As if playing a game of poker, the PCT saw my previous post ‘Inferno’ and raised me an unbelievably brutally hot day. It was a day to remember for sure. Got hiking around 0700 today and the trail flanked the hillsides, which was overlain with sheets of proper desert vegetation. I think today has probably been the most desert-like it has gotten yet.
I carried out 4.5 liters of water which had to last me to the water-cache 15 miles up the trail. Occasionally the wind would die out. That’s when I’d feel the double effect of the relentless desert heat; the suffocating blanket of hot air surrounding me, as well as the piercing sun-rays, shining down on me from the skies. I looked around, and noticed that there was hardly any shading in my near vicinity, just maximum exposure. As a precaution I emptied a sachet of electrolytes in my water bottle. Even though it was getting real hot, real fast, I enjoyed the morning miles. The landscape was mystical, daunting, but very beautiful. I stopped a couple of times to take photo’s, just look around and catch my breath. But most of all to tell myself that I was actually here. In the middle of a steaming hot, Southern Californian desert. As hot, arid, and vicious as it gets. It felt both surreal and amazing.
At 1100 I had exactly 5 miles to go, my water supply running low; I had 2 liters of water left. Even though I was sweating a lot, I’d been drinking consistently throughout the morning, and I knew I was sufficiently hydrated. But those last 5 miles on 2 liters of water would be cutting it close. There was a big climb ahead… I decided to push forward, because after 1300, the hottest hours of the day would surely be upon us, so I thought it best to make it to the water source by then. The climb was real tough. Putting extra focus on pacing myself as to keep the heating up of my body to a minimum, I slowly progressed on the hillside. I figured I could hike 5 miles in 2 hours. Half a liter of water per 30 minutes. I checked the time meticulously and followed up on my water rationing strategy. It worked well. After 15 miles through the sizzling hot desert I arrived at the water-cache. I was impressed with the way my body coped with these circumstances; I don’t think that I would have been able to keep this pace, in this environment, 6 weeks ago.
The water-cache was next to a dirt road, and the trail had dropped in elevation for the last mile or so. There were plenty of shaded areas here, so I got to recharge, have lunch and chill out for several hours. Around 1700 I wanted to hike out again, a little over 7 miles to get to a campsite. Funny thing about the PCT: whenever you drop down into a valley and you will be ascending again after, just have a look around. Scan your surroundings for the highest peak, and then you can bet some pretty good money that that’s where the trail will take you. Today was no different. A long, long, long climb out of the valley awaited. Not ideal with my water bottles filled up to full capacity again. Fortunately very heavy winds had started to whip the lands, and with the worst heat of the day now over, it was considerably less of a pain than I expected. And even though it was a long climb, the trail led us up the mountain at a very agreeable slope.
Around 1900 I’d made it to the top op the ridge, and was once again rewarded with magnificent views. After enjoying the moment of relief, it was time to book it downhill! There were a little over 3 miles left to the campsite and the sun was setting. Ideal weather to bring it home. I was flying downhill, and before I knew it made it to the campsite. There I quickly pitched my tent because I was ravenous to get some dinner after this intense day. The wind is howling like mad right now, but there is a certain charm to me being comfortably in my tent; sheltered to the environmental challenges.
What a day. It felt like an accomplishment to navigate myself with a well calculated approach in terms of water-carry, safely through this gorgeous but vicious section of the desert.
So whether music or madness,
live by one of the two
by one of the two
Go on, fill your heart up with gladness
Not a moment too soon
Not a moment too soon
Should we ration the reasons
To the charts that ignore
Of this I’ve never been sure
So I will follow the feeling
And sing fever to the form
Oh my fever to the form
Cause the very thing you’re afraid, afraid of
It keeps you clean but unclear
Clean but unclear
Is the dirt that you’re made, you’re made of
And that’s nothing to fear
No it’s nothing my Dear
Fever to the Form – Nick Mulvey
