This is the bring your big boy hiking pants to the trail. At late June, at elevation 1500, you get to hike 4500 elevation gain, mostly exposed, and have to deal with overgrowth so bad that everyone loses the trail.
This is the 2nd steepest prolonged assent on the trail. I was able to walk without stops, but barely. Our 1st water was 1 mile in. Then it got brutal. 2nd water was a pipe very exposed down a short rocky path 5 miles in and 3000 feet higher than we started
Yup. We slept to the left , now climb to the right. I know I can walk up anything, but thank gosh we started at 7 am (only because the famous Saied cafe was closed due to child illness.
Pictures mignt be limited. This was hard
Water spot 1 mile in. We are all already tired
We started out down there
‘The water spot 5 miles in. After 3000 feet climbing.
As shown, it’s no wonder I’m called “Yardsale”. Everything is drying out and is scattered everywhere. We still have 1500 exposed feet to climb, and now it’s hot.
This was hard. By far the longest steep climb . I have heard that the climb out of Beldon is worse, but this was hard and exposed
Then after my team is ready to go, we get exposed, climbing , overgrowth bushes that forced you to lose the trail . Wow That’s a tough 1/2 mile.
Then you get 4 miles of semi normal hiking until 289 tree blowdowns. Wow. Lol
The views remain incredible. No trees to block the sun. Lol
Slightly hazy, but ok
I should have taken pictures of the overgrowth and losing the trail, but I was tired.
Our camp spot. 10 miles in.
Now we get to deal with 289 blowdowns. Lol.
We made it to camp. That was hard.
We did well.
Tom hikes the PCT 