Halfway on the Pacific Crest Trail means 1,325 miles done, with 1,325 miles to go! I did the first half in 46 days averaging about 29 miles per day. That includes town stops, breaks, everything. Fastpacking, speed hiking, I am not sure! But it is how I've grown to enjoy hiking most. Pushing myself in the mountains and seeing what my body is capable of. It gives me a lot of confidence, and makes me feel strong.
In this section I finally enter NorCal! The Northern California section of a PCT thru hike is best defined by the massive volcanos you will start to see off in the distance. Mt Lassen and Mt Shasta for instance begin the Cascade mountain range.
Unfortunately this area was subject to a couple very large wildfires just the year prior, the Dixie Fire being the biggest and most prominent. Which means for me that I will be hiking through a burn area for nearly 200 miles. Black and dead trees which I can hear crack and fall in the distance around me. It is an eerie and sad experience to be hiking through an area so devastated by wildfire.
Still I keep the spirits up! And I begin to ramp my miles up, doing 3 days in a row of 38 miles or more. This was always the plan, once leaving the Sierra Nevada mountains where the trail is a little easier, to start doing more miles per day. I am also trying to catch up to my friend Gasket, who holds the title of the only person who has passed me so far on this entire trail. I am excited to hike with a partner again, and tackle the rest of norcal together.
As always the big miles are made a lot easier because of my super ultralight gear. I would not be able to do what I am doing without a lightweight backpacking kit. Allowing me to hike longer days more comfortably, and avoid injury all the while. My baseweight for this hike is under 7lbs, and it allows me to hike efficiently and meet my goals.
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