pct

Hiking around Mount Jefferson was beautiful and challenging. Over my 17 miles I faced snow fields, a glacial creek ford and a total elevation gain and loss of nearly 3,000 feet.

I had a much more casual day following my 24-mile day. I had a short hike to the shores of Olallie Lake where I relaxed and socialized with other thru-hikers.

For the third year in a row I was headed back out on the Pacific Crest Trail. I was shaking things up a bit and heading southbound through Oregon.

Every hike must come to an end. Our last day was a morning of hiking through pastures and tree-line canyons to meet up with friends in Warner Springs.

Slack packing is a term used to describe hiking part of a trail with a near-empty pack. Even though we had 17 miles to hike, our fourth day was light and fast. Plus we had a bath and a bed to comfort us at the end of the day.

Our third day on the PCT took us from sagebrush and cacti to oak and pine trees. We topped out at 6000 feet near the summit of Laguna Mountain.

Our second day out on the PCT had us doing ups and downs, following roads, and visiting campgrounds.

In early December I travelled south to the warm high deserts east of San Diego. My husband and I were going to hike the first 110 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.

More excitement awaited me after crossing the Knife’s Edge in Goat Rocks Wilderness. I had a detour to face and decisions to make to get me to the trailhead and the end of my 500-mile adventure.

My most exhilarating day on the PCT in Washington was hiking through Goat Rocks. My day was full of epic views, mountain peaks, and steep terrain.