PCT: Jamison Spring to Whiskey Spring

PCT trail miles 1216 to 1231.6

Total ascent was 4813 feet and we descended 4419 feet over 

15.6 miles and I melted in the stifling heat. 

The day was blessedly peaceful though.  We only saw two pleasant day hikers.  There were no revving engines and clouds of dust.  No bickering.  Hawkeye’s leg is feeling better.  There were little gray  birds chirping,  jays squawking and the hum of insects.  We saw lots of chipmunks, flowers, rocks, and one friendly doe.

 There were no lakes to cool off in, just tiny streams that I plopped into to wet my shirt and hair.  We had an occasional water fight with our water bottles. My legs felt heavy and I pushed hard with my hiking poles until my arms felt heavy too.  

At one point the sky filled with cumulous clouds and with a bit of flash and thunder.  In a dramatic fashion I raised my arms in the air, with hiking poles extended and proclaimed, “Let the heavens open and pour down water on this parched land and two hot hikers.”   And it did!   It rained big fat, cold drops of water with occasional small pieces of hail.  The heat dissipated for a while and we walked a bit stronger.  

We are camped near Whisky  Springs  in the forest. (It doesn’t taste like whiskey either.). We sponged off in the water and ate a good meal and drank our fill of the clear and cold water.  I’m laying, without clothes, in our tent because it is still very warm and windless. A bird is making a clucking like noise over and over.  I think it’s saying the neighborhood is ruined now that hikers have moved in. 

Hawkeye is planning out our day tomorrow and it’s a doozy.    These mountains are rugged and don’t make the miles easy.  The hot weather doesn’t help either.  All is well with us though, so that does lighten the load considerably.