PCT: Rain

Weather can be fickle.

I’ve experienced this many times throughout my travels. It is unpredictable, and entirely out of one’s control.

In some years, PCT hikers might experience less than a handful of rainy days throughout the entirety of their 160-ish day hike. So far, I’ve had two incredibly rainy days, with several more forecasted in the week ahead.

The first rainy day, and second day of my hike, was inconvenient at best. Luckily, a solid stone presented itself on the third day to allow for ample drying of my gear.

Today, the rain started as inconvenient, and eventually turned to a concerning moment. Luckily, by the time the temperatures dropped and the winds picked up, I was less than a mile from the lodge on top of Mount Laguna. Had it been a greater distance, I would have needed to set up camp somewhere in order to climb into my sleeping bag to get warm until the rain passed.

Fortunately, I had booked a room in the lodge the day before arriving. The time spent under the dry porch while we all waited for the official check-in time to arrive provided an opportunity to meet new thru-hikers and enjoy a hot cup of coffee.

The past three days have been exhausting and wonderful. Those adjustments previously mentioned are still taking place, and new skills are certainly developing. Whether it is packing a backpack inside a tent while it is pouring outside, figuring out how to walk around a “wet moving stick” on the side of the trail, or drying nearly everything by heater/fire knowing that it will likely be soaked within a few minutes of being outside the following day, these are lessons only trail life can provide.

For all of those sharing well wishes on the posts, they are appreciated! I haven’t had the time to respond to them, but will aim to catch up on those at some point when I take a “zero” or “nearo” day at some point along the trail.

Lastly, for the first time in my life, I have not had any updates on the news going on in the world. This sequester has lasted four days. When I arrived in Mount Laguna, I was informed that everything is happening rather quickly. My hope is that everyone stays healthy and safe. I hope that these posts about a hike are not seen as making light of what is going on. If anything, I offer them up as a momentary distraction. As I progress along the trail, I’m sure the impact will affect my ability to hike as originally planned.

My continued plan is to hike safely and exercise good judgment. Until then, I’m anxious for some fair-weathered days.

(While writing this post, I have successfully hiked over 42 miles of the PCT. As I’m beginning to stagger/delay the publication dates, I should be even more miles down the trail. I figured I should let you know that these entries will not be posted in “real time” moving forward.)