Susanne's Adventure Journal

21.9 PCT miles There was a huge difference between yesterday morning and this morning. Yesterday I woke up so hungry that I had to immediately eat something before I even exited my tent. Today I woke up still satisfied by last night's trail magic. I packed up and was one of the first people out of the campground. I started off the day by walking down the dirt road to its the junction with the PCT,  noticing that the road wasn’t as rutted as I originally thought and wondering how hard it would be to get my car up there. Lost in thought I blew past the PCT and ended up having to backtrack to the junction. When I was finally on the right trail, I really enjoyed my hike. I was still walking through beautiful pine forest. That changed quickly,  however.  I hit the edge of the big pine trees and all that was left were shrubs and boulders. Morning light near the edge of the pine forest. Another cool cloud layer sighting. I headed downhill for a while, ...

21.6 PCT miles I started out the morning by walking through yet another burn area. The fire must have been pretty extensive because it took 5 miles of the trail to exit it. Everything had been burned and there didn't seem to be any pockets of vegetation that escaped the fire as you sometimes see in the other burn areas. There were also quite a few large poodle dog bushes growing along the trail. I forgot to be on the look out for them in the burn area until I almost brushed up against one. The grey, overcast skies didn't help my mood. So crispy and dreary. Haha! I almost got you this time. You know you need to pay attention in burn areas. The scenery became really pretty after I exited the burn area. There was a combination of small pines and oaks, plus plenty of other grasses or green vegetation surrounding it. It was a pleasure to walk through. Additionally, sometimes the vegetation would open up and the trail would lead through a grassy meadow. Final...

22.2 PCT miles I was dropped off around a quarter to 7 (am) on Cameron Canyon Rd, where I had been picked up before the weekend. I had a bit of a road walk ahead of me, but I was looking forward to the day. Today I would be officially transitioning from the “desert section” of the PCT to the “Sierra section.” I live in southern California.  The desert section is my backyard and I have previously been to many of the places the PCT runs through. The Sierra section is new territory. While I have visited the Sierra-Nevada mountains several times, I have not spent much time in the backcountry.  So, I am excited. Cameron Canyon Rd. in the early morning. I walked down Cameron Canyon Rd to where it crossed over highway 58. When I was almost at the crossing, a car slowed down. It was a woman who was heading into Tehachapi and she asked if I needed a ride. I let her know that I had just been dropped off, but that was very nice of her to offer. The PCT notes say to try...