Total Miles: 205

My phone got wet and is fried! Crazy snow.  It was sketchy and tough-going. Obviously no pictures, sorry.

I’m taking a rest day and getting all this figured out.

Yesterday was really bad out there. Once my phone died, I was in some trouble. No blazes, and the trail was completely covered in snow. Also, it was windy, raining, in the low 40’s, and I broke my trekking pole.

I kept having to pull my phone out to navigate where I was going. But it was raining and snowing so hard that it eventually just got too wet. All I could do was walk with the inReach GPS using the compass to go north.

I basically blazed my own trail for 18 miles through the woods, covered in snow and soaking wet, until I made it to highway 62 by 7pm. From there I walked a mile to Crater lake. Frozen and soaked, I dropped $230 on the only hotel room they had left.

It’s snowing at Crater lake right now. June 13th! The trail is covered with over 4 feet of snow.

Basically Oregon is all snow pack and Washington will be the same. My pace is slowed, but today during my hitch into town, (Chiloquin, OR) I saw another hiker on the side of the road. It was “Sloppy Joe”! He got his ass kicked in the storm yesterday as well, and is also taking a zero. We’re teaming up for the rest of the PCT, it makes sense at this point to do so.

Once I get my new phone, I wont have anything saved from my old phone. So any texts I get from anyone, I wont know the number. Instagram, Far Out, TrackMe, Gaia, audiobooks and Spotify will all have to be re-downloaded. I’ll do them when I can, but Far Out and Gaia will be first, as well as TrackMe.

The marker dots on the map will be missing for a week or so, but I survived another crazy week out here and within the next couple days, in the snowpack and weather, we have Mount Thielson to do (9,100 ft.)

I found snowshoes. lol

Total Miles: 252.9

After pulling the 50.5, I was tired but managed to make it to Old Station and get my resupply box. I then hiked two miles and took a nap. I camped 30 miles in for the day.

The next day, I made it to Burney Falls. I got ice cream and a microwave chicken sandwich. My next resupply was Ammirati’s Market in Castella. I would cross highway 5 leading to Mt. Shasta and take a side trail to get there.

Before I arrived, I had enough service to check the weather and it showed rain coming in. I didn’t have a rain coat after leaving mine in the Mammoth hotel and getting drenched and freezing a week before, so I decided to take a nero and go to the outfitter in Mt. Shasta.

I bought solid rain gear, stayed the night, and was back on the trail the next morning. It rained all day. Cold, wet, and windy. I was happy about my nero decision.

The next day I pulled a 47.5 to make up for lost mileage. I was hoping for a big day following that to put me close enough to Saied Valley to make it Tuesday before the store closed. 14 miles before Etna, the snow pack started up again with blowdowns and burnt sections.

It was slow going, and after getting lost at 10:30 at night, I found myself on the side of this steep mountain straddling a tree. I had to climb down in the dark through snow and loose rock. It was some of the most dangerous stuff I’ve encountered so far and finding out I just became an uncle I decided to stop pushing so hard that night.

I camped 38.6 miles in for the day, short if my goal, but not injured or dead.✌🥾🥾

Total Miles: 250.1

 
Starting off the week I had only 4 hours of sleep and needed to pull a 40 mile day through 90 percent snow pack up and over Squaw Valley and Donner ski areas. I did this to meet my cousin at Donner Pass and stay at his place for the night. Showered up and resupplied, I was back on the trail the next morning.

The snow continued. I’m at the front of the PCT hikers now so making my own path through the snow trying to stay close to the trail has been hard. The snow finally ended and the trail continued into what little forest was left over from the Dixie fire from last year. Downed trees, everything burnt and covered with soot. It looked like the apocalypse.

I knew this section of trail was fairly flat and the scene was so depressing I decided at 1 pm to pull a 50 mile day and get as close to Old Station and my next resupply. It was a long day, 5:45am-12:35am. 50.5 mile day. My longest so far.

Also, a bird purposely flew into my head. ✌🥾🥾
 

Total Miles 211.4

What a crazy week!

After leaving Mammoth the snow continued. Losing the trail constantly became normal and the snow melt made the river crossings very hard. My feet have been wet for 7 straight days – LOL.

I met up with another guy in Yosemite named “Sloppy Joe” who is also doing the Loop and we hiked through that section together. We must have crossed 25 rivers on that day. At 10 pm, we crossed a river above our waistline and not knowing how deep it was going to be made it that much more sketchy.

After arriving at Kennedy Meadows North, pulling a 30 by 4pm we were wiped out. I had run out of food, AGAIN. Luckily Joe had some extra. I stayed the night there, ditched the bear canister and was back on the trail at 10:30 the next morning.

The snow pack continued all week. I slipped and fell 30 feet into lava rocks and scratched myself up pretty good. I post-holed while “skiing” down the backside of Dick’s Pass and started flying down the hill on my stomach. I was able to self-arrest with my trekking pole, which got bent in the process. I kept stepping through snow bridges and falling all throughout Desolation Wilderness.

I have almost now made it to Donner Pass and hopefully, out of the bigger snow. Such a tough week, but I was able to keep a 30 mile average and aside from some scrapes, cuts, and bruises, I’m feeling pretty damn good!✌🥾🥾

Total Miles 217.5

After arriving at Kennedy Meadows, I took 3 hours to prepare for the Sierra section. I Charged my stuff, ate a bunch, got my ice axe and bear canister, and reorganized my pack. I took off up the trail at 4pm.

I wanted to do the 201.1 miles to Mammoth Lakes Pass faster than I did it last year–under 6 days.

I did 11.5 miles out that evening from Kennedy Meadows. The following day 38 miles, about 2 miles before the entrance to Sequoia National Park.

The next day I entered into the high mountains and started dealing with the snow pack which was significant. There had been a recent storm so any part of the trail above 10,500 feet was covered. I topped out on Forester Pass (13,200) at 6pm. Getting down was tough but I pushed hard and made camp 35.5 miles in for the day.

Looking at what was ahead I saw that I was only 4.1 miles from the top of Glen pass and 16 miles from Pinchot Pass and another 9.7 from Mather Pass. I decided to do all three in one day. This was one of my greatest hiking days. I felt so strong, I just fuckin sent it! Pushing hard nonstop for 16 hours. Had to bring out the ice axe for a sketchy, steep section. Post-holed a lot, but did all 3 passes and finished with a 32.4.

The following day I went over Muir Pass with 3 miles of snow on each side and camped 37.2 miles in for the day.

On Sunday I was running really low on food, so I had no choice but to pull a 48 miler and get as close to Mammoth as I could. Went up and over Seldon and Silver Pass, ate my last BOBO’S oat bite at 7:30 pm and still had 15 miles to go to make it to Mammoth Lakes Pass. I finished at 12:45 am and camped on the side trail leading to Mammoth.

7 mountain passes, 201.1 miles, 5 days, 9 hours, and 45 minutes. A 37.5 mile overall average. By far the greatest hiking achievement of my career. The conditions were tough and I still have 2-300 miles of snow pack to deal with.

Took a rest day in Mammoth, ate my face off and now I’m going back for more pain😄. Going to see if I can reach Tahoe in 5 days, it’s about 185 miles.✌🥾🥾

Total Miles 225.1

What a crazy week.

Met more incredible people, didn’t receive my resupply box and my knee started to bother me. So I…. hung out with incredible people, bought a resupply and took my only rest day of the trail in Mojave, CA.

Ate a ton of food, had my knee worked on and took 3 showers. Definitely a zero day I wont soon forget.

My mileage was up to my average at 225.1 for the week but overall in 3 weeks, just a shade under 750. Right where I wanted to be.

Adapting to situations on the trail is something I thrive on, and this week threw some things at me, but I’m on pace. It was earlier than my rest day last year, but I couldn’t go into the Sierra with my knee that way.

At Kennedy Meadows now, leaving after this post and hoping to arrive in Mammoth in 6 days.✌🥾🥾

Total Miles 266.3

Back on the PCT!

After the grueling I-10 stretch and big water carries along powerline dirt roads and desert, reaching the single track trail of the PCT has been such a welcome change! So many more hikers from last year and a ton of internationals (a lot of Germans.)

Last year the hiker bubble was somewhere around Tehachapi. However, this year it seems to be never ending from Cajon Pass to Hikertown and north. It’s been a real enjoyable experience to meet so many people from different walks of life doing this incredible trek, most notably “Cheese” from Maine and “Catmandu” from the Cascades.

I would really like to keep my pace up until Kennedy Meadows, sometimes it’s hard though, I do miss the camaraderie the trail provides. The forced pace of the Loop doesn’t allow for that, so until I decide to do a less demanding trail, it looks like I’ll be on my own for quite sometime. I guess to sum up this post, this is what I signed up for and I’m going to send it as hard as I can for as long as I can!

I’m pushing a good pace and everything feels good considering 40 mile days without stretching😬.

I’ll be in Kennedy Meadows a week from today. I’m pushing hard through this easy section because I’m really not sure what to expect for snow. Bringing my Ice Axe this time.

Sorry for the lack of pics, I don’t stop much on big mile days but I’ll try and do better for next week.✌🥾🥾

Total Miles 256.2

Good solid start!

Only one blister so far! The heat took a few days to get used to, but overall my body is handling it very well.

I decided to go south from Alamo Lake to Wendon, Az and west from there.

I’ve only encountered two natural water sources in this whole section, it’s so dry!

I ditched my tent and sent gear ahead to give me as light of a pack as possible for some huge water carries.

Been sleeping under the stars. Keeping my eye out for those scorpions😬

It’s April 19 at 6:19 AM in Nothing, Arizona. It all starts now.

Stay tuned for updates and posts from the trail. Use the map above to keep track of progress.

I’m going for it again!

After breaking my foot 4,800 miles into the loop last year, I’m starting on April 19th from Nothing, Arizona and redoing the entire hike that has basically consumed my life since I first decided to do it over 3 years ago.

Everything has been updated for speed. Better pack, 5 day food carries, and all the same pairs of shoes (I have 13).

It’s another dry year out west and the forest fires are going to start early. I worked hard all winter in preparation for this and I’m more confident in my abilities now. My overall mile average per day was 33.6 and I’m confident I can get up to 35 as long as I can stay healthy.

I have incredible sponsors behind me, Taco Comfort Solutions, Nashville Pack, Eastern Mountain Sports, Darn Tough Vermont and Ransome Multimedia. With their help and the support of my friends and family, I know I can get this done!