PCT Day 159 – Six Days of Food

Stevens Pass (mile 2464) to Janus Lake (mile 2474)

Starman and I are sitting in the back of Garbo’s Subaru as she and Connor whisk us back to the trail. We are all four of us showered and laundered, deodorant and shampoo mingle pleasantly in my nose. I wonder how quickly after the trail I’ll stop noticing how good non hikers smell. How many days after leaving the trail will it take for the smell of fabric softener to no longer send me until odorous fits of delight. All this weekend, while I watched an adorable young couple exchange their vows and then danced into the night surrounded by Starman’s college friends, I marveled at how many ways there are for people to smell good.

We are dropped at the base of the Stevens Pass ski area, where we will climb 10 miles out of a valley on this half day. The long labor day weekend means that the trail is full of day hikers and weekend backpackers streaming back to their cars. Clothes bright and unbleached by the sun, wafting smells of artificial pine, vanilla, and clean laundry. This afternoon the trail is a two lane highway and we are forced to stop time and again to allow folks to pass. I am grateful for the numerous breaks, it is a perfectly warm but not too hot late summers day and I am content to stand along the side of the trail and soak in the day. Also my pack is irrationally heavy and hiking uphill is a real struggle.

For the last two sections I have been cutting it very fine on food. And you know what? It sucks. Going to sleep and waking up in the middle of the night hungry, it sucks. Rationing food at every meal, it sucks. Drinking coffee at lunch breaks to curb your appetite, it sucks. Pushing miles on the last day because both you and your partner are going to either be really hungry or completely out of food, yep it sucks! But now we are down to our last two sections on this entire trail and I’m not going to let them suck. So my pack is really heavy with almost six days of food crammed into it. Honestly, I’ve probably over packed on food but #YOLOSYMAWHGS (you only live once so you might as well have good snacks.)

In thru hiking it seems nearly impossible to avoid some level of discomfort. After the infamous hiker hunger has set in the choice is between being hungry and having a light pack, or having enough food and a heavy pack. It’s about finding the discomfort you’re willing to deal with. And in my case I’m really strong but kind of a jerk when I get hangry, so extra snacks and a heavy pack it is.