Day 64 – I Like Big Buttes
Originally published on Mason Hikes the PCT 2017.
Mileage: 34
Every time I camp with other hikers, I’m reminded of how early everyone else wakes up. When I was with my group in the Sierras, we did the same thing, but I’ve been waking up super late (9AM) some days while I’m going solo. I woke up to the sound of hiking at 5:30AM this morning, meaning that those people likely woke up before 5. 😬
I decided to give the early morning a shot since I was already awake and was ready to hike at 6:15. I camped at the top of one long climb, but at the bottom of another long climb, so I had a few miles of climbing to do to start my day. There’s nothing like sweating profusely to start your morning off right!
I also passed 1200 miles!
I didn’t realize this at the time, but last night the 10 of us had camped at the base of the Sierra Butte, a magnificent mountain/butte (what’s a butte?) that we were now in the process of climbing. It wasn’t until we left the butte behind that I really started appreciating how awesome it was.
Similar to yesterday, it was quite hot and humid today, which made for some soggy hiking. The snow was also mostly gone from the trail, which was nice for hiking, but it also meant that the abundant streams carrying much-needed water were no longer everywhere (including literally the trail). Sadly, we have to worry about water again. 😞
My hike has somewhat returned to hiking from water source to water source, though it has not yet become miserable like the end of the desert because they are still so close together, but I’ve gone back to cameling up every time just in case. Besides the water, things are pretty standard with lots of ups and downs and ups and downs.
At some point today, I decided I needed a sugar/energy boost for the next hill. The easily accessible snacks in my hip belts were running low, so I decided to make some Gatorade (thanks, Ma!) and use some Mio Energy. The Gatorade is perfectly measured, so I get delicious and satisfying electrolyte/sugar drink instantly every time. The Mio is not.
“1 squirt for every 8 fl oz of water. Each squirt contains 60mg of caffeine.” Okay, well how long is a squirt? 1 second? 2 seconds? Until it stops squirting? I’ll give you a hint: much shorter than you would think. I don’t drink coffee and rarely have things with caffeine in them, so when I do, I can feel it. Today, after drinking some of that Mio Energy, I felt it HARD.
Red is CAFFEINE, blue is Gatorade
I went slightly nuts climbing up and down all of the mountains and was a bit scared that I might never sleep again, but after a few hours of exhilarating hiking, I finally returned to normal just in time for setting up camp and sunset. If the caffeine hadn’t worn off, I think I may have done 40+ miles today, so my legs are thankful for the temporary nature of caffeine’s effects.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow so that I can inch closer and closer to my brand new, FREE(!) shoes and box of food waiting for me in Belden. Thanks, Altra and Mary from 2 Foot Adventures, for agreeing that less than 100 miles and ten days is too early for a pair of hiking shoes to be falling apart!
Awesome photo of the day