Sharing the journey. One thru-hike at a time.
2011 PACIFIC CREST TRAIL JOURNAL
Miles
Days
Avg. Daily Miles
Zero Days
About The PCT:
I heart the PCT!!! The Pacific Crest Trail was my first thru-hike and it was quite the introduction. A record setting snow year made this trek from Mexico to Canada more of an expedition at times. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I’m grateful to have had. What a challenge! Hiking the PCT taught me that I never want to have any “what ifs” in life and to just go for things rather than sitting in a state of wanderlust. Almost all of these entries were posted as I hiked, using my iPhone nightly to journal in my tent, after hiking usually 20-30 miles from sun up to sun down. I know how helpful this journal can be to others preparing for a thru hike, so I made this page to hopefully ease the frustration of navigating through all my archives.
BASE PACK WEIGHT: ~16lbs.
Before The Hike
67 days til start date…What is the Pacific Crest Trail?
62 days til start date…PLANNING a Thru Hike
54 days til start date…Gear Selection
48 days til start date…Training and the StickPic
43 days til start date…PCT Community
37 days til start date…Let’s Talk Trail
33 Days til Start Date…Hiking Solo and the SPOT
26 days til start date…Tantrum Time!
19 days til start date…Gear Slideshow
15 days til start date…My Confession
9 days til start date…Food & Care Packages
4 days til start date…ADZPCTKO
1 day til start date(part 1)…Ready to SOAR!
1 day til start date(part 2)…Portland-San Diego-Campo!
During The Hike
Day 1…It Begins!
Day 1: One of the Best!
Day 2: Kick Off
Day 3: Workin’ Out the Kinks
Day 4: Word of the Day…WINDY!!!
Day 5: Heat, Hills, and Hulu
Day 6: Heat, Hills, Hundred,…HOTDOGS!!!
Day 7 & 8: A Nero and A Zero
Day 9: Closer to Paradise
Day 10: Scenery and Paradise
Day 11: A Draining Day in the Clouds
Day 12: A Zero in Idyllwild
Day 13: Fuller Ridge
Day14: Down, Down, Down, Up, Up, Down
Day 15: A Reprieve From the Sun
Day 16: Big Miles to Big Bear City!
Day 17: A Zero and Anxiety in Big Bear City
Day 18: A Peaceful Day on Auto Pilot
Day 19: Detour Schmeatour(Part 1)
Day 19: Detour Schmeatour(Part 2)
Day 20: I’m Lovin’ It!
Day 21: Up, Up, Up…
Day 22: Wrightwood Wonderfulness
Day 23: Sierra Training on Mt. Baden Powell
Day 24: Hittin’ the Road
Day 25: Trail Blazin’
Day 26: Hiking to Heaven
Day 27: A Zero at Hiker Heaven/The Saufleys
Day 28: Sun and Hills to the Andersons
Day 29: A Zero Done the Right Way
Day 30: Made it to Mile 500!
Day 31: Snow and Desert!?
Day 32: Mojave and Aqueduct
Day 33: Wind Farms and Rockin’
Days 34 & 35: Relaxin’ with Rockin’
Day 36: Winding and Waterless
Day 37: Deep into the Wilderness
Day 38: Water Challenges
Day 39: I’m a Survivor!
Day 40: Makin’ It Happen!
Day 41: Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda
Day 42: Dry & Rocky Woods
Day 43: Goodbye Southern California!
Day 44: A Zero at Kennedy Meadows
Day 45: Heavy Load!
Day 46: Strength and Patience
Day 47: The Real Deal
Day 48: A Crash Course in Mountaineering
Day 49: A Long Nine Miles
Day 50: Forester & Kearsarge Pass
Days 51 & 52: A Nero and A Zero in Bishop
Day 53: Kearsarge Redux
Day 54: Exhausting White Treadmill
Day 55: Misery Loves Company
Day 56: A Much Need Break from the Snow
Day 57: A Great Day in the Sierras
Day 58: Solo in the Sierras
Day 59: A Nero at Vermilion Valley Ranch
Day 60: A Cold and Wet Return to the Trail
Day 61: Slipping & Sliding
Day 62: Sierra Snow Day
Day 63: Chillin’ at Red’s Meadow
Day 64: THIS is What I Imagined!
Day 65: Made it to Tuolumne Meadows!
Day 66: JMT Reality Check!
Days 67 & 68: Double Zero at Yosemite
Day 69: Half Dome!
Day 70: A Little Bit of Everything
Day 71: Living Up to the Hype
Day 72: Oh SHIT! Stream Crossings!
Day 73: Light at the End of the Snow & Water Filled Tunnel
Day 74: Sonora Pass
Day 75: A Tired, Cranky Camper
Day 76: No Flips, No Skips!
Day 77: A Walk in the Park…Sorta
Day 78: Tahoe Baby!
Day 79: A Packed Zero in Reno
Day 80: Goin’ Solo
Day 81: All Signs Pointing to Truckee
Day 82: Truckin’ to Truckee
Day 83: Back in the Thick of Snow
Day 84: DRY TRAIL into Sierra City
Day 85: Recouping and Recharging at the Red Moose
Day 86: Gettin’ Back in the Groove
Day 87: Oh So Close!
Day 88: Stayin’ Focused
Day 89: Belden Pit Stop…and Ugly Trail!
Day 90: HALFWAY!…The Hard Way
Day 91: Rest and Celebration in Chester
Day 92: A New Plan at Drakesbad Guest Ranch
Day 93: Ridin’ On
Day 94: HOT Hat Creek Rim
Day 95: HOT Hike into Burney Falls
Day 96: These Are the Days
Day 97: Delightful Day of Distraction
Day 98: Woods, Mt. Shasta, and TRAIL MAGIC!
Day 99: What a Wonderful Little World
Day 100: Rocks, Views, and A Parking Lot
Day 101: Celebrating Day 100 With A 30!
Day 102: The Tiring Rollercoaster
Day 103: Entertaining Etna Experience
Day 104: Wired Is Tired
Day 105: We Got A Hot One Here!
Day 106: My “Double Rainbow” Day!
Day 107: I’m Finally in OREGON!
Day 108 & 109: A Much Needed Nero and Zero in Grants Pass!
Day 110: Getting Off To A Good Start
Day 111: Feeling Strong
Day 112: Mosquito Country
Day 113: Crater Lake
Day 114: Big Miles For the Rookie
Day 115: Oregon High
Day 116: Buggin’ Out!
Day 117: Oh, the People We Meet
Day 118: Wired is Recharged!
Day 119: Three Sisters Wonderfulness
Day 120: Painful Trail and A Relaxing Stop
Day 121: Feelin’ the Burn
Day 122: Day of Silence
Day 123: Motivation and Miles
Day 124: An Eventful Day On Mt Hood
Day 125: A Long Hike HOME
Day 128: Easing into Washington
Day 129: Long Ups and Downs
Day 130: Urgh! The Uphill Climbs Continue
Day 131: Forest, Forest, Forest, MT ADAMS!
Day 132: Goat Rocks Therapy
Day 133: Amazing Goat Rocks…And A Rest
Day 134: An Enjoyable Washington Day!
Day 135: It’s Always Sunny In…Washington!?
Day 136: Heat, Hills, Hurdles, Huckleberries, and Trail Magic
Day 137: A Much Needed Break and Magic
Day 138: Snapped Out of My Funk
Day 139: A Day of Switchbacks
Day 140: Rainy, Gloomy… MAGICAL
Day 141: The Game of Rain Roulette
Day 142: A Mist-ical Day
Day 143: When It Rains, It Pours
Day 144: Bookin’ To Stehekin
Day 145: Now I’m Psyched!
Day 146: Epic Ending
Day 147: Taking It In
Day 148: Whoa, Canada!
After The Hike
Returning Home & Settling In
A Bit of Post-Hike Advice…
Fellow Finishers!
A Reunion Hike with Balls & Sunshine
PCT, by the Numbers
Complete PCT Thru Hike Gear Review
Bonus Material From PCT 2011
A Photo Book Is Worth A Thousand Words!
Advice to Future PCTers
Getting Wired on the Trail
My Pacific Crest Trail Soundtrack
Being Wired On The Trail
Sharing the Journey
Some Rockin’ Trail Relationships
Wired Goes UNPLUGGED!
Amazing & Inspiring Astro Andy
View All Photos From the Hike
PCT Part 1: Campo to Warner Springs (0-110.6)
PCT Part 2: Warner Springs to Big Bear Lake (110.6-265.3)
PCT Part 3: Big Bear to Tehachapi (265.3-566.6)
PCT Part 4: Tehachapi-Independence(566.6-789)
PCT Part 5: Independence to Tuolumne Meadows(789-942.5)
PCT Part 6: Tuolumne Meadows-Sierra City(942.5-1197.6)
PCT Part 7: Sierra City-Ashland (1197.6-1726.6)
PCT Part 8: Ashland-Cascade Locks(1726.6-2155)
PCT Part 9: Cascade Locks-Monument 78(2155-2663.5)
Featured Videos From The Hike
(Select one to view full library on YouTube)
