PCT: Pennsylvania Creek to Lost Lakes

PCT Trail Mile 1055 to 1069.7

Great sleep, great day of hiking and now camped out after a refreshing swim. .   What can I say- our favorite kind of life. 

The trail traversed dry and mostly ‘Marscape’ terrain today.    We loved the wide open views.  The trail also went in and out of some evergreen forests and by  many lakes.   We appreciated both as the day was warm.   It’s been many years since we hiked mid summer and we had forgotten how warm and pleasant it would be.  There were some climbs and the last one before we camped kicked my butt.   I was glad to arrive at a lake to swim and camp at.   Funnily, we stopped today at about the same time we started yesterday- 4 o’clock ish.   

There were quite a few day hikers and backpackers we met along the trail. One man’s dog totally gave me an adrenaline drop when it lunged at me.   Thankfully it did not bite.   After I was left with limbs shaking it lunged at Hawkeye.    His handler did and said nothing.   So weird.   Our favorite encounter today was Dan who is out on a fishing trip for his 84th birthday.  We had a great chat and he was a charming, old school gentleman.   He has been packing in these mountains for many years and told us the best fishing lake around here that is full of cutthroat and golden trout.  I won’t give away his secret.  Although we did pass 4 young men with fishing poles to the same lake so maybe the secret is already out.  

We also enjoyed watching a helicopter scoop water from a lake and take it to a smoldering snag.  This area has had a lot of thunderstorms recently and we are guessing that’s what started it.  A lot of the plants we walked by today looked torn up and beaten down too.   It must have been a heckuva storm.  We are glad that today was nice all day.  

Now it’s early to bed, for an early start tomorrow to beat some of the heat.   Did I mention it’s only 7 pm.