The first day out of Sierra City, I didn’t see another hiker, but I did see a bear! By the time I saw it, the bear was already in retreat. I did my best to get a picture, but it’s no National Geographic photo, that’s for sure. It was exciting to see a bear since that’s a question I get asked often. It was supposed to rain around noon, but I didn’t need my rain gear until around 3pm. I ate dinner around 5pm and hiked until about 7pm. I covered 23 miles which feels good since I was carrying 5 days of food and extra water in a dry section of trail.

Day two I’m up at 5:30am and hiking by 6:30am. It’s a cooler morning, the first time my tent is wet on the outside and inside. I camped next to a meadow, so the condensation wasn’t a surprise. By mid morning I was up on a ridge and had enough cell service to call Eva. The morning sun felt good as the phone rang and she answered. The trail from Sierra City to Echo Lakes near South Lake Tahoe is 105 miles and I planned 4.6 miles with a resupply in South Lake Tahoe.I was missing Eva but I knew driving up to see me for less than a full day would be a big ask…but what if I could get to Echo Lakes in four days? That would give us two nights and a full day to spend together and I would still be on schedule. So I asked and she said yes! So I put on my big boy hiking shorts and prepared to hike the remaining 82 miles in three days…that’s 27.3 miles a day for three days in a row! It meant getting up a bit earlier, taking shorter breaks, and hiking almost until dark. I finished day to exhausted but having completed 28 miles, it was a good day. I camped on a windy ridgeline in a small cluster of trees that sheltered me from the worst of the wind.

Day three is tough, but there are also moments of surprise and gratitude as I hike by locations on the PCT that remind me of my 2014 thru-hike. Below is the Peter Grubb Hut was built in 1938. In 2014 it was open and I slept in the loft with several other PCT hikers. Today is is available by reservation only. Hiked until dark, found the first available campsite, set up my tent and set my alarm for 5am.

My mileage for day four was 26.4 miles and the goal was to meet Eva at the Echo Lake parking lot a 6pm. When I got to the junction where the PCT and the TRT (Tahoe Rim Trail unite, I celebrated with bar and some caffeine.

I passed the time listening to podcasts and sermons I have downloaded on my phone.

I stopped at the outlet of Dicks Lake to filter and drink a liter of water. While stopped, I met a hiker with the trail name Blueprint who has been hiking full time for the last nine years. We chatted a few minutes before he continued north and I started hiking south, climbing to the top of Dicks Pass, the last major challenge for the day.

The final 12.6 miles from Dicks Pass to Echo lake are some tough miles on very rocky trail. I’ve hiked this trail at least five times, but this time felt especially tough. There were lots of day hikers and I wished I had time to stop for a swim in Lake Aloha, but I was on a tight schedule. I arrived at Echo Lake at 5:40pm and was all smiles when I dumped my pack in the trunk and slid into the passenger seat ready for a shower, hot meal and soft bed.

Check out the links below to see where I am on trail and the photos I have uploaded.

Thanks for following along!

Loren, AKA Butterfingers