05/20/23 miles 7.5-15: Just like the path, the learning curve of trail life is steep. The desert is relentlessly hot. My single-mindedness of bagging miles had me hiking at a pace too fast and forgetting to eat. (Tsk tsk! A huge lesson I learned around mile 35ish when I called my girlfriend from under a bush crying. Big ups to that woman, for staying calm and talking me through. We’ll get to that.) I hiked 7.5 miles, plus a few extra feet of rock climbing because I chucked my sunglasses, which were on the brim of my hat, off the side of a hill because I was swatting at the fucking biting flies with said hat. Also, careful not to get your trekking pole caught between your legs while walking, 9/10 times you’re gonna biff it. I found a creek to cool off in and exhausted, called it a day, at this point I had developed a mysterious lower leg pain that I chalked up to muscle soreness, or bruised from hitting myself with the pole, it would only make sense. This was the first night I met other hikers, all whom were kind and interesting and obviously bad ass. Oh. I also met this random family who taught me all about the edible vegetation in the area and had me try a yucca flower and some other green leafy thing. Don’t worry mom, I made them eat it in front of me first just in case they were trying to roofie me. Still alive!
PCT 20 23 