PCT Day 86 – SoBo Flip – By the Numbers

Campsite at mile 1051 to campsite at mile 1030

Total PCT miles hiked: 1208

Due to our early start Keith (Starman) and I arrived at the Sierras when there was still a lot of snow, and decided it wasn’t safe to attempt a crossing given my skill level. We elected to flip up to northern California and hike southbound (SoBo) back to where we left off near Lone Pine – giving the snow a chance to melt out. During this flip the PCT milage will be counting down, but I’ll include a tally of our total milage hiked so that you can keep aprised of our progress in a linear fashion.

In no particular order –

1 Day. Glorious and clear blue not a cloud in the sky. Not a single one. A strong, playful breeze to cool the day, almost as if to mark the day as the last of spring, not the first of summer.

21 Miles Hiked.

4200 Feet of Gain Climbed.

19 Creeks. Burbling out of notches in rock faces, sparkling leaping joyful in whitewater streams, seeping wide and low across neon green valley floors.

Four Water Collection Stops. Grateful for the few mosquitos at these higher elevations, and the corresponding decease in itchy legs.

One Each Breakfast. Lunch. Snack. Dinner.

2 Lakes. Reflecting the best blue crayon blue. You’d almost believe they were trying to out blue the sky.

39 White Dudes with Beards

9 Women

1 Million Wild Flowers. In shining yellows and pastel reds and every so often an iridescent purple.