July 4 – PCT 843 to 861

A fairly good night and I get up early and decide to try a good breakfast before hiking. Some hot food. So I make some Raman Noodles and add some peanut butter for calories. I have no figured out why food is making me ill but am going to try to eat a good meal before I get started to see if it makes a difference. I actually make 2 batches of the noodles. I am only able to eat about half and need to throw the rest away. I start walking and not too long into it, I am feeling sick again. Not as bad as before and I am able to walk it out. Here are some pictures of Evolution Lake as I start hiking.

Evolution Lake
Evolution Lake
Evolution Lake
Evolution Lake

I now arrive at my first real river crossing. Evolution has been published as being one of the most difficult crossings on the PCT. It is not too bad when I reach it but it is the first time I actually have to wade through the water.

Evolution Creek crossing.  Actually have to wade across.  Water comes about half way up to knee
Evolution Creek crossing. Actually have to wade across. Water comes about half way up to knee
Another pretty good stream crossing but big logs are there to walk across
Another pretty good stream crossing but big logs are there to walk across

After couple hours of hiking I arrive at some nice meadows. There are deer about that they really pay me no mind. No fear.

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I take a break at this meadow and just sit on a rock and wait for something to happen.  Nothing happened except that I got more mellow the more I sat there
I take a break at this meadow and just sit on a rock and wait for something to happen. Nothing happened except that I got more mellow the more I sat there

Another couple hours. Another stream to wade across.

Another crossing where the only option is just to wade across
Another crossing where the only option is just to wade across

Just below the nice easy stream that I waded it gets a little more interesting

Glad I am not crossing here
Glad I am not crossing here
Still further down the line there is a bridge for crossing at this point
Still further down the line there is a bridge for crossing at this point
And then a long rocky walk along the stream
And then a long rocky walk along the stream

Towards 4 pm I get to a point where I am entering a new section of the wilderness. As you look at the picture of the sign do you notice how dry it looks? I did not notice at the time. About an hour later, I noticed how the forest floor had changed to being very dry and I had not seen water for a long time. It was going to be 6 miles before I would see water. What a shock after having water everywhere for a number of days. I ran out of water on the ascent to Selden Pass but was able to borrow some from a PCT hiker that was coming down from Selden.

Wish I would have noticed the sudden dryness
Wish I would have noticed the sudden dryness

Anyway, all along the trail today everyone was wishing a Happy 4th or Happy Independence Day. I always responded with a thank you and a May God Bless and protect your hiking today. I thought it a good opportunity to try and remind people that our nation was founded under God in whom we trust. Most seemed to appreciate my response. Perhaps I planted in seed in those that had not thought about God lately. It also got me thinking about how I could explain the beauty of this place I am hiking in.

Do you remember when you were a kid and your would go on a special vacation into the mountains? Seems everyone has their favorite spot in the mountains to go for a few days and either camp or stay in a mountain cabin. These places usually involve trees bigger than you had ever seen before and a cold stream near by to wade in and a meadow to wander in and perhaps see some birds and some animals that caught your imagination. Perhaps when seeing the trees and the different plants you became interested in protecting the environment so that everyone could enjoy the same thing. Perhaps when seeing all the different birds you became interested in knowing more about birds and in protecting them or perhaps you just became a life long bird watcher and contributor to conservation/protection efforts. Perhaps when seeing the animals, you were told about how there is a balance in nature and that laws are made to limit the number of animals that can be hunted and when, so as to keep a perfect balance and at that time you decided you wanted to study those types of things. Perhaps you went fishing and learned that you only keep the number of fish you intend to eat and you let the rest go and from that time forward you learned to only take what you need and leave the rest for others. So this beautiful, wonderful spot where you had the family outing because a learning experience and may have even determined what you were going to do the rest of your life. If it did not do so immediately, the seed was planted in you and when the conditions were right the seed bloomed. I was one where the love of the outdoors seed was planted and it took a long time for the conditions to be right for it to bloom. A lot of the seeds planted in me were that way. Anyway, back to the point, that special vacation place in the mountains that you went to….. EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK UP HERE IS JUST LIKE THAT!! Pick any spot, sit down and listen and you will be blown away. It is that good.

So there was about a 10 mile ascent to Selden Pass. I made 6 of those miles today. From the profile, it looks to be hardest of the miles and it appears things level out for the last 4. I make it to Senger Creek where there is indeed water and I stop there. Tomorrow is Sunday and I am not sure if I will hike at all. If I do hike, it will be very little.