The Last Stretch of the Desert - Days 38-43

Day 38

Mile 634.2 to Lake Isabella ~ 17.9 Miles

Last night got soooo windy. I was cowboy camping and all night the wind was howling and whipping my bag. It did not make for a good night sleep. The saving grace was I was going into town at the end of the day!

I was reached out to by a Rotarian, named Sarah, that had heard about my hike and the fact that I was raising money for water wells in Nigeria. She emailed me and offered me a free hotel room at the motel she owns in Lake Isabella! She was so gracious and I was so thankful for her generosity.

There has been a lot of fear circling the pct from hikers getting close to the Sierras. I am about 50 miles away which means I will be facing snow soon! Some people are skipping this section and/or waiting for the snow to melt before heading in. I am going to try my best to head in and get through the snow. I am excited and nervous but I’m confident that I can pull it off.

Day 39

Zero Day

I spent the day in Lake Isabella. Most of the day was spent assessing and preparing for what lies ahead in the High Sierras. There are lots of hikers posting on Facebook and people talking on the trail about how scary and dangerous the Sierras are to enter this early. Right now I am at mile 650 and the Sierras start at about mile 700. So I am very close to entering. I knew this would come and the fear of the deep snow and rushing rivers would come circling around the hiker community. There was a gentleman I spoke with a few weeks ago who told me “just go for it when you get to the Sierras. People will try and scare you and the fear will build, but there is only one way to find out if you can handle it”. I think I am going to take his advice and head in later next week!

Day 40

Walker Pass to Mile 663.8 ~ 11.7 Miles

This morning I slowly got out of the hotel room. Checkout time was 11am so naturally, I checked out at 11am. Then I hit the road and tried to find a hitch back to the trail. With my thumb out and optimism on my face an older gentleman named George, with a beat up pick up truck pulled over and offered me a ride. The hitch back to Walker pass was pretty far, maybe about 30 miles. George said he could take me far as Weldon and then I could try and find a hitch the rest of the 8 miles or so. In the car we visited and talked about the town of Lake Isabella where his family has been rooted since the late 1800’s. He told me stories about how his great Grandma passing away after giving birth to 14 children and about how there was a huge flood in the 1960’s. It was a blast listening to his old stories. By the time we got to the town he was going to stop and drop me off at he said “ehh I’ll just take you all the way to Walker Pass”. So thankful for George’s stories and generous lift back to the trail.

Once back on the trail it was about noon. Right in the heat of the day. Although todays weather was very manageable and I cranked out 12 miles before calling it a day. I am worried about my energy levels lately. My body has just felt really tired and like I’m constantly dragging. I most likely need to change some things in my diet to maybe boost some key nutrients to hopefully give me some more energy. Well I’m pooped and ready for bed now.

Day 41

Mile 663.8 to mile 687.2 ~ 23.3 Miles

It’s really hard to say a day out here on the PCT is a bad one, so I will classify today as subpar. First it was Mother’s Day and the fact that I didn’t get a chance to actually talk to my mom really bummed me out. All day I kept checking my phone for cell reception and every time I looked I was disappointed. Finally I did a hefty climb and at the top I had a tiny bit of service! I quickly dialed my mom and no answer. So I left her a voicemail and figured I would try again if I got reception again, which I didn’t. So I am going to bed bummed out and feeling like a lousy son.

On top of that my right lower shin really really started to hurt me today. Every step towards the end of the day was excruciating pain shooting up my shin. I really hope it’s not shin splints. My left knee has been really acting up lately, my feet have been extra sore at night, and now this. I think this might be a sign for me to buy new shoes.

Tomorrow I get to the famous Kennedy Meadows. A place where hikers gear up to enter the beautiful and challenging high Sierras. I am really excited and can’t wait to get there!

687.2 to Kennedy Meadows ~ 15 Miles

My left shin is killing me... The best way to describe it is that it feels like hot razor sharp daggers are stabbing my lower shin on every step with my left foot. Uphill, downhill, flat it does not matter. I limped myself into one of the most iconic stops on the trail, Kennedy Meadows.

Kennedy Meadows marks the bridge between the desert and the Sierras. When arriving at the general store you are greeted by a round of applause. It’s such a cool feeling! I had a bunch of things sent from home to Kennedy Meadows, including my ice axe, crampons, bear canister, mosquito head net, and my full resupply of food. I spent the afternoon going through my gear, visiting with other hikers and talking about our plans to tackle the Sierras. There are a lot of people taking a break, or skipping ahead to bypass the snow. Others like myself are gearing up and going in to tackle the Sierras head on. I am planning on taking 2 zeros and heading in on Thursday morning. Hopefully that gives my shin enough time to get better 🤞🏼

Day 42

At Kennedy Meadows they make the best breakfast, they call it the hiker breakfast! 2 eggs, bacon, potatoes and all you can eat pancakes. The catch is... the pancake is about the size of a basketball! So I had 1. After being stuffed it was time to do some research and figure out how to fix my left shin. After looking into it I am 99% sure it is shin splints. The internet says to give it a couple weeks of rest, elevate, ice, and compress. I don’t have a couple weeks so I am hoping 2 days will do the trick. I am really worried but hopeful I will get through this injury.