nice to take it super easy. I was gonna make it to camp really early but stumbled upon service finally and caught up on things. I found out GB was heading out already bc he needs to book it to Sonora pass by Friday to meet up with Thia. So I won't be hiking with him for awhile. It's quite difficult to meet up with people sometimes. I spent awhile catching up and then Heartbreaker, Banjo and I leisurely strolled to our campsite with A-Game and Undercover.

Everything is starting to look the same.

I ended up face timing Jenny and Nancy in my tent so I didn't socialize w the others but it's ok bc there's a ton of bugs outside. I'm waiting to hear back from Nate and Meg bc they are going to Tahoe with their family so I might go with them but I have no idea where they are right now since they texted me and I had no service. I'll probably just get things done in town and loiter to see when they'll get back to me. Either way, I'm in no rush. It's 11:17pm right now and I can't really sleep. Wide awake. Ready to go to mammoth but that'll have to be tomorrow. I want to catch the first bus into town and I have three miles to hike tomorrow! It's been another long stretch and I am tired.